Fantastic Farquhar and KMR Kawasaki take superb 1-2-3 at North West 200 Ryan Farquhar took a superb victory in the inaugural Supertwins race at the international North West 200 on Thursday evening and it proved to be a superb day for his KMR Kawasaki team with team-mates Jeremy McWilliams and Michael Rutter completing the podium in second and third. With Jamie Hamilton finishing in sixth place, it was a monumentous achievement by Ryan and his team, arguably one of the finest moments of his illustrious career. The 4-lap Supertwins race was the final race on Thursday evening and the rain that had plagued much of the day returned, making tyre choice a lottery and there were all manner of combinations as the field left the line. The early part of the opening lap saw Ryan exchange places with James Hillier (whose chassis had also been prepared by Ryan) but he hit the front for good at the Magic Roundabout and was never again headed. Pulling out enough of a gap to control the race, Ryan’s lead was up to 5 seconds at one stage but he maintained a gap of 2-3 seconds for the majority of the race around the 8.9-mile circuit and eventually took the chequered flag 2.9s clear of former GP ace McWilliams for his third NW200 win. McWilliams was making his public roads debut but it never showed and the class of the GP winner could clearly be seen as he battled hard with Adrian Archibald. There was never more than inches between the two riders but on the final lap, it became a four-way battle for second with both Rutter and Hillier closing in. The quartet changed places with frequent regularity but McWilliams grabbed second at Metropole and when Hillier ran wide, Rutter was able to seize third place. Despite running with dry tyres, Rutter closed in on McWilliams along the coast road but had to settle for third although with three KMR Kawasaki’s on the podium, there was joy all round. Hamilton was also in close contention for the first part of the race but dropped back to sixth by the end, which was a still a superb race on his full NW200 debut. Speaking later, a delighted, and emotional, Ryan commented; “This is without doubt one of the best moments of my career and to be sitting here with a 1-2-3 at the North West 200 is something special. People laughed at me when I first started riding in the class but here we are now with a clean sweep of the podium and with world class riders Jeremy and Michael riding KMR Kawasaki’s – it’s a very special feeling. I’ve obviously been heavily involved in the class and knew the potential of the bikes so to see them included at the NW200 and TT in itself was superb but for me to have won today and have Jeremy, Michael and Jamie in second, third and sixth is a dream come true – I’m absolutely over the moon.” “I think we’ve really shown today how good the class is and I’d go as far as saying it’s the best win I’ve ever had. It was a difficult race though with the weather conditions and tyre choice was very difficult but I was happy with what I went with and once I got to the front I was able to keep a decent gap and control the race as best I could. For Jeremy to finish 2nd on his debut is unbelievable whilst what Michael did on dry tyres was equally special. It just shows what a class rider he is and at the TT he’s going to be the man to beat for sure. Jamie did another great job as well and is as much a part of today’s success as everyone else so we’ll savour the result and whatever happens on Saturday will be a bonus.” In the earlier 6-lap Superstock race, Ryan ran in second place for much of the race but as the track dried in the final third of the race he found himself in a frantic four-rider dice for the runners-up spot. There was little to choose between Ryan, Lee Johnston, Cameron Donald and Stefano Bonetti and on the final lap the positions changed at almost every corner, the quartet sometimes approaching them four abreast! On the final run along the coast road, Ryan was back in fourth and although he tried to ride around the outside of Donald as they headed to the chequered flag, he had to settle for fourth just 0.1s behind his Australian rival. Hamilton, meanwhile, had been running on the edge of the top 20 for much of the race but was unluckily forced to retire on the final lap. Both Ryan and Jamie will be back in action on Saturday as they contest the two Superbike races and the second Superstock event. More, from a press release issued by Bournemouth Kawasaki Pr1mo Racing: Successful first day at the NW200 for Hillier James Hillier got his International North West 200 campaign underway in fine style on Thursday with the Bournemouth Kawasaki Pr1mo Racing rider recording two top six finishes. After taking sixth in the 6-lap Superstock race, the 26-year old then notched up his best ever result around the 8.9-mile road circuit with a superb fourth place in a thrilling 4-lap Supertwins race. Despite experiencing a few issues in practice, most notably with the gearing of the machines and mechanical problems with the Supersport bike, James qualified well for all of his races with Tuesday’s sessions taking place in dry weather compared to Thursday’s wet sessions. Despite riding the Supertwins machine for the very first time, this gave him a superb third place and front row start whilst he was also handily placed in the Superstock (tenth) and Superstock (13th). The aforementioned problems with the Supersport machine meant he failed to get a time in on Tuesday but with a new engine loaned to him by Gearlink Kawasaki, he successfully qualified despite the wet weather. Thursday evening saw the first two races of the meeting with the 6-lap Superstock race getting underway in wet weather although with the rain having stopped, the track would dry slightly as the race wore on. A good start saw James complete the first lap in ninth place, just a handful of seconds adrift of the battle for second, and here he remained for the first half of the race. As the sun broke through, the track began to dry slightly and James was able to move up to 8th place on lap 4 and this became 7th a lap later as he overhauled multiple race winner Bruce Anstey. On the final lap, James also overtook fellow Kawasaki rider Michael Dunlop to complete the race in fine sixth