2022 NW200: Coward ‘more than happy with preparations’

Jamie Coward and the KTS Racing powered by Steadplan team are all set for their assault on the 2022 International road races with the North West 200 kickstarting proceedings tomorrow.

Formed by Kevin Watret, Tony Morris and Simon Bleasdale in 2015, the combination of the highly professional outfit and Coward enjoyed a successful 2019 season together in the Lightweight class, with second place to Michael Dunlop at the Isle of Man TT the highlight, and have now joined forces to contest all classes.

Reigning TT Privateer’s Champion Coward will campaign a Yamaha YZF-R1, prepared by Raceways Motorcycles, in the Superbike and Superstock classes, Stanley Stewart’s Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Supersport category and will continue with the Kawasaki Z650 in the Supertwins class. Second to Dunlop by just 1.2s in the aforementioned Lightweight TT Race, the Hebden Bridge rider also enjoyed success elsewhere in the class with second at the North West 200 and third and fourth at the Ulster Grand Prix.

The 31-year old also had a strong year in 2019 on the Yamaha YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 machines for his previous team, becoming the fastest man ever around the TT Mountain Course on a Yamaha with a lap of 130.317mph during the Senior race where he finished eighth. He also took a superb fifth place in the second Supersport TT race which followed on from eighth in the first encounter. The results, combined with further finishes of eighth and ninth in the Superbike and Superstock races, helped him win the TT Privateer’s Championship and capped a superb week around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course. Elsewhere, he took four top five finishes at the Ulster Grand Prix and, one of the most underrated riders in the sport, he’s now looking to build on those results