Becca Keegan
BBC Sport NI at the North West 200

The paddock is a hive of activity as mechanics and riders get ready for tonight's racing.

In case you missed it earlier, Lee Johnston has been airlifted to hospital with "non-critical injuries" following a crash during practice for the North West 200.

Johnston came off at the Church Corner section of the circuit during a qualifying session for the Supersport class on Thursday afternoon.

The Supersport practice was red-flagged and was not re-started.

The 34-year-old was transported to York Corner by ambulance and then taken to hospital in the air ambulance.

Johnston, from Fermanagh but now based in Huddersfield, is a five-time race winner over the Triangle circuit.

"It's a fast part of the circuit but the bales did their job," North West 200 Event Director Mervyn Whyte told BBC Sport NI.

Who will be the first to take the chequered flag?

Richard Petrie
BBC Sport NI at NW200

Recent experience would suggest that a Northern Ireland winner would be on the cards this evening, although the likes of Richard Cooper, Dean Harrison, Peter Hickman and Davey Todd may well have something to say about that tonight.

Alastair Seeley has won 12 of the last 20 Supersport races at the North West and NI riders in general have dominated.

Ian Hutchinson, Bruce Anstey, Martin Jessopp and Davey Todd are the only riders from outside NI to have won 600 races in the period from 2010 to 2022.

Seeley took the laurels in at least one Supersport race every year for nine consecutive years from 2010 to 2018, with that sequence only halted when he drew a blank in 2019.

Normal service was resumed in race one last year though.

Live streamed coverage of the first three races of this year's North West 200 will commence at 17:30 BST.

You can follow all the action and drama as it unfolds on BBC IPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

Commentary will come courtesy of Steve Parrish and Keith Huewen, with Stephen Watson, Larry Carter and Phillip McCallen on the grid.

Richard Petrie
BBC Sport NI at NW200

Thursday night racing has been part of the North West 200 programme since 2012 and the move has proved to be a resounding success with massive crowds turning up to enjoy the high-speed action ahead of the main raceday on Saturday,

This year is no exception as thousands of spectators and their two-wheel or four-wheel transport have been snaking along the coast road and past us here at the start and finish area since the roads opened after the earlier qualifying session.

The sun is shining brightly so shorts, sunglasses and suncream have become the order of the day for the hordes who have descended on the north coast.

We're back for three tantalising races this evening, starting with the Supersport machines.

The Superstock bikes - including a mouth-watering tussle between Alastair Seeley and Michael Dunlop - are next up before the Supertwins round out the evening of racing.

You can follow all of the action right here, so you won't miss a thing.

Need some listening while waiting for the racing to begin? Check out the BBC Bikes podcast on BBC Sounds.

Listen to the BBC Bikes Podcast on BBC Sounds

Image source, BBC Sport

That's all for qualifying at the North West 200.

We'll be back at 5.15pm for all the action from tonight's three races.

In the meantime, enjoy this onboard lap with John McGuinness from Tuesday's session.

You can read Richard Petrie's report from Thursday qualifying here.

We'll see you later!

The session will not be restarted. Alastair Seeley takes pole position. We'll bring you the final grid when we have it.

1. Alastair Seeley 123.898 mph

2. Peter Hickman 123.041

3. Dean Harrison 122.713

4. Michael Dunlop 122.574

5. Davey Todd 122.171

6. Josh Brookes 121.008

7. Glenn Irwin 121.909

8. Conor Cummins 121.612

Glenn Irwin is back in the pits after the airbag in his suit inflated on his previous lap.

"I couldn't work out what was going on," Irwin says.

He's aiming to do two more laps and improve on his seventh place, four seconds off Seeley.

We're already faster than Tuesday so the results from this session will likely be the grid.

Alastair Seeley leads the way with 123.434mph, already ahead of Michael Dunlop's 122.943 from Tuesday.

Dean Harrison is currently second ahead of Glenn Irwin, Davey Todd and Peter Hickman.

The Superbikes are out and away.

Conditions are now dry and you can expect this to be the 'proper' qualifying session as drizzle hampered Tuesday's times.

Michael Dunlop's time for provisional pole position was slower than Alastair Seeley's time on the Superstocks, so there is plenty to be found today.

There's another brief delay but we've been told there will be four minutes until we get going for the final session.

Race control have said they hope to get the final Superbike session underway in 10 minutes.

Event director Mervyn Whyte has given an update on the red flag in the Supersport class.

Lee Johnston had an accident at Church corner. Whyte says Johnston's injuries are "not critical" and an air ambulance will transport him to hospital.

Supersport practice will not be restarted after the red flag.

Superbikes have been called to the grid with time running short. Roads have to be opened by 3.15pm.