North West 200
Northern Ireland
May 16, 2019
Race Results:
Supersport Race One Results:
1. Lee Johnston (Yam YZF-R6), 6 laps, Total Race Time 27:45.100, Best Lap Time/Avg. Speed 4:37.007, 116.575 mph
2. Dean Harrison (Kaw ZX-6R), -0.730 second, 4:37.107, 116.533 mph
3. James Hillier (Kaw ZX-6R), -1.649 seconds, 4:37.778, 116.251 mph
4. Michael Dunlop (Hon CBR600RR), -25.371, 4:38.495, 115.952 mph
5. Jamie Coward (Yam YZF-R6), -26.832, 4:40.783, 115.007 mph
6. Ian Hutchinson (Hon CBR600RR), -27.758, 4:41.894, 114.554 mph
7. Davey Todd (Hon CBR600RR), -27.932, 4:40.441, 115.147 mph
8. Gary Johnson (Tri Daytona 675R), -44.748, 4:41.445, 114.736 mph
9. Michael Sweeney (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 4:45.484, 113.113 mph
10. Daley Mathison (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 4:46.174, 112.840 mph
DNS. Patricia Fernandez (Yam YZF-R6)
Superstock Race One Results:
1. Peter Hickman (BMW S1000RR), 6 laps, Total Race Time 26:25.199, Best Lap Time/Avg. Speed 4:23.285, 122.650 mph
2. Glenn Irwin (Kaw ZX-10R), -1.895 seconds, 4:24.116, 122.264 mph
3. Michael Dunlop (BMW S1000RR), -12.228, 4:24.648, 122.019 mph
4. James Hillier (Kaw ZX-10R), -12.694, 4:25.758, 121.509 mph
5. Lee Johnston (BMW S1000RR), -13.594, 4:25.610, 121.577 mph
6. Richard Cooper (Suz GSX-R1000), -24.065, 4:27.631, 120.659 mph
7. Jamie Coward (Yam YZF-R1), -53.228, 4:32.010, 118.716 mph
8. Daley Mathison (BMW S1000RR), -53.405, 4:32.463, 118.519 mph
9. Derek Sheils (Suz GSX-R1000), -57.404, 4:33.252, 118.177 mph
10. Paul Jordan (Kaw ZX-10R), -58.214, 4:32.132, 118.663 mph
24. Patricia Fernandez (Kaw ZX-10R), -1 lap, 5:03.296, 106.470 mph
SuperTwin Race One:
1. Stefano Bonetti (Pat), 4 laps, Total Race Time 19:37.629, Best Lap Time/Avg. Speed 4:53.644, 109.970 mph
2. Jamie Coward (Kaw), -0.579 second, 4:52.967, 110.224 mph
3. Michael Rutter (Kaw), -7.428 seconds, 4:55.142, 109.412 mph
4. James Chawke (Pat), -25.982, 5:00.872, 107.328 mph
5. Horst Saiger (Pat), -26.265, 5:01.237, 107.198 mph
6. Francesco Curinga (Pat), -27.127, 5:01.317, 107.170 mph
7. Victor Lopez (Kaw), -51.038, 5:08.950, 104.522 mph
8. Carl Phillips (Pat), -51.485, 5:04.190, 106.157 mph
9. Darren Cooper (Kaw), -58.515, 5:08.453, 104.690 mph
10. Mathew Rees (Kaw), -64.852, 5:11.361, 103.712 mph
12. Matt Sadowski (Kaw), -83.107, 5:15.072, 102.491 mph
13. Maria Costello (Pat), -89.427, 5:17.858, 101.593 mph
24. Jeremy McWilliams (Kaw), -3 laps, DNF, crash
25. Darren James (Kaw), -4 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by North West 200 Press Office:
LEE JOHNSTON,
PETER HICKMAN AND STEFANO BONETTI CLAIM THE HONOURS ON THE OPENING NIGHT OF
RACING AT THE fonaCAB INTERNATIONAL NORTH WEST 200 IN ASSOCIATION WITH NICHOLL
OILS
Three races
produced three different winners during the first evening of racing at the
fonaCAB International North West 200 in association with Nicholl Oils.
