Hat-trick for Anstey, win each for Plater and McGuinness

The 150,000 strong crowd which lined the nine-mile North West 200 race circuit were treated to a superb days racing with three different riders standing on the top step of the podium.

John McGuinness on the HM Plant Honda won the first Superbike race of the day despite it being red flagged and severely disrupted. Bruce Anstey’s Relentless Suzuki was one of several bikes overheating badly on the start-line and the riders put their hands up for the race not to start.

The restart didn’t last long when several riders in the second wave collided, bringing out the first red flag again.

When the race finally did kick off only lasted two and a bit laps as Anstey highsided at the exit of York Hotel hairpin and the red flags were out again.

The result was taken from the previous lap and McGuinness was declared the winner, Anstey second and Steve Plater on the AIM Yamaha third.

McGuinness said: “I got to the front, and felt comfortable. I got into a good rhythm and then the race got stopped. There was loads of confusion as to whether is would be run again but I did my best.”

Plater felt he really lost out on the red flags and he wasn’t happy that Anstey was included in the race result as he had caused the second red flag.

He said: “I was a bit miffed because, Anstey, the cause of the stoppage, was included in the results. I think that will be changed for next year, or it definitely will be changed if I have anything to do with it you can’t carry on like that.

“I think I was the person who lost out the most as I had just taken second when the red flag came out the first time. Then we got going again for the third start and I had just put the fastest lap in and caught right onto the back of McGuinness and Bruce Anstey when he high sided in front of me.”

Plater who secured the second Superbike race win of the day, with Guy Martin on the Hydrex Honda in second and Michael Rutter riding the Isilon MSS Kawasaki in third.

Plater said: “The second Superbike race was mega I fought very hard and was quite desperate for the win and pushed very hard for it.”

Anstey cleaned up in both Supersport and Superstock but missed the second Superbike race due to his bike not being ready on time plus he was feeling battered and bruised from his earlier crash.