NW200: Dominant Alastair Seeley claims 28th win with Superstock triumph and shatters lap record

Seeley seized the lead and gradually pulled a gap over Davey Todd (Milenco by Padgett’s Honda) in second place, leading by 0.8s after two laps.

A mistake by Todd on the brakes on the third lap at Mather’s chicane gave pole man Seeley a commanding advantage but the SYNETIQ BMW rider refused to slacken the pace, with the 43-year-old shattering Todd’s 2022 lap record with a new fastest speed of 124.427mph.

Seeley was almost six seconds ahead of Dunlop at the end of the third lap and he continued to stretch clear at the front.

Todd regrouped and fought back to pass Dunlop for second place and the result was decided when the race was stopped due to a red flag incident on the sixth lap, after Manx rider Nathan Harrison crashed at Dhu Varren. Harrison suffered a broken right collarbone and left radius in his wrist.

The result was taken based on positions at the end of lap five, with Seeley victorious by 10 seconds from Todd, who was three tenths of a second ahead of Dunlop.

It was Carrickfergus man Seeley’s 15th victory at the North West for the Moneymore-based TAS Racing team as he turned the tables on Todd, who had earlier prevailed in a thrilling Supersport opener.

Harrison was 30 seconds down on the race winner on his DAO Racing Kawasaki in fourth.

Michael Rutter (Bathams BMW) and James Hillier (OMG Yamaha) completed the top six.