Cookstown 100: Dominic Herbertson prevails in Supersport battle with Michael Sweeney as Michael Dunlop sits out

Pole man Michael Dunlop was a non-starter in the race. The 25-time Isle of Man TT winner crashed in Friday’s Supersport invitation race but walked away from the spill on his MD Racing Triumph unhurt.

Sweeney claimed the spoils in Friday’s race by a few hundredths of a second from Herbertson in a winning return to the sport after he missed last season following a serious crash at the North West 200.

The pair engaged in battle again in glorious sunshine around the Orritor course in Co Tyrone after passing early leader Darryl Tweed.

In a game of cat and mouse, Herbertson led the way on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Yamaha from Sweeney throughout the opening five laps.

Sweeney then made his move for the lead on his EM Building Yamaha on the sixth lap of nine, but Herbertson was back ahead on the next lap.

The English rider then began to pull a slight gap and was 0.6s ahead on the penultimate lap.

Sweeney closed the deficit on the final circuit but it was Herbertson who claimed the win by just under half a second for John Burrows’ Dungannon team.

Ballymoney’s Tweed was 16 seconds adrift in third on his M&D Racing Honda with Co Clare man Jacque Foley a safe fourth on his Yamaha R6.

There was nothing between Limavady’s Michael Gahan and Ballymena rider Neil Kernohan as they completed the top six positions.

Tweed won the earlier Lightweight Supersport race on the 400cc M&D Kawasaki comfortably by 17.28s from Graham McAleese (McKillop Kawasaki).

The Senior Support race was won by Londonderry’s Sean Brolly on his 750 Suzuki by five seconds from Co Leitrim’s Keith Richardson (600 Kawasaki).

Coleraine teenager Lee Hara was fourth on his road racing debut on a Yamaha R6 behind Tandragee rider James Doy (600 Suzuki) in third.