NW200: Alastair Seeley hails TAS Racing team after sweet 16th success for Philip and Hector Neill and 29th 'Triangle' win

Seeley was able to hold off Michael Dunlop (MD Racing Honda) to earn another win on the SYNETIQ BMW after his triumph in Thursday’s opener.

The race was red-flagged on the last lap when Davey Todd pulled in at Metropole in Portrush with smoke pouring from the rear of his Milenco by Padgett’s Honda machine.

The 27-year-old was lying third at the time behind Seeley and Dunlop.

The Superstock race and the later feature Superbike race were reduced by one lap to five after a request from teams whose riders were running Dunlop tyres over safety concerns (see separate story).

Seeley’s winning distance was 0.7s from Dunlop, while Dean Harrison claimed a podium spot in third on the DAO Racing Kawasaki after Todd’s demise.

It was Dunlop who took the lead off the front row from Todd, with Seeley moving into second at York corner before hitting the front at Mill Road roundabout, where he out-braked Dunlop.

The Carrick man led by 1.7s at the end of the first lap from Dunlop, with Todd right behind in third and Harrison three seconds back in fourth.

Seeley, though, was not able to pull clear as he had done in Thursday’s race and on lap two, his advantage was slashed to 0.2s by Dunlop and Todd.

Todd set a fastest lap of 123.652mph on the third lap after passing Dunlop into York for second place.

However, the Northern Ireland rider soon claimed the position back at Magherabuoy chicane.

Seeley’s lead was 0.7s going onto the final lap, with Dunlop now credited with the fastest lap at 123.889mph.

The Ballymoney rider began to close slightly on Seeley but the SYNETIQ BMW man pulled enough of a gap on his M1000RR to close out yet another success at the ‘Triangle’ and recorded a new lap record at 124.484mph.

The red flags went out just after the leading trio flashed over the line.

Seeley paid tribute to the Moneymore-based TAS Racing outfit after clinching his 16th NW200 win on machinery prepared by Philip and Hector Neill’s team.

“They just keep coming,” he said.

“It’s testament to the team around me. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the machinery and the bikes.

“I can push with this bike. It’s working really well, I barely touched a button in that race and we brought her home, number 29.”

Seeley managed his pace at the front by keeping a close eye on his pit board and while he knew someone was close behind, he wasn’t aware that it was Dunlop.

“I knew someone was there. I didn’t actually look. I just keep reading my board,” he said.

“I rode smooth, hit all my marks and made sure I didn’t overcook it.”

Dunlop said he encountered an issue with his Honda Fireblade.

“I think we had the pace alright, just struggled a bit with another issue,” said the 33-year-old.

“That’s just the way life is. We’ll batter on and see what happens.”

Pressed on whether the problem was tyre-related, he said: “It was an issue.”

Michael Rutter, a 14-time NW200 winner, was fourth on the Bathams BMW ahead of James Hillier (OMG Yamaha) and John McGuinness (Honda Racing UK).