NW200: Dominic Herbertson in upbeat mood after dream start to road racing season with Ulster team Burrows Engineering/RK Racing

Herbertson – signed by team boss John Burrows after Cork’s Mike Browne departed last year in an amicable split – stepped up to the mark in his first roads outing at Cookstown, clinching a four-timer at the Co Tyrone meeting with a double in the Superbike class, a Supersport success and a win on his Moto3 debut on the team’s Honda 250.

The Hexham man has quickly gelled with the BMW M1000RR Superbike and is now gearing up for the first major international road race of the year, when the 33-year-old will also compete in the Superstock class.

“The BSB paddock packs up and comes over to the North West to the north coast don’t they?” Herbertson said. “The North West is the top of the discipline, the top of the mountain in Irish racing.

“But being able to go to the first Irish national of the year and get all the wins means the pressure’s off to an extent now for the North West because we’ve done the job on that side of things and everything else from here on is a bonus.

“The ambition is getting to the TT but we still have to put on a good performance at the North West and as far as my own results, I would like to improve on my lap times.

“I’ve been round there on my own BMW and we’ve put in some good, consistent times, so [the aim is] to be able to go there and just get sharper and battle on with the BSB lads, and get my mind tuned in for the TT.”

Herbertson says he is still getting used to being part of a big team after running his own operation as privateer for so long, meaning he can now concentrate solely on riding the bikes.

“John has taken so much pressure off me and it’s the first time that’s ever happened, which is quite daunting in itself because I feel like now I can just focus on riding,” he added.

“I can just focus more on myself as a rider… the pressure is from me because I know what tools I’ve got now, and the tools are good enough to be getting results on.”

Herbertson will also ride a Yamaha R6 in the Supersport races at the North West.