2022 NW200: Superstock victory brings Seeley hat-trick

Alastair Seeley took his 27th North West 200 victory on Saturday with the IFS Racing Yamaha rider seeing off the early challenge of Michael Dunlop (MD Racing) to eventually win the Superstock race by more than 11 seconds from Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing BMW) and Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki).

Seeley grabbed an early lead from fellow Carrickfergus rider Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) and although the latter dived up the inside at York Corner, he immediately ran wide and dropped behind Davey Todd (Milenco by Padgetts Honda) into third. Irwin then looked to take the lead at University but he ran straight on with Todd also running onto the grass and when the dust settled it was Seeley who was leading from Dunlop by half a second with Michael Sweeney (MJR Racing BMW) going great guns in third. Harrison, Conor Cummins (Milenco by Padgetts Honda) and Johnston completed the top six with Irwin and Todd regrouping in tenth and 11th respectively. Ian Hutchinson (Milwaukee BMW) was a first lap retirement though having already ran on at the Metropole. Dunlop hit the front at the Mathers Chicane on lap two with the gap between the two 0.4s starting lap three only it was now Seeley leading once more. Todd had amazingly fought his way back up to third but a lap record of 123.685mph showed how he’d managed it and behind him the running order was Johnston, Harrison, Cummins, Irwin and Sweeney. Lap three and it was Dunlop’s turn to run on at University and that handed Seeley a formidable looking lead of 3.6s with Dunlop’s mistake meaning Todd pushed him back to third. Johnston, Harrison and Sweeney were now running in fourth to sixth with Irwin, Michael Rutter (Bathams Racing BMW) and Cummins all pulling in to retire at half race