Relentless Suzuki by TAS’s Alastair Seeley kept his clean run of wins by taking his fifth in the National Superstock 1000 Championship after a wheel to wheel scrap with Steve Brogan of Padgetts Motorcycles.
It was edge of your seat action from the off with Brogan showing his has clearly upped his game by holding the outside line into the first corner until he took the lead ahead of Seeley.  Brogan’s teammate John McGuinness was closely in tow with Team Co-Ordit’s Richard Cooper in fourth.
For the next several laps it was a constant change at the front between Seeley and Brogan, with Seeley’s favourite move being on the inside of the first corner.  Brogan’s always attacked on the back straight on the entry to The Esses.  As they pulled away into the leading duo the battle for third place was only between McGuinness and Cooper.
In each lap both Seeley and Brogan seem to be caught out by the same attacking move, it was a case of how and when would one of them make the move stick.  Just when you thought it couldn’t become any more interesting on lap 17 the front two got mixed in with two back markers on the finish straight.
Four a breast Seeley and Brogan took the best lines they could, but it was Seeley who seemed to benefit slightly until Brogan was back on his tail at the Bombhole.  However it was Brogan’s last assault that finally decided the race, he tried an outside move which temporarily put him ahead of Seeley on the entry to Russell’s Bend, but unfortunately he could not stop in time to make the turn.
Brogan ran straight on over the chicane whilst Seeley watched and judged when it was safe to continue to win the race.  Brogan went onto the grass fortunately stopping it safely to allow him to rejoin the race.  He had to battle hard once more to keep his second place as he become mixed up with not only third and fourth place riders, but also again with the backmarkers.
Cooper got ahead of McGuinness on lap two and even though he tried to regain third it was Cooper who took the final step of the podium.  Further down the grid Sam Warren of GR Motosport/Midland Skip Hire, Conor Cummins of Team Blackhorse Yamaha and Alex Gault of Astro Racing Kawasaki were having a battle of their own.
Warren made an error as he tried to move ahead of Gault forcing him to lose out to Cummins.  On his quest to redeem himself Warren crashed out on lap nine ending that debate.  Cummins went on to round off the top ten, Gault settled for 12th after Sam Owens of Barton Bikesport Centre Stockport who barged up through from 20th on the grid.
Another rider who noticeably progressed up the timing sheets was Grant Molloy who qualified 29th to be running in 23rd.  He looked to gain another place on the last corner of the last lap, but a coming together with another rider in which they both crashed, Molloy rejoined to finish 27th.