Saturday's North West 200 races were marred by disaster as multiple accidents and race stoppages interfered with an otherwise exciting race meeting. Eight riders were hospitalised, some with serious injuries, during Ireland's premier motor cycling road race.

The nine-mile public road circuit that links Coleraine with the scenic seaside towns of Portrush and Portstewart was run in perfect weather, but the controversial new roundabout on Mill Road caused havoc and injury.

On the first lap of the 125cc race, Ulster riders Robert Dunlop, Phelim Owens and Darren Lindsay crashed together at the roundabout. Owens received head injuries and his bike cartwheeled into a private garden. Lindsay received multiple leg injuries.

The race was stopped and Dunlop battled hard to prepare his bike for the restart. The race was stopped a second time because of another accident, then it was decided to shorten the race to two laps and try a third time. Bad luck struck Dunlop again when he crashed out near University Corner, breaking his collarbone and ankle.

The 125cc race was abandoned as the organisers as time was running out before the road reopened at 6.30pm. The Production race was cut from five to four laps, the second Superbike race was cut from six to four laps and the junior race was dropped..

Investigations will be mounted into the suitability of the design of the new roundabout. Riders were forced to race anti-clockwise around the obstacle and the new road camber is unsuitable for motorbike racing.

The absence of Joey Dunlop and Philip McCallen, because of injury in earlier weeks, left the competition wide open in the day's races. Ian Simpson won the first Superbike race. Jim Moodie and Michael Rutter both crashed on the last lap as they battled for second. Rutter remounted to eventually finish second, but Moodie's injuries put him out of action for the rest of the day.

The 600cc race was red-flagged on lap two when another rider came off at the controversial new roundabout. Simpson again won, by a margin of only 0.09 secs.

Racing is always very close at the North West and the Production race was no different. In the Production race Michael Rutter and David Jeffries swapped the lead throughout the race but Rutter, on a Honda, went on to win by 0.23 seconds.

The final Superbike race was a titanic battle between Michael Rutter and Ian Simpson with Rutter winning by just 0.22 seconds.