motorcycling

A three-time winner, McWilliams will again compete in the Supertwin races on a Paton machine under the IFS/Bayview Hotel banner.

The 58-year-old took victory on one of Ryan Farquhar’s KMR Kawasaki machines in the Saturday Supertwin race in 2019 but has opted for a change in machinery as the event returns this year.

“I did consider riding Ryan’s bike again and I would do so in the future but it is just the way things have worked out,” McWilliams said.

“During lockdown not much was happening and Ryan wasn’t sure what he was doing. The rules for the Supertwin class have been changed recently and that has definitely shaken up all of those teams that are using 650cc engines.

“Graeme Hanna from IFS bought a Paton and told me if I wanted to use it, I could work away.”

McWilliams made his first outing on the Italian machine last year at an Ulster Superbike meeting at Kirkistown in Co Down, where he won both races.

He was also a double winner on the bike two weeks ago as the new season got under way at Bishopscourt.

“My time at Kirkistown wasn’t under the fastest lap I had set previously on Ryan’s bike but now the North West has returned, we have decided to give the Paton a run and see how it performs,” said the former Grand Prix star.

“The Patons were strong in 2018/19 but the rules have changed since then and we will just have to suck it and see.”