Sensational NW200 Double for Irwin at NW200

Be Wiser Ducati’s Glenn Irwin swept to an emphatic double victory at the International North West 200 in Northern Ireland on Saturday when he took both Superbike races by commanding margins around the high-speed 8.9-mile circuit.

Last year’s Superbike race winner, Irwin had signalled his intentions in qualifying, held in superb conditions, when he took a superb pole position on Thursday afternoon, a lap of 122.454mph on the FUCHS Silkolene backed Ducati Panigale R giving him a slender 0.066s advantage over rider Dean Harrison.

Conditions today were again perfect and the opening seven-lap Superbike race saw the Carrickfergus rider grab the holeshot and he never looked back. His lead over closest rival Michael Rutter at the end of the first lap was 3.7 seconds and this had become five seconds by the end of lap two with record race winner Alastair Seeley now in second.

Irwin’s fellow Ulsterman reduced the margin over the next couple of laps but the 28 year old responded in superb fashion to extend his lead again over the final three laps and with Seeley receiving a five second penalty for jumping the start, he took his second Superbike victory in a row at the Causeway Coast track from Dean Harrison.

The second race later in the day, again held over the distance of seven laps, saw an even more commanding performance and with a 3.5 second lead at the end of the first lap, he continually increased this over the course of the seven laps. Indeed, by the end of the race, his margin of victory over Michael Dunlop was nearly ten seconds as he completed a stunning double, also setting the fastest lap of the meeting at an average 122.809mph.