A thrilling Ulster Grand Prix Superbike race went the way of Bruce Anstey after a red flag brought the race to an end half way round the sixth lap. With the result being taken at the end of the fourth lap - the last lap completed by every rider - the Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Honda rider got the verdict over Ian Hutchinson by 0.337s with Lee Johnston in third.
That didn’t tell the whole story though as throughout the race, the aforementioned trio along with Peter Hickman and Conor Cummins were locked in a wheel to wheel battle with less than a second covering the quintet. Anstey and Hutchinson had already swapped places twice on the sixth lap and the race was set to come down to a final lap showdown until it was stopped early.
It was the PBM Kawasaki of Hutchinson that got the jump off the line and he led at the end of the first lap from Anstey, Johnston, Hickman, Cummins and William Dunlop. Second time around and Anstey hit the front as the top five closed up leaving the two Dunlops trailing in their wake. Meanwhile, Dan Kneen slid out of seventh at the hairpin with Keith Amor retiring at the pits.
Lap three saw Anstey maintain his lead but it was Hutchinson who was the quickest at 133.042mph despite being out the seat at the hairpin. Hickman moved up to third at Wheeler’s with Johnston and Cummins still very much in contention.
On the fourth lap, Hutchinson went ahead at Deer’s Leap only for Anstey to retaliate immediately at Cochranstown and Johnston then pushed Hutchinson back a further spot at Jordan’s Cross. The Yorkshire rider moved back up to second by the end of the lap though after a tight overtaking manoeuvre at Quarry Bends.
The front five were wheel to wheel and despite encountering some slower riders, they were still bunched up going into the sixth lap and it was now Hutchinson who led once more after drafting by Anstey on the run towards Wheeler’s. Johnston was back up to third and we were all set for a classic Dundrod last lap until the red flags came out due to an incident on the approach to Leathemstown.
The result went back to the end of the fourth lap and so Anstey got his 11th Ulster GP win thus maintaining his record of finishing on the podium at least once every year since 2002.
Hutchinson had to settle for second , his first finish of the week, ahead of Johnston, Hickman and Cummins. Further back, William and Michael Dunlop had lonely rides into sixth and seventh respectively as Dean Harrison, Derek Sheils and Seamus Elliott rounded out the top ten.
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