By Ending the Briggs Equipment Northwest 200 on a high-note, Honda Racing UK’s Dean Harrison left the opening roads ‘Major’ of 2024 with two podium finishes to boot including a superb voyage to third in the feature Merrow Hotel & Spa Superbike race.
Superstock Race 1 runner-up Harrison despite piloting stock 1000 machinery in comparison to the Superbikes of Glenn Irwin and Davey Todd, kept pace throughout with the dominant SBK forces of the event.
Such was Harrison’s determined endeavours, he on route to P3, broke the existing Superstock 1000 lap record, chalking up a lap time of 4 minutes 18.392 seconds.
Commenting post-race, the three times TT winner stated:
“It was a fast race from the start in that final Superbike race to be honest, I tried to hang on to the back of Davey and Glenn on the Stocker for as long as I could. And honestly, I just rode as hard as I could to stick with them in case they made any mistakes.
I rode as hard as I could everywhere and braked as hard as I could to try and make the difference against a Superbike. We’ve had a bit of a rough day in the other races and a bit of bad luck, I closed the front in the first race and had to open the throttle and then pick the bike up, and then a bit of bad luck in the next one, which was unfortunate because I felt super-fast in that one.
I want to say a massive thank you to the team for working so hard all week. Little things have just been getting in the way, but we have constantly moved forward and kept on working. I’m over the moon to put a brand new Superstock bike on the podium in a Superbike race.
It’s a new bike and we are learning all the time so I look forward to getting off to Donington next week where we will learn a bit more in BSB and then on to the Isle of Man.”
Quotes courtesy of Honda Racing UK press team.
Photo credit: Derek Wilson
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
