NW200: Rutter wins race one. Race two cancelled

Michael Rutter has won the first superbike race at the North West 200 in Northern Ireland today. Since the opening race, both the 600cc and production races have been red-flagged due to the wet weather, and the final race, the NW200 superbike race has been cancelled due to a lack of time. Race stoppages due to the weather conditions have left no time to run the biggest event of the day.

Superbike Race 1:

Rutter had qualified in pole position for the race on his Ducati, and took the victory from early leader Adrian Archibald and Honda SP-2 mounted Steve Plater.

Plater made up one place in the race from his qualifying position on Thursday. ” We get practice on Tuesday night and Thursday night, Tuesday was washed out with heavy rain so Thursday was always going to be busy with so much to test but at least it was dry, ” said Plater, speaking before the first race.

Ryan Farquhar took fourth, David Jefferies fifth, Stephen Thompson sixth, Richard Britton seventh, Alex Donaldson eigth, Martin Finnegan ninth, and Denver Robb tenth.

DNF’s included John McGuinness and Iain Duffus

600cc:

The first 600cc race has been red flagged after just a few laps due to bad weather conditions.

Results were taken from the end of the third lap, with Ryan Farquhar being declared the winner, from Callum Ramsey and Ian Lougher. McGuinness was fourth, Rutter fifth, Moddie sixth, Anstey seventh, David Jefferies eigth, Keith Nicholls ninth and Ryan Rainey tenth.

The second 600cc race has been shortened due to the bad weather to just four laps. The podium was Farquhar, Lougher and Anstey.

125/400cc:

The 125cc/400cc race was completed despite the weather. Ian Lougher won the 125cc race from Michael Wilcox and Paul Robinson. Dave Madsen-Mygdal won the 400cc race from Alex Donaldson and Bill Wark. Only Kawasaki-mounted Donaldson made the podium on a bike other than a Honda.

Production race:

The production race has been red-flagged due to more rain. The leaders had completed 1 lap.

At the end of the restarted race, it’s Arhcibald, Farquhar, and Jefferies.

Details:

The North West’s six-race schedule includes two superbike races but the main event carries £16000 of the overall prize fund of more than £60000. The races take place on a 10-mile triangular public road course laid out between the towns of Coleraine, Portrush and Portstewart.

More than 100,000 spectators were expected at today’s event, 74 years after the inaugral race in 1929.

There will be more updates with results throughout the day.