Stefano Bonetti became the first Italian and only the fourth overseas rider ever to win at the International North West 200 when the Paton rider took a dramatic victory in Thursday evening’s Supertwin race, just seeing off the challenge of KTS Racing’s Jamie Coward.

It was Jeremy McWilliams who stormed into an early lead on the KMR Kawasaki, his advantage at the end of the first lap almost one second with Bonetti in second and Derek McGee and Michael Rutter in third and fourth on two more of Ryan Farquhar’s KMR Kawasaki’s.

However, second time around the former 250cc Grand Prix winner tipped off at the Mather’s Chicane, fortunately without injury and that allowed Bonetti to open up a 1.7s lead over McGee with Coward and Rutter now in third and fourth.

Lap three saw Bonetti surge clear but there was further drama when McGee firstly ran straight on at Mather’s Cross, dropping back to third, and then run wide again coming into the start and finish chicane. The Irishman clouted the kerb hard and did well to stay on but retired immediately afterwards.

Bonetti still led going into the fourth and final lap but Coward got a good slipstream on the run to University and took the lead for the first time although Bonetti immediately retaliated heading into Mathers.

This time he extended his lead once more and although Coward closed back in along the coast road, he couldn’t get close enough to try a pass and Bonetti took the chequered flag to create his and Paton’s piece of NW200 history.

Further back, Rutter was relieved to finish third with James Chawke and Horst Saiger giving Paton further joy in fourth and fifth whilst another Italian, Francesco Curinga took a good sixth.

Spaniard Victor Lopez took seventh with newcomer Carl Phillips, Darren Cooper and Matthew Rees completing the top ten.

Supertwin race one - conditions dry

1 TWN 36 Jamie COWARD 4:57.829 6 4:58.727 3 4:57.829 108.425 9
2 TWN 8 Michael RUTTER 4:58.029 7 5:00.617 4 4:58.029 108.352 11
3 TWN 86 Derek McGEE 5:01.587 3 4:58.492 7 4:58.492 108.184 10
4 TWN 1Glenn IRWIN 4:59.063 4 4:58.625 4 4:58.625 108.136 8
5 TWN 16 Stefano BONETTI 5:00.805 5 4:58.830 5 4:58.830 108.061 10
6 TWN 18 Christian ELKIN 4:58.931 6 5:03.881 6 4:58.931 108.025 12
7 TWN 99 Jeremy McWILLIAMS 5:00.442 2———5:00.442 107.482 2
8 TWN 22 Horst SAIGER 5:04.077 6 5:02.392 5 5:02.392 106.789 11
9 TWN 65 Michael SWEENEY 5:05.328 3———5:05.328 105.762 3
10 TWN 10 James CHAWKE 5:12.029 7 5:05.411 6 5:05.411 105.733 13
11 TWN 6 Victor LOPEZ 5:09.042 7 5:05.419 7 5:05.419 105.730 14
12 TWN 32 Carl PHILLIPS 5:08.372 7 5:06.586 6 5:06.586 105.328 13
13 TWN 48 Francesco CURINGA 5:08.961 5 5:07.442 7 5:07.442 105.034 12
14 TWN 14 Daley MATHISON———5:08.692 4 5:08.692 104.609 4
15 TWN 5 Marty LENNON 5:10.388 4 5:18.240 3 5:10.388 104.038 7
16 TWN 109 Neil KERNOHAN 5:13.999 6 5:11.141 4 5:11.141 103.786 10
17 TWN 80 Darren COOPER 5:15.680 4 5:11.646 6 5:11.646 103.618 10
18 TWN 2 John McGUINNESS 5:18.792 3 5:11.842 1 5:11.842 103.552 4
19 TWN 182 Xavier DENIS 5:13.012 4———5:13.012 103.165 4
20 TWN 27 Joseph LOUGHLIN 5:16.375 4 5:15.154 7 5:15.154 102.464 11
21 TWN 25 Matthew REES 5:15.568 4 5:15.360 4 5:15.360 102.397 8
22 TWN 29 Darren JAMES 6:28.630 0 5:15.721 7 5:15.721 102.280 7
23 TWN 84 Maria COSTELLO 5:21.971 5 5:15.880 6 5:15.880 102.229 11
24 TWN 38 Paul WILLIAMS———5:16.123 4 5:16.123 102.150 4
25 TWN 100 Matt SADOWSKI 5:19.007 5 5:18.522 4 5:18.522 101.381 9
26 TWN 26 Garth WOODS 5:23.320 3 5:18.887 6 5:18.887 101.265 9
27 TWN 59 Darryl TWEED 5:26.779 1 5:19.367 1 5:19.367 101.113 2
28 TWN 85 Steven HORNE 5:22.787 5 5:26.070 4 5:22.787 100.041 9
29 TWN 79 Bruce BIRNIE 5:23.605 4 5:26.290 3 5:23.605 99.788 7
30 TWN 49 Michael REES———5:27.864 6 5:27.864 98.492 6
31 TWN 66 Ryan GIBSON 5:28.991 5 5:30.505 2 5:28.991 98.155 7
32 TWN 97 William HARA 5:31.758 4 5:30.862 4 5:30.862 97.600 8
33 TWN 90 Sandy BERWICK 5:49.644 1 5:34.472 7 5:34.472 96.546 8
34 TWN 20 Mark SHIELDS 5:45.819 5 5:45.963 3 5:45.819 93.378 8