Christian Elkin set the week's fastest 250 qualifying time on Thursday

Wet conditions led to a premature halt being called to Thursday night's practice session at the North West 200.

The rain meant that none of Tuesday's leading superbike and superstock times were matched while Thursday's supersport session was not completed.

Guy Martin was Thursday's fastest man with a superbike time of 116.93mph.

Christian Elkin did set the fastest time of the week in the 250 class with a lap of 108.80 while William Dunlop set the second best 125 time of 100.25.

Elkin's time improved his Tuesday leading mark of 106.67.

Dunlop's time was .38mph slower than Davy Lemon's top time on Tuesday.

With the supersport 600 session being abandoned, a number of riders, including high-profile Michael Rutter, have not qualified for Saturday's race.

However, clerk of the course Mervyn White and his stewards are certain to slot the Yamaha man and other non-qualifiers on to the grid.

While Lincolnshire rider Guy Martin was fastest superbike rider in Thursday's session, his lap time was nearly five seconds slower than Bruce Anstey's mark on Tuesday (121.63) and well outside even the top six times from opening qualifying.

Denver Robb was fastest in Thursday's superstock session but again his time didn't approach the top six times from Tuesday with Carrickfergus rider Alastair Seeley comfortably holding on to top spot.

Robb did move up to third in the 250 qualifying with a mark of 106.26, which edged him above John McGuinness, who also improved his Tuesday time by .16mph with a clocking of 105.87.

Chris Palmer edged above Ollie Linsdell to take third in the 125 qualifying with a lap of 99.98 which left him behind Tuesday's pacesetter Davy Lemon (100.63) and William Dunlop's improved Thursday time.

Anstey has secured nine victories in the North West 200 and the TAS Suzuki rider, who leads the superbike qualifiers, will be fancied to get into double figures on Saturday.

Steve Plater, who spearheads the HM Plant Honda challenge alongside McGuinness, started the week as favourite after his hat-trick on the north coast last year.

Michael Dunlop was fastest in Tuesday's supersport 600 qualifying and will hope to add to his emotional 250 triumph of 12 months ago.

Overall practice results:

Superbikes
1/ B Anstey 121.63mph
2/ J McGuinness 120.99
3/ K Amor 119.89
4/ S Plater 119.48
5/ C Donald 119.42
6/ M Rutter 119.05

Superstocks
1/ A Seeley 120.10
2/ C Donald 119.35
3/ B Anstey 119.16
4/ R Farquhar 118.95
5/ G Johnson 118.73
6/ K Amor 118.63

Supersport 600
1/ M Dunlop 117.94
2/ S Plater 117.19
3/ K Amor 116.17
4/ B Anstey 116.03
5/ I Hutchinson 115.98
6/ W Dunlop 115.93

250
1/ C Elkin 108.80
2/ M Dunlop 106.62
3/ D Robb 106.26
4/ J McGuinness 105.87

125
1/ D Lemon 100.63
2/ W Dunlop 100.25
3/ C Palmer 99.98
4/ O Linsdell 99.66

Saturday 16 May race schedule:

Roads close - 10.00am to 7.00pm

Race order -
Race 1 - Greenline 250cc
Race 2 - DeWalt Superbike Race 1
Race 3 - Supersport 600cc Race 1
Race 4 - McKendry Fabrication 125cc
Race 5 - CP Hire Superstock Race
Race 6 - Blackhorse NW200 Superbike Race 2
Race 7 - Ballymoney Borough Council Supersport 600cc Race 2

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version