By Putting the Super into Super Twins was the motto for those sampling today’s opening Milltown Service Station sponsored race at a sun-drenched Briggs Equipment Northwest 200.
First into York Corner was pole-sitter, Swan Yamaha propelled Peter Hickman.
Four times class winner Richard Cooper, Jeremy McWilliams soon had turns at the front.
Already McWilliams, Cooper, Hickman were opening a modest gap over the rest of the field.
The front running trio kept proximity till lap one’s end with KMR Kawasaki rider Cooper P1, under 0.6 ahead of thirteen times TT winner Hickman.
Across lap two, Cooper steadfastly held his grip on P1, but it wasn’t long till Hickman got back to within touching distance.
At mid race distance, Cooper, Hickman had pulled away from top Paton exponent McWilliams, the fight for race spoils looked firmly between these two.
With live timing at a premium, one couldn’t fully tell the exacts gap between the pace setters, but you could tell it was close!
Cooper lapping in the low 1:51 seconds bracket, kept the race lead as the final lap beckoned.
A tenth here, a tenth there, Hickman was going 100 percent in pursuit of Nottingham’s Cooper.
At Metropole, Hickman made his move, could Cooper re-gain the lead?
Answer no, as world’s fastest road racer Hickman secured NW200 victory number three.
Behind Cooper, P3 went to Scott Racing Aprilia’s Michael Browne, having got the better of early race leader McWilliams.
Christian Elkin was fifth, Barry Furber bagged sixth with Gary McCoy, leading newcomer TH Racing’s AJ Venter, Kris Duncan, Barry Graham collecting finishes seventh to tenth.
NW200 – Milltown Service Station Super Twins Race Result:
1st – Peter Hickman
2nd – Richard Cooper
3rd – Michael Browne
4th – Jeremy McWilliams
5th – Christian Elkin
6th – Barry Furber
7th – Gary McCoy
8th – AJ Venter
9th – Kris Duncan
10th – Barry Graham
11th – Martin Morris
12th – Marty Lennon
13th – Dean McMaster
14th – Aaron Spence
15th – Phil Stewart
16th – Dan Ingham
17th – Michael Gahan
18th – Andy Hornby
19th – Anthony Redmond
20th – Mauro Poncini
21st – Graham McAleese
22nd – Maria Costello MBE
23rd – Dave Madsen Mygdal
24th – Michael Allen
25th – Mark Johnson
26th – Darragh Trappe
27th – Richard Kay
28th – Darren Duncan
Photo credit: Derek Wilson
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
