Ulster GP: Hutchinson holds off Anstey for Superbike win

Ian Hutchinson took his second victory of the day in the first Ulster Grand Prix Superbike race, narrowly beating Bruce Anstey to the win on the Padgetts RC213V-S.

Anstey rocketed off the line to lead the opening stages, but Hutchinson was always close in tow followed by Peter Hickman and Michael Dunlop.

Hutchinson made his move for the lead in towards Deer’s Leap on the fourth lap but Anstey wasn’t going to let it lie. Michael Dunlop moved past Hickman for third, but the GBmoto Kawasaki fought hard as he got in the slipstream and clocked the fastest lap of the race, narrowly missing Bruce Anstey’s lap record with 133.892mph.

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Hickman’s charge would soon end, however, as he retired at Wheeler’s bend. It began to look like backmarkers could dictate the race as the leading trio caught two groups, Michael Dunlop was severely held up and lost significant time but Hutchinson and Anstey made it past. 

The New Zealander had re-taken the lead on the penultimate lap but it wasn’t for long, as Hutchy looked determined to take his first Superbike win of the year. Once he was through he held Anstey off to win by 0.274 seconds at the line. 

Conor Cummins finished a distant fourth ahead of Silicone Engineering’s Dean Harrison while Dan Kneen rounded out the top six. 

William Dunlop finished seventh ahead of Steve Mercer and Derek Sheils, with Derek McGee rounding out the top ten. 

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