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Over forty years involved in racing, Mike ‘Spike’ Edwards has countless unique, colourful, gripping stories to tell.
British Supersport 400cc Champion in 1992, in 1995 he claimed the British Supersport 600cc title, edged out Phillip McCallen for a famous Macau Grand Prix win.
A World Endurance podium finisher, top draw Supermono, yesteryear steeds’ exponent, he’s also a North West 200 winner.
Recently, I’ve been fortunate enough to gain the former Triangle course Supersport lap record holder (Twitter handle @no1bloke), thoughts on a range of NW200 based topics.
Part one of our un-distilled, candid conversation reads as follows:
Road Racing News:
What is your first North West 200 memory?
Mike Edwards:
“Riding for Tillstons on a Yamaha OW01 Yamaha in the Superbike events.
I’d never even seen the track before and we did a lap in the van, before parking up in the paddock. An Irish chap wandered into the awning and took my photo for his album collection and chatted about who I was.
I was chuffed someone over here knew me, he asked had I been round the circuit and when I said only one lap in the van, without a second thought chucked us his keys of his CBR600 and said take a few laps on my bike, watch out for the Garda, thought eh.”
Road Racing News:
Favourite Triangle course section?
Mike Edwards:
“Station corner or possibly Mathers Cross. Station is the first test of how confident you are absolutely flat out on a 600.
Remember back then there was no little round-about at the top of the hill so it was a quicker approach. On a Superbike there was a bit of part throttling, how much was all about how big your gonads were.
Mathers Cross, no chicane back then, was all about carrying as much pace as possible onto the straight and down to Schoolhouse.
I remember in 93 on my 600 CBR chasing Joey (Dunlop), he’d opened up a small gap after the Magic round-about, I had to be on his tail out of there to get the draft, so I pulled it back a gear and made a huge lunge into the corner.
The front folded up and righted itself as I passed the apex, there was a big scraping sound but at the time I ignored it as I had indeed closed the gap to Joey.
It was only when we were both back at the rostrum having the crack and looked at the bike with a huge hole in the fairing and the exhaust all scratched, that I realised how close it was.”
Road Racing News:
Who is your most respected NW200 exponent?
Mike Edwards:
“I’d have to say it was pile of guys, the 600 class in particular was super tough, but Ian Simpson, Jim Moodie, Mark Farmer, Phillip McCallen and of course Joey were my main protagonists.
None of which could be counted out, none of which would give an inch and all would be all over you if you weren’t on your ‘A’ game.”
Photo’s courtesy of Mike Edwards
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
