Irwin Tops Todd In Compelling Anchor Bar Superbike NW200 Race

Irwin Tops Todd In Compelling Anchor Bar Superbike NW200 Race

With track temperatures rising and rising, attentions throughout the NW200 paddock focused onto the second big-bike expedition of race-week, the Anchor Bar Superbike race.

In addition to the warm weather, the great crowd in attendance, talk a plenty on the grid transcended around tyres, who would have the best set-up?

Unlocking the best start was eight times successive Superbike race winner Glenn Irwin.

At York Corner, Davey Todd jumped into the race lead whilst Michael Dunlop slotted into third.

Irwin robustly regained the initiative before Black Bridge, which he just about managed to maintain to lap one’s completion.

0.155 covered Irwin and Todd, Dunlop was third on the road but was eighth on the timing screens having attained a ten second penalty, following a mishap at Mather’s Chicane.

Peter Hickman was now third, closely followed by Honda Racing’s Dean Harrison.

Already, Irwin, Todd looked like they were in another league.

Todd retook P1 during early stages of lap two and thanks to gritty race-craft, pure determination held the race leading advantage as mid-race distance loomed.

Laps three saw the Triangle course titans, extend the gap over resilient third place occupier Hickman.

Dunlop bounced back to fourth overall and was matching the pace of Todd, Irwin.

Back into P1 as lap four popped up, Hager PBM Ducati’s Irwin knew as on Thursday evening that he was in a race and some.

With two laps still to run, the respective gaps between the front five were Irwin +0.224 to Todd, Hickman +9.844 down on Todd, Dunlop +3.431 behind Hickman, Michael Rutter 27.397 behind Dunlop.

0.339 was the gap that Milwaukee BMW’s Todd had to overturn as we entered the sixth and final lap.

On the run to Church Corner, the momentum was with Todd, getting in the slip stream of Irwin.

The Northern Irishman held firm though and over Black Hill and through the Bet McLean Chicane to make it ten successive SBK race wins and become the most successful Superbike exponent in NW200 history.

Irwin’s final race winning margin stood at 0.382 of a second.

Last lap problems for Hickman enabled Dunlop to make it a fourth successive top three finish.

James Hillier acquired fourth, Michael Rutter was fifth with Erno Kostamo securing another well-deserved top six finish.

Craig Neve, Platinum Club Racing Kawasaki’s David Johnson, BE/RK Racing’s Dominic Herbertson, Michael Evans finalised the top ten.

NW200 – Anchor Bar Superbike Race Result:

1st – Glenn Irwin
2nd – Davey Todd
3rd – Michael Dunlop
4th – James Hillier
5th – Michael Rutter
6th – Erno Kostamo
7th – Craig Neve
8th – David Johnson
9th – Dominic Herbertson
10th – Michael Evans

11th – Sam West
12th – Brian McCormack
13th – Eddy Ferre
14th – Amalric Blanc
15th – Jonathan Goetschy
16th – Laurent Hoffmann
17th – Kris Duncan
18th – Luca Gottardi
19th – James Chawke
20th – Sam Johnson

21st – Sean McTaggart
22nd – Paul Williams
23rd – Olivier Lupberger
24th – Jean Pierre Polet
25th – Liam Chawke
26th – Donald MacFadyen
27th – Paul Cranston

Photo credit: Derek Wilson

Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou

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