Glenn Irwin produced another faultless performance in the second Superbike race at today’s North West 200, leading from start to finish on the Be Wiser Ducati to make it a double on the day and his third in total around the 8.9-mile circuit.
Just as he had done earlier in the day, Irwin grabbed the lead off the line and was never headed as he swept to a near ten second win ahead of Michael Dunlop (Tyco BMW) and Lee Johnston (Honda Racing).
Irwin got his head down from the off and had built up a 3.5s by the end of the opening lap with Dean Harrison in second and Michael Rutter in third. Peter Hickman had been running in second but overshot at Metropole, dropping down to eighth and second time around it was Harrison’s turn to make a mistake as he had to run on at Mather’s Cross after getting a bit too close to Dunlop.
That enabled Irwin to pull away even further despite Dunlop lapping at 122.633mph and on lap three, the BSB regular set the fastest lap of the race, 122.809mph, which saw his lead increase to 4.1s. Dunlop was also looking secure in third as he was now some 3.5s clear of Johnston who was locked in battle with Rutter, Conor Cummins and Martin Jessopp
There was no let up from Irwin at the head of the field and despite Dunlop’s best efforts, his fellow countryman kept pulling away and going into the final lap, his advantage was some 9.4s. The battle for third was raging though as less than two seconds covered Johnston, Cummins, Jessopp, Harrison and Rutter.
Irwin duly completed his double, punching the air as he came along the coast road for the final time and his eventual winning margin over Dunlop was a whopping 9.9s. The BMW rider eased the pace slightly on the final lap so much so that Johnston, Jessopp, Cummins and Harrison were right behind him as they took the chequerd flag.
Rutter took seventh ahead of Gary Johnson and James Hillier but it was disappointment for record winner Alastair Seeley who could only manage tenth after a disastrous start left him back in twelfth on the first lap.
