Kawasaki- Platinum Club Racing Kawasaki's David Johnson speaking on BBC iPlayer: "I am here on a Superbike and a Superstock, but very under the radar on the Superstock. We are just trying to get that ready for a couple of weeks time.

"We're putting a lot of effort into the Superbike this session and I think we will be ok.

"I want to be somewhere near or in the top ten."

1 Dean Harrison (Honda) 117.727mph

2 Richard Cooper (Yamaha) 117.682

3 Davey Todd (Honda) 117.117

4 Michael Dunlop (Ducati) 116.928

5 Peter Hickman (Triumph) 116.402

6 Paul Jordan (Honda) 116.285

7 Adam McLean (Yamaha) 116.10

8 Jamie Coward (Triumph) 115.91

9 Mike Browne (Yamaha) 115.689

10 Alastair Seeley (Kawasaki) 115.683

11 Ian Hutchinson (Yamaha) 115.023

12 Josh Brookes (Honda) 114.788

Keith Huewen
BBC Sport NI commentator

Michael Dunlop is much more animated this year on the roads this year than I have seen him in sometime. He looks like he is crawling all over the bike.

Yamaha's Martin Morris speaking to BBC iPlayer: "I got some good laps on the big bike. I already have matched times I had done in the races last year.

"This is my first time on a 600 and I seem to be doing ok on that as well.

"That's the main thing [the races] and at the minute we are all just figuring things out and making changes. When we get into the race, that is when it matters."

MSS Performance’s Nick Morgan speaking to BBC iPlayer: "We have had a few little trials and tribulations, patricianly yesterday.

"We have sorted it today, but yesterday we didn't have the speed and the gearing, so now we have had to do the gearing today. We are getting there.

"Alistair Seeley is happy, he is absolutely flying.

"We have been blessed with the weather and we have got to take the most of it."

BMW's Barry Burrell speaking on BBC iPlayer: "It is a special feeling doing your first couple of laps. For myself, I take a while to build into things so it wasn't the best thing I have ever done in my life but the more I do, the more I like it.

"We're getting there."

BBC Sport NI analyst Lee Johnston explains that Michael Dunlop had a bit of a spill in the Superstock session earlier in the day but is back out on track in this Supersport session.

Dean Harrison is taking the fight to Supersport qualifying leader Richard Cooper.

Harrison has thrown in a lap of 117.635mph, just 0.11 seconds down on the former British Superstock 1000cc champion.

Davey Todd sits third now at 116.494, with Hickman next in fourth on 116.354, and then official Triumph entrant Jamie Coward fifth at 115.906 and Mike Browne on the second of the Russell Racing Yamahas on 115.689.

Lee Johnston
Five-time winner on BBC iPlayer

Paul Jordan has been really, really good. Paul has been in the top four or five of every class.

He looks really relaxed. He has put a lot of effort into the winter testing in Spain.

The fastest ever qualifying lap in the Supersports stands to Richard Cooper at 118.015mph, set 12 months ago.

The English rider is starting to inch towards that landmark already today.

The class lap record is held by Peter Hickman with 118.273, recorded in 2023.

The excellent conditions would indicate that that record will also come under threat this week.

Official lap records can only be set in races of course, not in qualifying.

Phillip McCallen and Lee Johnston convey something of the esteem in which Joey Dunlop was held by motorcycle fans across the world,

We said the speeds would most likely get faster today and almost straight away they have.

Richard Cooper, a Supersport winner last year, has improved his provisional pole speed he set on Wednesday by posting 117.682mph on his BPE by Russell Racing Yamaha.

Dean Harrison is second fastest up to this point on 117.116 on his Honda. This is the class in which the Bradford rider participates regularly in the British short circuit championship.

Peter Hickman has his Trooper Triumph third at the moment on 116.354, with Padgett's Honda pilot Davey Todd fourth with 116.035.

Paul Jordan (115.388) and Mike Browne (115.114) make up the top six leaderboard so far.

NW200 Race Director Mervyn Whyte MBE speaking on BBC iPlayer: "It has been very good this morning. We have had two sessions, two one hour sessions, and both of them have been really, really good.

"We have the Supersports out at the present time so it is looking good.

"Conditions are good around the course, they are probably the best conditions I have seen in a number of years and the weather is brilliant."

As is the case with the Superstocks, Alastair Seeley is by far the most successful rider ever in the Supersport category.

The 45-year-old has won 13 Supersport races. Next in the all-time list comes Bruce Anstey with five, then Davey Todd and Phillip McCallen with four apiece.

In terms of manufacturers, Yamaha lead the way with 17 victories, ahead of Honda with 15, Suzuki with 10, Kawasski on 8 and Triumph and Ducati on one apiece.

Here's a reminder of the best lap speeds from Wednesday's Supersport session.

Expect these to be bettered as the riders get up to speed in the perfect conditions today.

Image source, BBC Sport

Philip McCallen
11-time race winner on the BBC Sport website

Joey Dunlop is an icon and a hero. He has made Northern Ireland number one in the world for road racing, that is what we are known for.

The Supersport machines head out on track for their qualifying session.

Lee Johnston
Five-time winner on BBC iPlayer

This was my favourite class. I think it's because it is a good in-between of a Supertwin and a Superstock bike so it has got a little bit more power.

Most people ride a motorbike because either it handles really well or it goes fast and these do both of those things so it puts a smile on your face.

Philip McCallen
11-time race winner on the BBC Sport website

Most of the Supersport boys have been out already so they are mentally and physically ready for this and the machines are definitely ready!

8Ten Racing BMW MotoRad's Clive Padgettspeaking on BBC iPlayer: "Teams need to invest in newcomers.

"We have some great riders here of course, but a lot of them are at the older end now. That is no disrespect to anyone, but we all get older!"