Conditions were good, with dry track and clear skies, Dean set off from pole position and set race pace rhythm for the field. Winds gusting on the east side of The Triangle proved tricky to deal with, particularly as the lead bike cutting the air ahead of everyone.

Following a minor incident, the race was red flagged and restarted, Harrison and Glen Irwin broke away from the pack and spent the remainder of the six-lap place riding taking turns to lead. Passing through the speed trap at over 211mph, the Fireblade looked settled everywhere, particularly in the deep breaking zones. Across the line, Dean was forced to settle for second place, just 0.1 sec behind Glen Irwin

NW200 veteran and multiple race winner John McGuinness MBE set off from tenth position, passing two riders and then riding a lonely race to the flag. After clocking over 204mph through the speed trap, six-time NW200 winner McGuinness finished the race in eighth place.

In the Supersport race, Dean Harrison and the CBR600RR set off on the front row from third position. Heading into York Corner, Dean ran on, leaving himself an uphill task from the start. By the end of lap one, Harrison had recovered from fifth to second position and was looking threatening until another red flag halted race proceedings. The restart had Dean sitting in a comfortable fourth place which became second following some controlled commitment on the brakes. The remainder of the race was spent in P2 until another red flag was waved and the decision was called.

In the six lap Superstock race, Dean Harrison again found the pace required to run at the front and locked into a four-bike battle at the front until a clutch issue forced him to retire from the race. John McGuinness MBE pushed hard from the start, converting his ninth-place grid position into a fifth-place finish. He may have lapped quicker previously but it was today that he set his highest ever speed trap speed at 207mph.

The final six-lap Superbike race of the day started with real promise for Dean, looking for his first win at the NW200. Dean took turns to lead lap one with Glenn Irwin and newcomer Storm Stacey. John McGuinness settled into seventh position and all eyes shifted to the front of the race. A red flag was waved due to oil on the track towards the end of the third lap and, following a thirty minute delay, the result was eventually called, with Dean Harrison placed second.

Dean Harrison

The Superbike was great today, I’m really pleased with the way the it performed, particularly on the brakes. I felt strong everywhere but just couldn’t manage the gap coming off the slow corners. I felt like I had everything I needed to push for the win in the Supersport race and it was disappointing for me and for the team to have that race cut short.

There’s not too much point dwelling on the clutch in the Superstock race, the positives are that the bike had the pace to run at the front and we’ll carry that into the TT. It’s disappointing to be so close to the top step, but on the flip side I’ve confirmed that we can build a bike to run at the front. For me and for the team this is exactly the kind of foundations we need for a successful Isle of Man TT races in a few weeks time. I’d like to thank Stu Millan and the team for prepping three great bikes for me, Honda Racing UK and my sponsors for their continued support.

John McGuinness MBE

I enjoyed my racing today, finishing ahead of where you start a race is the aim of the game and I took places rather than having to give them up. Pushing hard from the start of the Superstock race came with the reward of a fastest speed trap and a fifth position finish. Both bikes were well prepared, my crew chief did a great job ensuring we made the right choices and I can head away from the North West 200 knowing that I’m well prepared for the TT races.

Team Manager Scot Hargreaves

There’s a lot of positives to take away from multiple podiums for Dean Harrison. To be able to run up to the TT races knowing exactly where we stand in terms of our competition and the performance of our bikes is a really strong place to be. I could feel the paddock and the crowd willing a win for Dean and he was riding so confidently that it might of looked like it was a formality. The challenge with road racing more than short circuit racing is there are so many more variables that can impact the outcome and that’s what we saw today. John McGuinness showed his class and experience, gaining valuable seat time ahead of the TT at the end of the month. The team performed really well, managing multiple red flag incidents looks tough for the riders but there’s also a crew of people around them keeping various tyres warm, calculating the exact amount of fuel required, making tiny changes across the bike and doing it without getting on top of each other. I’m proud of everyone that was involved and know that we’ll deliver another world class performance at the Isle of Man TT races at the end of the month, receiving the Best Team award on behalf of everyone at Honda Racing UK was a nice way to close the event out.