The endless wait was rewarded with an epic race. The “Race Day” on Saturday 11 May of the North West 200 produced a Superbike race, the first of the day as well as the second of the week of activities at the ‘Triangle‘, which can be summarized with a single term: show! Beautiful, compelling, exhilarating, full of pure motorcycling adrenaline, which only ended by 382 thousandths after 6 very tight laps. Glenn Irwin, at the controls of the Paul Bird Motorsport Ducati Panigale V4 R, scored his personal tenth consecutive victory in the category, a goal achieved at the end of a thrilling duel with a never-tamed Davey Todd (Milwaukee BMW).
SHOW AT THE NORTH WEST 200
Having started late for unspecified reasons, this Superbike challenge once again pitted Thursday’s protagonists in direct competition for the record. Like 48 hours ago, more than on the opening day of the race, Irwin and Todd did not hold back at all. Traveling at amazing times, so much so that we even found ourselves with laps along the way… in just 6 laps of the race!
IRWIN’S TITHING
In the end it was once again Glenn Irwin who prevailed, who has continued to reap successes at the North West 200 in Superbike since 2017. Double win year after year, going from Ducati, Kawasaki, Honda to returning to Ducati, with the opportunity to even score a hat-trick thanks to the new format introduced this year. With 10 wins the Carrickfergus native has already become the record holder for Superbike victories at the event, one more than Joey Dunlop and Michael Rutter. For Todd a new second place, burned by a sprint lost by less than 4 tenths, leaving all the others to wait an eternity. Michael Dunlop (Hawk Honda) third pays 19″, over 1 minute James Hillier, Michael Rutter and Erno Kostamo with Luca Gottardi classified eighteenth.
THE FIRST SUPERTWIN RACE IN HICKMAN
To open the “Race Day” on Saturday 11 May was however the first race of the Supertwins class based on the exciting confrontation between Peter Hickman and Richard Cooper. With the Yamaha R7 prepared in-house (with parts, including the fairing, from Moto2) and dressed in the iconic Swan colours, the TT lap record holder won through strategy, appearing first in Metropole during the fourth and final round of the contest . Cooper with KMR Kawasaki, fresh from 4 consecutive category victories at the event, had to settle for second place at 489 thousandths, with Mike Browne third at 10″ on the Aprilia RS 660 of the Scott Redding team. The latter managed to get the bronze only in the final over Jeremy McWilliams (Paton Bayview Hotel/JMW) who came within a whisker of the third step of the podium.
FOUR MORE RACES OF THE NORTH WEST 200
The eternal (60 year old) Northern Irish motorcyclist will have the opportunity to make up for it in the second race scheduled for the afternoon where Mauro Poncini will also be back at the start, 20th in Race 1. Our standard-bearer will also tackle the second race of the week reserved for Supersport, for a rich program which will also see the second Superstock race and the grand finale represented by the “Feature Race” Superbikes.
