Harrison determined to end NW200 bogey in 2016

Bradford racer Dean Harrison is determined to end his Vauxhall International North West 200 bogey at this year’s races.

“I have never finished a race at the North West but I am aiming to change that this year.” he smiled after winning the Supersport and Senior races at last weekend’s Scarborough Spring Cup meeting.

The 26 year old steered the Silicone Engineering ZX10R and ZX6RR Kawasakis that he will race at Portrush to that double success to pick up where he left off at Oliver’s Mount last September when he won the prestigious Scarborough Gold Cup.

That victory was his only major triumph with the Mar-Train Yamaha team in a season that had promised so much and delivered so little for the promising Yorkshireman with the new R1 Yamaha. Harrison failed to gel with the machine, suffering a series of confidence sapping crashes including one in the CP Hire Superstock race at last year’s North West 200.

“Last year I fell off a couple of times and still to this day I don’t know what happened.” he says.

“That was the most frustrating thing, that’s what I didn’t like about the bike, it was unpredictable.”

Now reunited with the Kawasaki power that brought him success in 2014 with the RC Express squad, Harrison says he is looking forward to the new season.

“I am happier now than I’ve been for years and I’m back on a Kawasaki which makes me feel much more confident.” he says.

“It’s not head and shoulders above the previous model but they have refined it in every way.”

Harrison’s aims for 2016 are straightforward.

“I want to see some chequered flags this year.” he says.

“I am with these boys at Silicone for two years and everything is going 100% so far. Now I want to see some progress.”

The first to admit that he has never enjoyed a particularly successful time at the North West, the Bradford racer has just one goal in mind come May 12-14.

“I want to go there and get loads of solid finishes.” he says.

“I don’t want to go and break down or not finish. I want to get there and crack on with it. I want the bikes to be good and just keep going and going and going.”

Anything more would be a bonus, he says.

“If I could get on a podium I’d be over the moon. That’s what I’m aiming for, that’s the plan. Or at least somewhere near.”