Tyco Suzuki's Alastair Seeley dominated the opening six-lap Superstock race at this year's North West 200 with a quite simply scintillating display. The Tyco Suzuki rider grabbed the lead on the opening lap and was never headed eventually crossing the line over 20 seconds clear of second placed rider and surprise package of the race Lee Johnston.

The Ducati Panigale rider came through the pack to seize second on the final lap after a four-way dice which saw Cameron Donald (Wilson Craig Honda), Ryan Farquhar (KMR Kawasaki) and Stefano Bonetti (Speed Motor Kawasaki) follow him home in quick succession. However, confusion reigned at the end of the race when Bonetti, who crossed the line in fifth, was ushered onto the podium although it was clearly the Australian who had taken the final podium spot.

It was Farquhar who led the field into York Corner as the race got underway in wet conditions although the rain from earlier in the day had disappeared but Seeley soon moved into the lead with the Padgett's Honda duo of Bruce Anstey and John McGuinness slotting into third and fourth. Michael Dunlop had pushed McGuinness back to fifth at the end of the lap while Michael Rutter, who started from the front row of the second row, was already up to tenth.

Seeley continued to press home his advantage and at the end of lap two his lead was up to eight seconds with Farquhar two seconds ahead of Anstey quickly followed by Michael Dunlop, William Dunlop, Donald, Johnston and Bonetti. Rutter stayed in tenth with Gary Johnson, who started from the third wave, up to a superb 11th and Conor Cummins and Guy Martin (second wave starters) in 15th and 16th. McGuinness, meanwhile, slipped out of the top ten.

By half race distance, Seeley was a whopping 15 seconds clear, lapping some seven seconds quicker than his nearest rival but, behind, the dice for second place was hotting up with Farquhar coming under extreme pressure from Michael Dunlop, Johnston, Donald and Bonetti. Anstey began to drop back, eventually pulling in at the end of the fourth lap.

As the sun began to break through the clouds, the track started to dry rapidly but Seeley had no problems with grip and took the chequered flag at the end of the 6 laps 22.5s clear. The battle for second was in doubt all the way to the end though with positions changing throughout the final lap, Donald, Johnston, Bonetti and Farquhar four abreast into the Magherabuoy chicane. As they came along the coast road for the final time, Johnston grabbed second and just managed to hold on through the final chicane with the four riders having to negotiate a backmarker as well. Donald just edged out Farquhar for third with Bonetti in fifth, only half a second covering the three riders and although Cameron didn't get to stand on the podium, it was he who was eventually given third place. Fifth was still a superb effort by Italian Bonetti.

James Hillier had a lonely ride into sixth although Rutter nearly defeated him on corrected time from the second group, ultimately finishing in 7th with Michael Dunlop, Martin and Ian Lougher rounding out the top ten. Cummins took 11th with McGuinness in 15th but Johnson went out on the penultimate lap.

LIvewire AV Superstock race one - conditions wet

1 STK 34 Alastair SEELEY Suzuki - Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing a 6 29:00.810 111.010 4:49.008 111.734 2

2 STK 18 Lee JOHNSTON Ducati - Millsport Racing Ducati a 6 29:23.321 22.511 109.593 4:51.834 110.652 5

3 STK 86 Cameron DONALD Honda - Wilson Craig Racing a 6 29:25.036 24.226 109.487 4:52.631 110.351 5

4 STK 77 Ryan FARQUHAR Kawasaki - KMR Kawasaki a 6 29:25.121 24.311 109.481 4:53.910 109.870 2

5 STK 58 Stefano BONETTI Kawasaki - Speed Motor a 6 29:25.487 24.677 109.459 4:52.558 110.378 3

6 STK 37 James HILLIER Kawasaki - Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki a 6 29:36.196 35.386 108.799 4:54.501 109.650 4

7 STK 1 Michael RUTTER Kawasaki - Bathams Kawasaki b 6 29:36.662 35.852 108.770 4:55.068 109.439 6

8 STK 3 Michael DUNLOP Kawasaki - Ard Na Mara/McAdoo Racing a 6 29:39.907 39.097 108.572 4:54.284 109.731 2

9 STK 12 Guy MARTIN Suzuki - Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing b 6 29:46.489 45.679 108.172 4:55.284 109.359 3

10 STK 2 Ian LOUGHER Kawasaki - ILR Kawasaki a 6 29:48.733 47.923 108.036 4:56.442 108.932 3

11 STK 10 Conor CUMMINS Suzuki - Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing b 6 29:49.710 48.900 107.977 4:57.190 108.658 6

