Lee Johnston
Five-time winner at the NW200

"If we were at short circuit racing now you would say that Glenn Irwin has the race won, but the slipstream here and sitting in and the good thing is the top two or three guys are on the same tyre.

"They're never going to do those lap times for six laps, race pace will probably be a 19 or a 20 for four or five laps and then drop the hammer."

Philip McCallen
11-time race winner at the NW200

On the second day, everyone feels much better.

There are lots of places with a couple of dodgy damp bits. But the other corners will get better. The dry ones people will be getting faster, the braking points everyone perfects today and then the gassing out of the corner.

When they get all that right and the damp patches become dry just guess what the speed will be then!

Well, well, Glenn Irwin has fairly blasted around the Triangle circuit and asserted his authority on this big bike session.

The 34-year-old goes round in 4:16.433, that's 125.928mph to barge his way into provisional pole position,

A stunning lap from the British Superbike series leader who shatters the unofficial lap record he set yesterday. In fact, he has taken more than two seconds off that lap.

Behind him, Davey Todd posts a 124.842 to also dip under Peter Hickman's two-year-old lap record of 124.799.

Bodes well for an exciting race...

Michael Dunlop is the latest leading rider to lay down a marker with a speed of 123.756mph to move third in the leaderboard.

You sense there is even more to come from the Ballymoney rider as he chases a first NW win since 2016.

Philip McCallen
11-time race winner at the NW200

When you put Peter Hickman on a Superstock on a road he just uses all his Superbike skills and makes the bike work.

The Superstock is just a little bit easier to ride on a road and it might have a bit less power, but the easier it is to flick around and move will give him an advantage that way.

Peter has been beat up before, we have all been smashed up before, we are all back within a few weeks.

Some thrilling high-speed action for the fans lapping up the action out there on the circuit.

They're lining the hedgegrows and walls and gardens in their thousands again, and that's before we even start racing.

Peter Hickman has moved up to third in today's timings and the combined qualifying speed with a very impressive 123.059mph.

Remember, Hickman is on board his own PHR Racing BMW Superstock bike rather than the FHO Racing machine he is riding in British Superbikes and at the Isle of Man TT.

Hickman has won two North West races, both in the Superstock category in 2018 and 2019 so he'll be hoping to add to that tally in the races this weekend.

Davey Todd speaking to BBC Sport NI:

"The track is not perfect, far from it.

"There are a few big damp patches out there so you have to be careful and not do anything silly. But we're nearly doing the same times as yesterday and to be doing that with the damp, we must be doing something right.

"Couldn't be happier seeing another Superbike race on the schedule, we love them big Superbike races, absolutely love it."

The distinctive growl of the PBM Ducati of Glenn Irwin flies past us here at the start and finish line and the Carrickfergus rider has restored what he will believe as the order of things by going to the top of the times for today's session.

The Carrick rider records a speed of 124.888, 4:18.568, just around one hundredths of a second slower than his unofficial lap record speed of yesterday.

Fair to say the pre-race favourite is right back on it!

Peter Hickman speaking to BBC Sport NI:

"So far so good. The Supertwin is working well so far which is good to see, it's the first time I have ridden it, I know I did a few laps yesterday, but since the TT last year.

"There has been a lot of development done to it and it's going really well. So really happy with it and the Superstock is going well, we're third at the minute.

"The track is not as nice as it was yesterday as it has rained overnight which means that some of the chicanes have some damp patches about. But it's not bad at all the track has just been washed a little bit which means there's not as much grip as there was yesterday."

Glenn Irwin speaking to BBC Sport NI:

"It is too crowded to do a lap time. There is too much traffic and I am not the type of rider to barge by at a road race so hopefully I can get out on track soon."

Dean Harrison is a man on the move as he crosses the line with a lap speed of 122.433mph to move second behind Todd in today's times. Four minutes 23.752 seconds.

That's a couple of seconds faster than he managed yesterday on his new Honda Racing Fireblade.

The lack of a Superbike doesn't seem to be holding the new Laxey resident back...he's doing pretty well on his Superstock-spec machine.

Jordan Bird, team principal of PBM racing, speaking to BBC Sport NI:

"I've been thrown in in the deep end, this is my first time at the North West. It was always a boys trip when my dad was around but I've change that.

"It's lovely to be here and the North Coast is amazing, where else would you want to be in the world?!

"Coming in off the back of three wins at Oulton shows the hard work paying off and we are doing what my dad would do. He came here to win and we're carrying it on."

Honda are the most successful manufacturer in this Superbike class with 35 of their 97 North West wins to date coming in the premier blue riband class of the meeting.

They will hope the likes of Michael Dunlop or Dean Harrison can add to that tally in the three big feature classes races.

Remember, for the first time there will be a Thursday night Superbike race today. Four laps, 36 miles, will be the race distance.

Davey Todd remains four seconds faster than Glenn Irwin so far in today's session.

The Yorkshire rider has three Supersport wins to his name at the North West but he hopes to transfer that form to the 1000cc classes this year in the Superbikes and Superstocks.

Philip Neill speaking to BBC Sport NI about Alastair Seeley:

"It is a shame, I genuinely didn't think it would come to this and he wouldn't be here.

"We tried to put something together for Alastair from the early stages and he understandably wanted something that included British Championship.

"Never say never, we could be back again with him next year."

Philip Neill speaking to BBC Sport NI:

"Davey [Todd] has high hopes of winning a Superstock event and he has a reason to feel like that.

"On the Superbike personally I think we have no real right to expect him to be winning it. He is obviously capable and the bike is capable, but Glenn Irwin is obviously favourite. How many wins has he had in a row and he is on a trick of a machine and he is a great rider.

"Davey should be here with the expectation of giving Glenn a run for this money, and if all goes according to plan that happens and there is a good race between the two of them and others, it'll not be a two horse race and I will assure you that."

Davey Todd has sent out another clear signal to his rivals as he puts in a lap at 124.154mph to go top of the timesheets on his Milwaukee BMW. That's a lap speed of 4:20.097.

That's marginally slower than Glenn Irwin's benchmark lap time of yesterday, which still holds provisional pole.

Irwin has gone round at 121.829 today, followed by Peter Hickman with 121.426 and Michael Dunlop on 121.42.

A long way to go yet though before the grid positions are decided for this evening and Saturday....

Philip Neill speaking to BBC Sport NI:

"It's one of our favourite events, the North West 200. I'm not sure when my dad first came here but it was a long time ago!

"For me, it's 25 years and I can't believe that but I am enjoying it as ever."

It's early days but John McGuinness has registered the fastest Superbike lap of this qualifying run so far.

The Honda Racing rider has circulated at an average speed of 118.970mph.

With the riders still sussing out where the damp patches may be, expect that speed to be bettered before too long....

Steve Parrish
BBC Sport NI commentator

You wouldn't be happy about it at all [Honda Racing not fielding their Superbikes at the North West 200].

Dean [Harrison] is a man who is feeling from that point of view and I'm sure he's not pleased.

Dean has come on a bike to the TT that is capable of winning, if it is up to scratch.