Alastair Seeley lived up to 🦹the p🌸re-race hype as he won the opening Supersport race in style at the Vauxhall International North West 200 with a new lap record for the class.

Seeley was involved in a thrilling battle with his old British Supersport rival and event newcomer Glenn Irwin, who led the race on the opening lap and traded blows with Seeley until 🐼he was cruelly forced out on lap four.

His demise left Seeley clear at the front on the Tyco Suzuki GSX-R600 and although Michael D🍬unlop closed the gap on his MD Racing Yamaha after making a break from Bruce Anstey on the Padgetts Hon🐲da, Seeley found more to set a new lap record on the penultimate lap at 117.077mph to open an advantage of two-and-a-half seconds.

He stretched his lead further on the sixth and f🌺inal lap t🍷o win by seven-and-a-half seconds from Dunlop to claim his 13th victory around the 8.9-mile course, which puts him level on the all-time roll of honour with Joey Dunlop and Michael Rutter.

Lee Johnston made up plenty of ground on the ECC/Burdens Triumph to🌠 finish in third place in the last rostrum position, with Anstey taking fourth.

Dean Harrison on the ꦕꦑMar-Train Yamaha and Manx rider Conor Cummins (Jackson Honda) were the top six.

William Dunlop had beꦡen lying in ꦬsixth place on the CD/IC Racing Yamaha when he retired on lap three at University.

Dunlop was battered and brꦬuised after coming off his Yamaha R6 duri📖ng practice at York hairpin.