North West 200 - Incredible Irwin snatches Superbike pole

There you have the Superbike top six folks. We had three red flags during the session but the action resumed quickly on each occasion and what a finish to the session with those stunning Superbike laps by Irwin and Harrison.

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Alastair Seeley produces a quick lap late in the Superbike session but cannot overhaul his fellow Carrickfergus man as Irwin's pole position is confirmed.

Irwin's time of 4:21.767 left him 0.206 ahead of Dean Harrison with Seeley also breaking the unofficial lap record a further 0.071 back.

Wow. We didn't think anybody was going to get near Harrison's time during the remainder of the session but Glenn Irwin has just produced the fastest ever lap on the North West 200 course.

Irwin's time has cut just over 0.20 seconds off Harrison's time.

Incredible stuff from the Carrickfergus man and what a turnaround from his despondency during Tuesday's session.

Irwin's time is 4:21.767 as he becomes the second man to go under the 4:22 barrier.

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Dean Harrison has just become the first rider to lap the North West 200 course in under four minutes and 22 seconds.

The Bradford rider's time in Superbike qualifying cuts 0.122 seconds of the mark set by Michael Dunlop in Superbike Race 1 in 2016.

Apparently, it doesn't qualify for as a lap record as it's not in a race but that's still rather impressive. His time is over two seconds quicker than current second placer Alastair Seeley.

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Below is the Supersport top six. As you can see, there wasn't much between Seeley and Johnston.

Meanwhile, the Superbike qualifying session has just started.

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Supersport supremo Alastair Seeley holds on to pole position but only just as his time from Tuesday is 0.005 seconds ahead of another Northern Irishman Lee Johnston who was fastest in today's session. More details to follow.

There has been a further flag just as the Supersport qualifying session is about to end. No details yet on what the problem is.

North West 200 race director Mervyn Whyte says the incident near Ballysally Roundabout in the Supersport qualifying session which led to a rider being taken to hospital is "nothing serious".

The resumed Supersport session is now nearing its conclusion.

North West 200 organisers have said that a rider has been taken to hospital following an incident near Ballysally Roundabout.

The Supersport qualifying session has resumed.

We didn't have a single significant stoppage in Tuesday's first qualifying session but we've now had the second red flag of this session. The first delay late in the Superstock session was a minor issue and hopefully it's the same with this one.

Alastair Seeley surely the man to beat in this qualifying session. Remember 12 of his 24 North West 200 wins have come in the Supersport class. Needless to say, he was fastest in Tuesday's session ahead of Lee Johnston and James Hillier.

Hickman's incredible Superstock lap leaves him 1.64 seconds ahead of second fastest Glenn Irwin as the session finishes.

James Hillier is third fastest with Michael Dunlop, Lee Johnston and Dean Harrison completing the top six, which are all times from today's session.

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The Superstock session has just been halted by a red flag. No information yet on what the issue is. Peter Hickman remains way out in front at the top of the Superstock standings.

West Yorkshire man Jamie Coward's fastest time from Tuesday's first Supertwin qualifying session cannot be bettered as he holds on to pole position.

Michael Rutter's time from the first session remains second fastest.

In-form Mullingar rider Derek McGee sets the fastest qualifying time on Thursday and it's third overall.

Carrickfergus man Glenn Irwin produces a welcome return to form after his struggles on Tuesday as he is second fastest on Thursday, which puts him fourth overall.

Italian Stefano Bonetti is the only non-Kawasaki rider in the top six as he is fifth quickest - just ahead of Christian Elkin.

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Bear in mind, these are just Thursday's times. Overall qualifying positions taking Tuesday's times in account to come.

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