Ryan Farquhar led home a KMR Kawasaki podium sweep in the inaugural four-lap Supertwins race at the North West 200 this evening with the Dungannon rider leading almost from start to finish to take his 5th win around the Triangle. There was never more than a handful of seconds between the leading pack but Farquhar continually held a two second lead with Jeremy McWilliams and Michael Rutter securing second and third in a thrilling final lap.

It was James Hillier who grabbed the holeshot and led into York Corner but Farquhar dived up the inside at the Mill Road Roundabout only for Hillier to respond at University. However, he ran wide on the exit handing the initiative back to Farquhar and by the end of the first lap he had a 1.9s advantage over new second place man McWilliams, the former GP ace moving through the field after a sluggish start. It was close though with polesetter Adrian Archibald right on his tail. Hillier was in fourth ahead of Jamie Hamilton and Michael Rutter, the latter choosing dry tyres compared to the wets and intermediates chosen by his rivals, slight rain returning just prior to the race.

Farquhar maintained his two second lead on the second lap as McWilliams and Archibald continued to battle side by side for second. Hillier had dropped four seconds back with Rutter and Hamilton continuing their duel a further second back. With the fastest lap of the race, Farquhar extended his lead over McWilliams to 4.5 seconds as they went into the final lap but it was here when the battle for second began.

Rutter had pulled away from Hamilton and soon overtook Hillier, bringing the Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki rider with him as they reeled in McWilliams and Archibald. The Ballymoney man took second at University only to be pushed back to fourth at Magherabuoy and as they swept into Metropole for the final time the order was McWilliams, Hillier, Rutter and Archibald. However, Hillier ran wide on the exit handing third to Rutter and he then dropped back to fifth at Black Hill as Archibald also overhauled him.

Through the final few corners, Farquhar had the race in the bag and crossed the line 2.9s clear of McWilliams with Rutter in third and Hillier finally getting the better of Archibald for fourth - just 1.6s covered second to fifth at the end of the four laps. Hamilton dropped off the pace to claim sixth with the top ten completed by Ian Lougher, Michael Sweeney, William Davison and Simon Andrews.

Vauxhall Supertwins - conditions wet

1 TWN 1 Ryan FARQUHAR Kawasaki 650 - KMR Kawasaki a 4 21:23.294 100.261 5:21.356 100.487 2

2 TWN 99 Jeremy McWILLIAMS Kawasaki 650 - KMR Kawasaki a 4 21:26.234 2.940 100.032 5:21.605 100.409 4

3 TWN 5 Michael RUTTER Kawasaki 650 - KMR Kawasaki a 4 21:26.848 3.554 99.984 5:18.871 101.270 4

4 TWN 37 James HILLIER Kawasaki 650 - Pr1mo Bournemouth a 4 21:27.564 4.270 99.928 5:19.293 101.136 4

5 TWN 13 Adrian ARCHIBALD Kawasaki 650 - McKinstry Racing a 4 21:27.862 4.568 99.905 5:22.326 100.184 2

6 TWN 44 Jamie HAMILTON Kawasaki 650 - KMR Kawasaki a 4 21:55.791 32.497 97.785 5:25.281 99.274 2

7 TWN 2 Ian LOUGHER Kawasaki 650 - Stewart Smith Racing b 4 21:56.475 33.181 97.734 5:27.861 98.493 4

8 TWN 65 Michael SWEENEY Suzuki 650 - Kiely Heating Racing a 4 21:57.645 34.351 97.647 5:28.904 98.181 2

9 TWN 50 William DAVISON Kawasaki 650 - Hill Contracts a 4 21:57.757 34.463 97.639 5:30.835 97.608 2

10 TWN 17 Simon ANDREWS Kawasaki 650 - Ice Valley Motorsave BMW a 4 22:00.748 37.454 97.418 5:29.619 97.968 3

11 TWN 12 Jamie COWARD Kawasaki 650 a 4 22:24.809 1:01.515 95.675 5:32.544 97.106 3

12 TWN 11 Stephen THOMPSON Kawasaki 650 - Taylor Lyndsey a 4 22:28.117 1:04.823 95.440 5:36.216 96.045 4

13 TWN 10 Paul SHOESMITH Kawasaki 650 - Ice Valley Motorsave BMW a 4 22:36.439 1:13.145 94.854 5:38.550 95.383 3

14 TWN 57 Ian MORRELL Suzuki 650 - Gordy Hogg a 4 22:37.204 1:13.910 94.801 5:39.947 94.991 3

15 TWN 113 Ronan PENTONY Suzuki 650 - RPMcycles.ie a 4 22:43.424 1:20.130 94.368 5:42.030 94.413 3

16 TWN 32 Joe PHILLIPS Kawasaki 650 - McKinstry Racing a 4 22:50.274 1:26.980 93.897 5:42.314 94.334 3

17 TWN 22 Lee HILL Suzuki 650 - JHS Racing b 4 23:05.678 1:42.384 92.853 5:44.756 93.666 4

18 TWN 8 Anthony McCOLGAN Kawasaki 650 b 4 23:19.957 1:56.663 91.906 5:50.266 92.193 4

19 TWN 35 David MADSEN-MYGDAL Kawasaki 650 b 4 23:21.706 1:58.412 91.791 5:49.859 92.300 2

20 TWN 33 Adrian CLARK Kawasaki 650 - BHR Racing b 4 23:22.191 1:58.897 91.759 5:49.758 92.327 2

21 TWN 21 Coyles WRIGHT Kawasaki 650 - Bushmills Inn CW Racing b 4 23:22.433 1:59.139 91.743 5:42.952 94.159 4

22 TWN 27 Dave WALSH Kawasaki 650 - DRW Racing b 4 23:24.986 2:01.692 91.577 5:51.708 91.815 3

23 TWN 60 Mark SHIELDS Suzuki 650 b 4 23:42.185 2:18.891 90.469 5:54.120 91.189 3

24 TWN 25 Adam CHILD Kawasaki 650 - Ken Urwin M/cycles / MCN b 4 24:19.756 2:56.462 88.141 6:03.349 88.873 2

25 TWN 39 Billy CUMMINS Kawasaki 650 b 4 25:02.155 3:38.861 85.653 6:09.776 87.329 2

26 TWN 45 David MATCHETT Kawasaki 650 b 4 25:08.912 3:45.618 85.269 6:17.424 85.559 4

Not Classified

DNF TWN 55 Scott CAMPBELL Suzuki 650 - Ian Bell Motorcycles a 2 11:19.453 2 Laps 94.311 5:42.483 94.288 2

DNF TWN 42 Reuben McPHEE Suzuki 650 - Northwest Gas b 2 11:42.778 23.325 91.181 5:53.652 91.310 2

DNF TWN 24 David HOWARD Suzuki 650 - MC Racing b 1 5:51.277 3 Laps 90.493 5:51.277 90.493 1

DNF TWN 72 Emmet McKNIGHT Suzuki 650 b 1 6:58.282 1:07.005 75.997 6:58.282 75.997 1