Smith’s BMW star Peter Hickman believes the MCE Ulster Grand Prix lap outright lap record is well within reach at this year’s event.

The Louth rider, who took victory in the second British Superbike race at Thruxton yesterday, reckons the record of 134.089 can go this week is conditions are right.

“I definitely think we could go a lot faster than 134mph. It all depends on the conditions obviously, if we can have a good couple of days of practice and get to Saturday with some good laps under our belt then I don’t see why we can’t push it up to maybe 135 or 136mph,” said Hickman.

“It’d be great to have a lap record around a road circuit, apart from my newcomer record at the TT I’ve not had an outright lap record anywhere on the roads so it’d be nice to do something like that, and good to do it at the Ulster.”