Competitors were greeted with mixed conditions for the opening North West 200 qualifying sessions today with overnight rain leaving damp patches around the 8.9-mile circuit. However, the sun was shining and the track quickly improved and, after the Supersport bikes had completed their first session, it was Josh Brookes who claimed provisional pole for the Superbike class on the MCE Ducati.
Making his return to the 8.9-mile circuit after an eight-year absence, the Australian quickened his pace as the session wore on and his final lap of 4’29.000s knocked Michael Dunlop off the top spot. The local hero, riding the Hawk Suzuki, was only 0.173s adrift although the duo were some seven seconds off the latter’s outright lap record.
Davey Todd (Milenco by Padgetts Honda) moved up to third in the closing stages with Alastair Seeley (IFS Racing Yamaha) slipping back to fourth after heading the leaderboard at the mid-way point. The leading quartet were separated by less than a second.
One place further back in fifth was Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing), the four-time Superbike winner just over two seconds adrift of Brookes, with James Hillier having an encouraging start to his Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha career in sixth.
Richard Cooper (Buildbase Suzuki), Conor Cummins (Milenco by Padgetts Honda), Michael Rutter (Bathams Racing BMW) and Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) completed the top ten, the latter only completing four laps compared to the eight completed by a number of his rivals. Ian Hutchinson, John McGuinness, Lee Johnston, Dean Harrison and Jamie Coward occupied 11th to 15th to highlight the depth of the field.
In the Supersport class it was Johnston (Ashcourt Racing Yamaha) who led the way with a lap of 4’42.935s. That put him 1.220s clear of Dunlop (MD Racing Yamaha) with Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki) a further eighth tenths of a second behind in third.
Todd’s strong opening day continued with the fourth quickest time ahead of Seeley, Adam McLean (McAdoo Racing Kawasaki), Jeremy McWilliams (Burrows by RK Racing Yamaha), Cummins, Hutchinson and Joseph Loughlin (Team ILR/Mark Coverdale Yamaha).
Speed trap top ten
| SBK 60 Peter HICKMAN 198.0 175.8 198.0 196.3 194.6 |
| SBK 4 Ian HUTCHINSON 196.9 181.5 187.0 188.6 192.9 195.2 195.7 196.9 |
| SBK 72 Josh BROOKES 196.3 178.1 185.0 189.1 192.4 181.0 193.5 196.3 195.7 |
| SBK 6 Michael DUNLOP 194.0 191.3 193.5 191.3 187.0 191.8 193.5 194.0 |
| SBK 11 Conor CUMMINS 192.9 168.3 192.9 184.0 178.1 186.0 185.0 |
| SBK 2 John McGUINNESS 192.4 170.9 179.1 178.1 169.6 184.0 172.2 192.4 170.0 |
| SBK 37 James HILLIER 192.4 186.0 191.8 191.8 170.0 190.7 190.7 192.4 |
| SBK 74 Davey TODD 191.8 182.5 191.8 191.8 190.7 184.0 190.2 189.7 |
| SBK 13 Lee JOHNSTON 191.8 184.5 190.7 187.0 181.5 190.7 191.8 |
