Alastair Seeley held onto pole position for the two Superstock races at this week’s North West 200 with a damp track on the far part of the circuit on Thursday morning.
The most successful racer in the history of the NW200, 27-time race winner Seeley stopped the clock with the fastest average of The Triangle, albeit ten seconds down on Seeley’s best of 123.361mph from Tuesday.
Many of the field elected to remain in the pits in the early stages with sun shining at the start and finish but a damp track at the likes of the Magic Roundabout and Magherabouy and it all means Seeley and his Synetiq BMW will start from the head of the front row where he’ll be joined by Michael Dunlop (Hawk Racing Honda) and Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW).
It was Dunlop who topped Thursday’s session as conditions improved towards the end, the Ballymoney rider lapping at 4’31.428s.
The first race is set to take place this evening, with a strong second row poised just behind the top three comprising Davey Todd (Milenco by Padgetts Honda) in fourth, alongside former race winner Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing Honda) and Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki).
The remainder of the top ten on the grid is also full of potential race winners with Hickman’s team-mate Josh Brookes in seventh ahead of Conor Cummins on the second Milenco by Padgetts machine, while John McGuinness (Honda Racing) and James Hillier (OMG Racing Yamaha).
Nathan Harrison, in his first road race as an official factory Honda rider, sits just outside in 11th whilst Michael Rutter, a non-qualifier on Tuesday, was able to post a lap of 4’38.759s. That pulled the Bathams Racing BMW rider up to 16th on the grid.