Lee Johnston won the Superstock race and added two third places and a fourth after another successful North West 200.

The Maguiresbridge rider missed out on the Superbike race victory and came agonisingly close to the top spot in the Supersport race, but he can still look back on a successful weekend on the North coast as he proved he is a force to be reckoned with on the bigger bikes.

“I am happy with how it went,” reflected Lee. “I wanted to win the Superbike race but I was happy with winning the Superstock. The lead changed a few times and all three of us broke the lap record on the last lap, so it was close. It was a good race but I managed to lead into the last chicane and hold onto the lead over the line. It was a good win. We were there or thereabouts in everything so that was something to be happy about.” On a frustrating weekend interrupted by accidents and red flags, Lee’s preparations for Thursday night’s Supersport race were hindered by bike problems in the qualifying session, which left him starting from the third row of the grid. “I was lucky to get third,” he admitted after he benefitted from the unreliability of two of the front runners. “It was the first dry time we had on the bike because we had missed qualifying with electrical problems. They used my wet time from Tuesday to get onto the grid so I was on the third row. It was a tough first race.” Lee’s hopes of a quick response in the Superstock race looked to be going according to plan as he led in the early stages, but a red flag ended the racing for the day and he had to be content with having another attempt on Saturday morning. On Saturday, Lee twice saw leads in the rescheduled races evaporate with red flags before he came close to victory in the Supersport race.

“I led it a few times and led into the last chicane,” said Lee. “Then I overshot and had to put my foot down and got a ten second time penalty and ended up third.” The frustration of that third place was quickly cast aside as Lee finally won the long delayed Superstock race after a close battle with Alastair Seeley, but he could not repeat his success in the final Superbike event, finishing fourth. “In the last superbike race I was second going into the last lap,” recalled Lee, “but my rear tyre had gone off so I couldn’t get any grip and I was sitting there spinning. No good. We were still only a second off the win so we need to be positive about it and take that to the TT.” The legendary TT is the next stop for the Maguiresbridge man, and he is dreaming of following up his success in the Classic TT last year with his first ever TT win. “We have to go to it thinking about winning,” he said. “I am racing the same lads there that I was racing at the North West and there is no reason why I can’t win.” Lee Johnston won the Superstock race and added two third places and a fourth after another successful North West 200.

The Maguiresbridge rider missed out on the Superbike race victory and came agonisingly close to the top spot in the Supersport race, but he can still look back on a successful weekend on the North coast as he proved he is a force to be reckoned with on the bigger bikes.

“I am happy with how it went,” reflected Lee. “I wanted to win the Superbike race but I was happy with winning the Superstock. The lead changed a few times and all three of us broke the lap record on the last lap, so it was close. It was a good race but I managed to lead into the last chicane and hold onto the lead over the line. It was a good win. We were there or thereabouts in everything so that was something to be happy about.” On a frustrating weekend interrupted by accidents and red flags, Lee’s preparations for Thursday night’s Supersport race were hindered by bike problems in the qualifying session, which left him starting from the third row of the grid. “I was lucky to get third,” he admitted after he benefitted from the unreliability of two of the front runners. “It was the first dry time we had on the bike because we had missed qualifying with electrical problems. They used my wet time from Tuesday to get onto the grid so I was on the third row. It was a tough first race.” Lee’s hopes of a quick response in the Superstock race looked to be going according to plan as he led in the early stages, but a red flag ended the racing for the day and he had to be content with having another attempt on Saturday morning. On Saturday, Lee twice saw leads in the rescheduled races evaporate with red flags before he came close to victory in the Supersport race.

“I led it a few times and led into the last chicane,” said Lee. “Then I overshot and had to put my foot down and got a ten second time penalty and ended up third.” The frustration of that third place was quickly cast aside as Lee finally won the long delayed Superstock race after a close battle with Alastair Seeley, but he could not repeat his success in the final Superbike event, finishing fourth. “In the last superbike race I was second going into the last lap,” recalled Lee, “but my rear tyre had gone off so I couldn’t get any grip and I was sitting there spinning. No good. We were still only a second off the win so we need to be positive about it and take that to the TT.” The legendary TT is the next stop for the Maguiresbridge man, and he is dreaming of following up his success in the Classic TT last year with his first ever TT win. “We have to go to it thinking about winning,” he said. “I am racing the same lads there that I was racing at the North West and there is no reason why I can’t win.”