Cookstown 100: Mike Browne snatches last-gap Superbike win from Adam McLean

The Cork man was a close second on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Suzuki for much of the eight-lap Open race behind Tobermore’s Adam McLean, who was setting a hot pace out front on the McAdoo Kawasaki ZX-10RR.

Pole man Michael Sweeney, who had a huge crash in the Supersport race, was also in touch in third place on the MJR BMW until he dropped back slightly on the final few laps.

With no change at the front, it seemed as though McLean would hang on for another victory at the 2.1-mile Orritor course in Co Tyrone.

However, the leading duo came upon slower riders as they reached the final lap and it was Browne who hit the front at the crucial point in the race, with the Republic of Ireland rider going on to secure his biggest win to date by 1.2s from McLean, with a battered and bruised Sweeney 5.4s further back in third.

It was Browne’s second win of the day after he took the honours in the Moto3 race on the Joey’s Bar Honda in a fitting Irish road racing swansong for the Ballymoney team.

Magherafelt’s Paul Jordan was a safe fourth as he made his race debut on the PreZ Yamaha R1, with Darryl Tweed (McAdoo Kawasaki) and Shaun Anderson (NW Racing BMW) the top six.