Irwin and Seeley dominate big bike classes
The Superstock bikes were the first of the 1,000cc categories to get underway, competing on Thursday night. With the FHO bikes being packed back into their trucks, the rest of the field streaked away into the sunset as the shadows began to lengthen over the Causeway coastline. For British Superstock Championship front-runner Alastair Seeley, it was business as usual aboard the Synetiq BMW – while many were left wondering how he was able to circumvent the homologation conundrum. Seeley, who has won more races around the Triangle Circuit than anyone else in history, scored a pair of perfect lights-to-flag victories to take his total to 29.
Seeley was adamant the total had reached 30 at the conclusion of the second Superbike contest, and final race of the week. The result was up in the air following a red flag bringing about an early end to the race, which was par for the course this week, with both Seeley and rival Glenn Irwin both believing they were the rightful winner. It was not the first time the two had been at odds across the week, either, with contact between the pair in the opening Superbike race on Saturday morning. Irwin did visit Seeley’s garage to apologise, but the BMW rider would still go on to suggest that someone “remind him that this is a road race”.
The final race was eventually called in Irwin’s favour, meaning it would be yet another double victory for the PBM Ducati rider and an eighth consecutive superbike victory at the North West 200 for the British Superbike championship leader. Irwin now only needs one win in the premier category to tie both Michael Rutter and the great Joey Dunlop’s record of nine triumphs. Both Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison were also on form, both fighting for honours in the Superbike races but ultimately falling short to the ‘King of the Superbike class’. However, it does very much whet the appetite for the Superbike and Senior TTs at the Isle of Man next month, where Peter Hickman will also be added into the mix.