AIM Yamaha's Steve Plater has taken his third NorthWest 200 win at the coastal track this afternoon after a heart-stopping last-lap dice with Michael Rutter and Aussie Cameron Donald.
But it was heartbreak for Hydrex Honda's Guy Martin. He led from the lights and made a break from the field, leading easily but a puff of smoke appeared from the back of his bike going over the line to start lap four and was forced to pull out halfway through lap five.
It was a race of slipstreaming with places changing on each lap. The Relentless Suzukis of Donald and Bruce Anstey looked to have the better top end but the NortWest experience of Rutter and Plater showed every time.
Donald led on the last lap coming into Juniper Hill chicane but Rutter, who had a gearshift problem looked to go up the inside. As he did so, Plater passed both of them and took the victory by half a second.