12 STK 11 Stephen THOMPSON BMW - Taylor Lyndsey a 6 29:51.848 51.038 107.848 4:57.603 108.507 4

13 STK 6 William DUNLOP Honda - Wilson Craig Racing a 6 29:54.921 54.111 107.664 4:56.285 108.990 2

14 STK 13 Adrian ARCHIBALD Kawasaki - AMA Racing a 6 30:18.084 1:17.274 106.292 4:58.098 108.327 3

15 STK 4 John McGUINNESS Honda - Padgett's MMCG Racing a 6 30:18.600 1:17.790 106.262 5:02.372 106.796 3

16 STK 60 Horst SAIGER Kawasaki a 6 30:25.297 1:24.487 105.872 5:01.403 107.139 6

17 STK 19 Paul SHOESMITH BMW - Ice Valley Motorsave BMW b 6 30:29.300 1:28.490 105.640 5:03.966 106.236 3

18 STK 53 Dean HARRISON BMW - Ice Valley Motorsave BMW b 6 30:29.775 1:28.965 105.613 5:04.267 106.130 2

19 STK 16 John BURROWS Kawasaki - Cookstown BE Racing b 6 30:30.019 1:29.209 105.599 5:03.631 106.353 2

20 STK 14 Ben WYLIE BMW - Wylie Racing / Per Cup Coffee a 6 30:34.604 1:33.794 105.335 5:05.252 105.788 6

21 STK 33 Olie LINSDELL Honda - Regal Leisure/Wheeler Electrical b 6 30:37.000 1:36.190 105.198 5:03.923 106.251 3

22 STK 30 Herve GANTNER BMW - Ice Valley Motorsave BMW a 6 30:45.356 1:44.546 104.721 5:04.324 106.111 6

23 STK 43 Adrian CLARK Honda - BHR Racing b 6 30:45.932 1:45.122 104.689 5:06.543 105.342 5

24 STK 62 Stanley GAMBLE Honda c 6 31:19.997 2:19.187 102.792 5:12.181 103.440 6

25 STK 39 Antonio MAESO BMW - martimotos c 6 31:35.223 2:34.413 101.966 5:13.285 103.075 5

26 STK 55 Donald MacFADYEN BMW - Capital Fire & Security Alarms b 6 31:53.815 2:53.005 100.975 5:16.554 102.011 5

27 STK 26 Dennis BOOTH Suzuki c 6 32:29.127 3:28.317 99.146 5:21.147 100.552 4

28 STK 29 Ryan McCAY Honda - Free Brothers Racing b 6 33:20.968 4:20.158 96.577 5:28.809 98.209 2

29 STK 66 Mark BUCKLEY Aprilia - Splitlath-Redmond Racing c 6 36:17.555 7:16.745 88.745 5:16.577 102.004 2

30 STK 36 Ray HUTCHISON Kawasaki c 5 27:50.461 1 Lap 96.354 5:30.238 97.784 5

31 STK 54 Toni RECHBERGER Suzuki - MSC Rottenegg c 5 27:52.133 1.672 96.258 5:32.019 97.259 2

32 STK 23 Steve MARTIN Kawasaki c 5 28:00.316 9.855 95.789 5:30.381 97.742 5

33 STK 89 Pierluigi CINTI BMW c 5 28:23.407 32.946 94.491 5:35.334 96.298 5

34 STK 57 Daniel JANSEN BMW - New Zealand M/cycle Adventures c 5 28:56.212 1:05.751 92.705 5:32.868 97.011 5

Not Classified

DNF STK 5 Bruce ANSTEY Honda - Padgett's MMCG Racing a 5 25:03.767 1 Lap 107.035 4:55.136 109.414 2

DNF STK 44 Jamie HAMILTON Kawasaki - KMR Kawasaki a 5 26:16.389 1:12.622 102.104 5:06.049 105.513 2

DNF STK 45 Garth WOODS Honda - Zeus Products/AMB Compressors c 5 27:33.429 2:29.662 97.347 5:31.092 97.532 2

DNF STK 7 Gary JOHNSON Honda - Honda TT legends c 4 19:58.120 2 Laps 107.388 4:58.694 108.111 2

DNF STK 56 Phillip CROWE BMW - PCR HMT Racing b 4 22:09.375 2:11.255 96.785 5:29.445 98.019 2

DNF STK 96 Neil GREGORY Honda - Trickbits/FBM/SNC Scaffolding b 4 38:26.357 18:28.237 55.787 5:08.064 104.822 3

DNF STK 111 Brian McCORMACK Honda - CD Racing b 3 15:09.720 3 Laps 105.936 5:05.318 105.765 2

DNF STK 27 Steve HENEGHAN Kawasaki - Quattro Plant Kawasaki b 3 15:25.929 16.209 104.081 5:06.672 105.298 3

DNF STK 42 Gerard KINGHAN BMW - Kinghan Racing a 3 15:45.507 35.787 101.926 5:06.343 105.411 2

DNF STK 98 Paul OWEN Honda - WeTrackBikes.co.uk b 3 16:04.891 55.171 99.879 5:20.037 100.901 3

DNF STK 50 William DAVISON Honda - Hill Contracts b 2 10:47.356 4 Laps 98.987 5:30.330 97.757 2