HARROW is home to one of motorbike racing's up-and-coming riders.

Steve Heneghan, of West Harrow, rode at the most famous road race in Northern Ireland last week, the North West 200 - which is similar to the Isle of Man TT - and Steve rode to an impressive 22nd place finish, out of the 70 strong grid.

Steve has been racing for the last seven years - since he was 19 years old - and has come through club racing, national racing and finally made it onto the Superbike racing circuit - competing in the National Superstock Cup.

Steve will race in China later this year and his privately-funded Yomoto team has a two-year sponsorship deal, by which time they hope to have made it to the British Superbike Circuit, which Steve says is "regarded as the toughest competition in the world".

He explained that the British Championship was regarded more highly than even the world series and that national champions from all over the world came to Britiain to test their mettle before heading off to the world circuit.

Steve's latest race in Ireland had qualifying sessions last Tuesday and Thursday before the Saturday race, around the local roads of Portrush and Coleraine. The very complex circuit is only inches from the spectators on the pavements, who line the nine-mile track.

In the first qualifying session Steve set a strong time and lay in a provisional 15th place on the grid - and even though the second session saw him improve on his time, more riders attended, placing him in 37th position.

He made a brilliant start, making up 17 places by the end of the first five laps, almost two seconds ahead of the pursuing riders. He held the position for the next two laps, but with the tyres already having given their best, the Harrow rider aboard the Yomoto, HCL, Quattro Suzuki K7, slipped back to 22nd, but battled hard with a pack of three other riders to finish strongly, only six tenths of a second behind the top 20 position.

He said: "We had problems with the suspension settings throughout the week, and with the tyres going off two laps from the end, I had to work even harder to keep my position. I have to thank my sponsors, Yomoto, Heneghan Construction and Quattro for all their support and my strong finish is thanks to them. It is their support that has enabled me to ride this season - and be as successful as I have been."

Steve not only produced a strong finish, but also broke the 114 mph average speed around the nine-mile circuit, "My goal for this weekend was to break the 114mph lap, which I managed to do, so I'm really happy," he said.

Steve returns to England for the fifth round of the National Superstock Cup at Snetterton on May 20 and is aiming for another strong finish after his success in Ireland.