place. Minutes later he was back out on the grid for the inaugural Supertwins race but with the rain returning, tyre choice was somewhat of a gamble for the competitors. Opting for a wet front tyre and a dry rear, a superb start saw James grab the lead going into York Corner and he exchanged places with Ryan Farquhar for the first part of the lap, eventually completing it in 4th place as Adrian Archibald and Jeremy McWilliams overhauled him. With slight rain continuing to fall, James slipped back to fifth on lap three but when Michael Rutter came by, they soon began to reel in Archibald and McWilliams once more. Going into the final lap there was little to choose between the four riders and positions changed places at almost every corner. Taking over third place at Metropole, James looked like he’d grabbed the final podium spot only for 12-times winner Rutter to respond and edge him out as they came along the coast road for the final time. He eventually crossed the line in fourth, just 0.3s behind Rutter. Speaking later, a pleased James said; “It’s been a great week so far and to get two top six finishes in the first two races is very pleasing. Tyre choice for the Supertwins race was a bit of a lottery but I was happy with my choice and got a really good start only to get shuffled back a bit by half race distance. There was never much in it though so felt confident I could be in touch going into the final lap and when Michael came by, we closed right back in to Jeremy and Adrian. How Michael could do what he was doing on full dry tyres I’ll never know but fair play to him, it was the ride of the race for me. I stuck with him and managed to get up to third on the final lap only to run slightly wide and I then had to make sure Archibald didn’t get me at the final chicane. It was a really good, fun race with little to choose between us and with it being my first time out on the bike, I was delighted with how it performed and am really looking forward to racing it at the TT.” “In the earlier Superstock race, I struggled a bit with visibility and it took me a while to get used to racing at such high speed in the wet weather. I had a steady couple of laps but then had a bit of brake trouble and as I couldn’t adjust it, I ended up having a few scares. I settled back into the race though and managed to move forward in the final couple laps and although I’d lost a bit of ground to the pack ahead, I managed to get Michael Dunlop on the final lap and take a good sixth. The bikes are working really well and I must say a big thank you to the Gearlink team for the loan of a Supersport engine, which allowed us to make it on to the grid. Things have gone well so far so I’m looking forward to Saturday’s races now and some more good results.” James has a busy day in store on Saturday as he contests no less than 5 races – two Superbike events, two Supersport races and another Superstock encounter. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Alastair Seeley made history on a number of fronts during last night’s Superstock race one victory at the International North West 200 in Northern Ireland: The Carrickfergus rider and his TAS Racing crew gave new title sponsor Tyco Security Products its debut International Road Race victory and Suzuki a global first in the class with the new GSX-R1000. Seeley also became the first man to win a Thursday night race at the event after decimating his rivals with a 22-second victory, and afterwards the six-time winner on the North Coast praised his team, the GSX-R machinery and Pirelli tyres. Alastair Seeley: “It was difficult conditions but once I got to the front on the first lap at University I just watched my boards. I had my BSB team-mate Josh Brookes doing a second board for me out at the Magic Roundabout so we could keep an eye on anyone making inroads from the second group. It worked perfectly, so thanks Josh! “Once at the front, the gap just jumped from plus two, to plus five then plus 15 and 20. I eased off in the last couple of laps and was short shifting and looking for damp parts of the track to preserve my Pirelli tyres – but they worked perfectly. “Thanks to the guys in the team for all their hard work. This sets us up really well now for Saturday and with four pole positions and a second place on the grid we will hopefully be in with a shout for more wins on the Tyco Suzukis.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “That’s a really positive start to our week at the North West. Big credit must be given to the organisers for adding races to the programme on a Thursday night. What can I say about Mr Seeley? That was a masterful display and it seems that the more tricky the conditions, the more dominant he becomes. As much as we are ecstatic with the race win, we know that tomorrow’s races and any potential podiums will not come easy. “Fair play to the guys in the team. They found a great set up for the new GSX-R1000 and along with Pirelli they made Alastair’s job that little bit easier. Despite the problems with one dry and one wet qualifying, which caught out a lot of the top riders – Conor Cummins and Guy Martin included – they both rode admirably. In saying that, in this day and age we shouldn’t be faced with these problems and a three or four lap sprint on the Tuesday, in ‘hurricane’ conditions, is not the way a grid should be decided. It’s something that needs to be addressed for the future.” Phil Dashey – Tyco Security Products: “The North West is a great atmosphere and I must admit I was pretty nervous watching that race last night. It’s my first proper road race and it doesn’t get much sweeter than that. Ally looked in a class of his own and so did the Tyco Suzuki – so I’m just thrilled. The North West is a fantastic event and a very relaxed atmosphere. Hopefully the guys can be equally as successful tomorrow.” Superstock Race 1 Result (6 laps): 1st: Alastair Seeley [Tyco Suzuki] 29mins: 00.810 2nd: Lee Johnston [Ducati] +22.511 3rd: Cameron Donald [Honda] +24.226 4th: Ryan Farquhar [Kawasaki] +24.311 5th: Stefano Bonetti [Kawasaki] +24.677 6th: James Hillier [Kawasaki] +35.386 9th: Guy Martin [Tyco Suzuki] +45.679 11th: Conor Cummins [Tyco Suzuki] +48.900 Fastest Lap: Alastair Seeley [Tyco Suzuki] 111.734mph