HM Plant Honda and Steve Plater Take Double Win at NW200
HM Plant Honda's race ace Steve Plater took a superb double win at today's North West 200 event The Lincolnshire man claimed his seventh and eighth NW200 race wins in the first Superbike and Supersport races respectively, following two exciting duels with New Zealander Bruce Anstey in both races.
Team-mate John McGuinness joined Steve on the Superbike podium having claimed third place when the race was ended by a red flag and achieved fourth and fifth place finishes in the Supersport and 250cc races respectively.
With four races having to be red-flagged due to racing accidents or rain, the day was brought to a premature end with the final Superbike and Supersport races being cancelled. Despite completing two separate warm-up laps for the second and main Superbike race, the lateness of the day, intermittent rain and strong cross winds on the course forced the decision.
Steve Plater (#1)
The Lincolnshire man started the Supersport and Superbike races from the second row of the grid after successful qualifying on Tuesday night - even though he had to make an unscheduled pit stop at the local petrol station having almost run out of fuel after missing his pitboard, and having to borrow cash from the course incident officer!
"It would have been nice to take the Superbike race win from flag to flag rather than a red-flag, but all the same I lead from the outset and I'm very happy to have taken the victory in the Superbike and Supersport races and do the double again. I'm sure that if we'd had the other two races then I'd have had even more podium results. The wind was horrendous and unpredictable so I had to keep a little but in reserve at a few places around the circuit to make sure I kept the bike upright. Experience has taught me in road racing that anything can happen and so you're better to get out front and lead rather than chase, so that's what I did - just got my head down and went for it. It's a shame the weather was so bad but I'm happy that we came away with the solid race results we did."
John McGuinness (#2)
"It was good to be the podium for the Superbike race but unfortunately I was just one place away in the Supersport race and in the 250 class I had to settle for fifth. But overall I'm pleased with my results, especially given the treacherous weather conditions which made riding very difficult at certain parts of the circuit. My CBR1000RR and CBR600RR bikes ran like a dream though and credit to the HM Plant Honda team for that. I'm feeling confident in my racing and on the bikes, and it was good to be back on a road circuit, so I can now use this experience as great preparation for the TT next month."
Havier Beltran, HM Plant Honda Team Manager
"We're very happy with Steve and John's efforts and we couldn't have asked any more of them given the conditions, which made racing on certain parts of the circuit a complete lottery. Steve rode two brilliant races to come away with two wins which is a good boost for him and the team, and for John, we're seeing some very strong racing from him this season and the NW200 has been great practice for both riders ahead of the TT. The weather today looked like it could lash it down at any time and that made tyre choice and also racing very difficult, with some parts of the circuit standing under water with other parts just a little damp - so credit to all the riders as racing today took incredible skill and courage It was a tough decision for the organisers to cancel the last two races but the HM Plant Honda team totally support their decision in the interest of rider safety and spectator enjoyment. My last point I would have to say is that I'm looking forward to receiving Steve's expense claim form for his fuel during qualifying!"
Results
250cc race: 1 W Dunlop; 2 C Palmer; 3 P Henry; 5 J McGuinness
Superbike Race One:1 S Plater; 2 B Anstey; 3 J McGuinness
600cc Supersport Race One: 1 S Plater; 2 B Anstey; 3 M Dunlop; 4 J McGuinness
125cc race: 1 W Dunlop; 2 C Palmer; 3 O Linsdell
Superstock: 1 A Seeley; 2 R Farquhar; 3 K Amor
Superbike Race Two: Cancelled
600cc Supersport Race Two: Cancelled
The HM Plant Honda squad and riders Steve Plater and John McGuinness will be back in action next weekend on 23-25 May, at round three of the British Superbike Championship at Donington Park.
