Valvoline Honda’s Bruce Anstey took his second victory of the day at the Metzeler Ulster Grand Prix after a superb final lap took him from third to first and get the better of Guy Martin and Lee Johnston.
The Kiwi posted the fastest lap of the race, 131.889mph, to take his tenth UGP victory and sealed the win with a move going into Tournagrough.
"I really enjoyed that one," said Anstey, speaking to bikesportnews.com afterwards. "Guy took me to the end but I've always felt strong on the brakes going into Tournagrough so dived up the inside there and then just concentrated on getting round the hairpin and keeping it until the end.
“The bike's working really well through the Flowbog and Quarry Bends so felt confident I could keep them behind me but pushed until the end and the last minute decision to switch to a rear slick definitely worked."
It was Martin who took the lead on the opening lap but there was only 0.2s covering him, Anstey and Johnston with Michael Dunlop almost three seconds behind in fourth ahead of Peter Hickman, Steve Mercer, Ian Hutchinson and a flying Daley Mathison.
The front trio continued to be nose to nail but on the third lap, Dunlop was beginning to reel them in and a lap later there was just 1.3s between the top four. Martin continued to lead the way though with Anstey now in second ahead of Johnston. Further back, Hickman was beginning to look secure in fifth as Mercer had his hands full with Mathison who had overhauled Hutchinson with the Yamaha rider now falling into the clutches of Ivan Lintin.
The sixth and penultimate lap saw Anstey hit the front for the first time, taking the lead going into Deer's Leap, but the Kiwi made a mistake half way round the lap and going into the final lap he was back down in third although he pulled out of Johnston's slipstream along the Flying Kilo to re-take second place. Martin had crossed the line with a one second lead but he encountered a backmarker approaching Leathemstown and it meant him and Anstey were again locked together.
Martin and his Suzuki continued to hold sway but Anstey dived up the inside at Tournagrough and remained strong on the brakes at the hairpin to ensure the Lincolnshire rider couldn't fight back. He eventually took the win by 0.259s with Johnston slipping a few seconds back but holding on for a great third ahead of Dunlop.
Hickman had an excellent ride into fifth although, arguably, the performance of the race came from Mathison who took a stunning sixth with Lintin pipping Hutchinson for seventh on the final lap. Rob Barber and Russ Mountford completed the top ten as Mercer went out on the final lap.
