NW200: Glenn Irwin's perfect ten as Ducati rider sets new record of Superbike wins after victory over luckless Davey Todd

In scorching conditions around the 8.9-mile ‘Triangle’ course, Irwin and Milwaukee BMW’s Davey Todd engaged in a repeat of their battle in Thursday’s opening race, which went down to the sixth and final lap.

With nothing between them, Todd was lining up a pass as they approached Juniper chicane but a slower rider skittled his tactics, preventing the 28-year-old from executing his plan.

That left Hager PBM Ducati’s Irwin to clinch an historic win by 0.382s for a double following his victory in Thursday’s race.

Michael Dunlop finished third on his Hawk Racing Honda, 19 seconds down, despite incurring a 10-second time penalty after failing to stop when he ran on at Magherabuoy chicane on the first lap.

The race was delayed by over an hour due to a ‘non-racing related incident’.

In brilliant sunshine, Irwin took the lead from pole but went wide after York corner, with Todd blasting past as Dunlop made a good start to hold third.

Irwin passed Todd into University to take over while Harrison closed in on Dunlop after the Ballymoney rider went straight on at Magherabuoy.

Honda Racing’s Dean Harrison passed Dunlop for third on the road but had to go straight on after running in too hot at Quarry Hill and retired from the race.

Irwin’s advantage was only 0.155s after the first lap of the 8.9-mile course with Peter Hickman (PHR Performance BMW) classified in third, four seconds back, after Dunlop received a time penalty for his error at Magherabuoy chicane.

Todd hit the front again into Ballysally roundabout on the second lap past Irwin and was three tenths ahead as they crossed the line.

Dunlop was third on the road ahead of Hickman but fourth overall with his 10-second time penalty taken into account.

At Metropole in Portrush on lap three, it was still Todd from Irwin, with Dunlop and Hickman a long way back.

Irwin was back ahead with a pass on the approach to Juniper chicane and led by 0.384s at the end of the lap.

Hickman was nine seconds down with Dunlop a further 4.7s further adrift on corrected time.

Todd drew alongside Irwin on the fast run to Coleraine on lap four in a game of cat and mouse, but it was still Irwin setting the pace at Mather’s chicane.

At the start of the penultimate lap, Irwin’s lead was 0.224s over Todd, with Dunlop still in third on the road ahead of Hickman.

Todd seemed content to sit behind Irwin on lap five and was 0.339s behind going into the sixth and final lap.

The leaders came upon a slower rider but both managed to get past cleanly on the run down to York corner.

With the race hanging in the balance, Irwin still led at the Ballysally roundabout and into Metropole with Todd closing in.

A grandstand finish was inevitable and the outcome came down to Juniper chicane, but a slower rider denied Todd the chance to attack.

Irwin wrapped up his 10th Superbike victory in a row and his seventh on Ducati machinery to take over as the most successful rider ever in the blue riband class from Joey Dunlop and Michael Rutter.

Irwin’s winning margin was 0.382s after six laps while Dunlop finished third – 19.2s back – after Hickman failed to finish.

James Hillier was a distant fourth on the WTF Racing Honda ahead of Michael Rutter on the Bathams BMW and Finland’s Erno Kostamo (Penz13 BMW).

Craig Neve (Bathams Honda) and David Johnson (Kawasaki) were the top eight.

Dominic Herbertson finished ninth on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing BMW ahead of Manx rider Michael Evans (Suzuki).

John McGuinness (Honda Racing UK) pulled out at Metropole while Milenco by Padgett’s Honda riders Conor Cummins and Ian Hutchinson were among the retirements.