24 times North
West winner Alastair Seeley (EHA Yamaha) and Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing
Yamaha) were locked in battle at the front of the six lap Tides Restaurant
Supersport race that opened proceedings. James Hillier (Quattro Plant
Kawasaki), Dean Harrison (Silicone Kawasaki) and Paul Jordan (Logan Yamaha)
were all in the mix as well, swapping places constantly in a high speed train.
It was Johnston
and Seeley though who led that train on to the coast road on the final circuit,
with Seeley going for the winning move as he has so many times before at
Juniper chicane. He got his nose in front but carrying a little too much speed
the Carrick racer lost control and crashed leaving Johnston to cruise to
victory ahead of Dean Harrison and James Hillier.
‘There is a reason why Seeley has won so many races round here
and it’s hard to know when he is playing and when he is not.’ Lee Johnston said
after taking his fourth North West victory.
‘His mid corner speed over Black
Hill was slow for him and I didn’t know whether he was playing with me. I
thought I’m going to go and whatever happens, happens. I knew exactly where my
braking marker was and I knew that if he got past he wasn’t getting stopped.’
Michael Dunlop (MD
Racing Honda) finished 4th in
what was the Ballymoney man’s first race since the Senior TT last June. Jamie
Coward (Prez Yamaha) was 5th and Ian Hutchinson (Honda Racing)
completed the top six.
Seeley was
uninjured after his tumble and walked back to the paddock.
After the hectic
action of the 600cc machines the Bayview Hotel Superstock race was more of a
procession as Peter Hickman dominated the six lapper from start to finish on
the Smith’s Racing BMW, eventually winning by 1.895 secs from Glenn Irwin
(Quattro Plant/Wicked Coatings Kawasaki). Irwin had been locked in a battle
with Silicone Kawasaki’s Dean Harrison until the Bradford man slid off at
University on the fifth lap.
Michael Dunlop (MD
Racing BMW) came out on top of a three man battle with James Hillier (Quattro
Plant/Wicked Coatings Kawasaki) and Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing BMW) for the
final podium place, receiving a huge cheer from the grandstands for his
efforts.
North West
debutant, Richard Cooper (Bennett’s/Buildbase Suzuki) rode a brilliant race to
claim 6th place.
‘I have been fast on the
Superstock bike all week for some reason.’ Hickman explained.
‘Its a brand new bike and I had
never even sat on it before Tuesday. The boys have done a great job and it
worked straight out of the box. I just wanted to get to the front as soon
as I could and just get my head down and get on with it. if I could just
get that half a second out of the slip stream then I knew I could get a little
bit of a lead.’
With the sun low
in the sky, Jeremy McWilliams (KMR/ Bayview Kawasaki) bounced back from his
earlier crash during qualifying to force his way to the front of the pack on
the opening lap of the MCL Insuretech Supertwins race. But on the second
circuit the former MotoGP star crashed out at Mather’s chicane on the second
circuit, leaving Stefano Bonetti (VAS Engine Racing Paton) in the lead. Over
the second half of the race the Italian was hunted down by Jamie Coward who had
posted the fastest time in qualifying aboard the KTS Racing Kawasaki.
Coward took the
lead at University but Bonetti got the Paton back in front along the coast road
to take victory.
Behind the leading
duo Michael Rutter provided some consolation for team boss Ryan Farquhar after
McWilliam’s crash by taking third on the KMR/Bathams Kawasaki). Limerick’s
James Chawke (Team ILR Paton) had a brilliant ride to 4th on his
North West debut with Team ILR teammate Horst Saiger 5th and
Francesco Curinga (Bemar Paton) taking 6th.
‘Winning my first international road race is better than
winning the lottery.’ Bonetti said after giving Italy it’s first North West 200 victory
and bringing the opening day of race action at the 90th anniversary
event to an emotional close.