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IT’S SUPER SUCCESS FOR GLENN

GLENN IRWIN overcame his rivals and an off-track dispute to complete a brilliant Superbike double at yesterday’s North West 200.

The Carrick rider claimed both blue riband races under red flags, making it a staggering eight Superbike wins on the bounce at the Triangle. It is also his fourth with the Paul Bird Ducati team, with the other four coming with Kawasaki and Honda.

Irwin was a rider transformed following a disappointing qualifying stint on the BeerMonster Ducati earlier in the week.

He only qualified eighth but yesterday’s bike was a different beast. Irwin finished ahead of Davey

Todd and Dean Harrison to win the Anchor Bar Superbike race and was in front of Alastair Seeley (inset) and Harrison in the Merrow Hotel and Spa Superbike finale when a red flag brought an end to proceedings for the day.

Tempers flared in the paddock at the end of the race as

Irwin and Seeley contested who should have been awarded the win, with confusion surrounding where the final standings should be taken from following the red flag.

But after a lengthy wait Irwin was declared the winner. “We knew I was the winner. We just had to wait,”

Irwin beamed. “It’s an amazing feeling. This week has been really tough. I was excited to come here and I had a great package but I just didn’t feel comfortable on it. The team gave me a great bike today and to win race one was a bonus.

“I want to win a complete race and see the chequered flag, everyone wanted to see that. But it wasn’t to be. “But to win here in front of these fans is awesome. And my team have been fantastic. I was quite down in the dumps this week.

“On Thursday I felt like I was riding like a maniac and couldn’t win the race. Today I felt I was riding at 70% at some corners but I felt in control. had some big expensive celebrations planned for later and cancelled them because of the way the week was going. I wish I had kept those plans.”

There was some joy for Seeley earlier in the day when he extended his record number of North West wins to 29 with victory in the CP Hire Superstock race. The Carrick man said: “Twenty-eight was nice, 29 is nicer. They keep coming.”

Saltburn rider Todd backed up Thursday’s Supersport win with another thrilling victory in the class.

And Richard Cooper erased the nightmare of last year – when he was disqualified from his two Supertwin wins – by claiming a double in the same class.