Guy Martin the rostrum with Michael Dunlop (left) and Derek Sheils (right) at the Cookstown 100

Fans favourite Guy Martin took centre stage at the KDM Hire Cookstown 100 after sealing a Superbike double at the Orritor course on Saturday.

The Tyco BMW rider won a dramatic feature race after Michael Dunlop crashed out unhurt on his Milwaukee Yamaha Superbike.

Martin had led the race until the seventh lap when Dunlop forced his way to the front and opened a gap of 0.6 seconds.

However, the Ballymoney rider’s race came to a premature halt on lap eight, bringing out the red flags.

Dunlop walked away unscathed as Martin was declared the winner on his S1000RR Superstock machine from Dubliner Derek Sheils on the BikeBitsNI Kawasaki and Mar-Train Yamaha’s Dean Harrison.

William Dunlop (Tyco BMW), Jamie Hamilton on John Burrows’ Suzuki and James Cowton completed the top six in the blue riband race.

Lincolnshire star Martin, making his return to Cookstown after missing the event in 2014, earlier won the Open A Superbike race, narrowly holding off the late-charging Michael Dunlop to win by 0.114s with pole man Sheils taking third.

Derek McGee claimed fourth on the Wilson Craig Honda followed by Tyco BMW’s William Dunlop and Hamilton.

William Dunlop began the Irish road racing season in style as he clinched a Supersport double on the Chris Dowd/Ivan Curran Racing Yamaha R6.

Dunlop was a start to finish winner in the 600cc invitational race, which was carried over from Friday after rain forced the postponement of four races planned following practice.

The 29-year-old shot into the lead from pole position and stretched away at the front, increasing his advantage lap by lap to win by 5.4 seconds at the finish from Mar-Train Yamaha’s Harrison, with Ballyclare rider Hamilton sealing the final podium place in third on the Cookstown/BE Racing Honda, only a few tenths behind Harrison.

James Cowton, Derek McGee and Derek Sheils were the top six while Michael Dunlop retired from the race on his MD Racing Yamaha.

In the Irish Championship Supersport race Dunlop again took charge from the off and led McGee by almost two seconds after two laps.

However, his younger brother was on the charge and reduced the deficit to around one-and-a-half seconds after three laps before he was reported as a retirement.

Dunlop went on to win by 0.739s at the flag from McGee to complete a brace, with Harrison a close third. Hamilton, Sheils and Seamus Elliott were the top six.

Michael Dunlop delivered a win for sponsor Winston McAdoo at his home circuit in the Supertwin race, keeping Skerries rider Michael Sweeney at bay to win by half-a-second with Hamilton on the rostrum in third.

Cullybackey’s Sam Wilson won the 125cc/Moto3 race on the immaculately prepared Joey’s Bar Honda, leading all the way to the flag to take the spoils by 2.7s from Nigel Moore, with Paul Jordan in third position.

Andy Lawson won the Supersport B race by one second from Wilson, with Czech rider Michal Dokoupil completing the podium places.

Tandragee in Co Armagh hosts the next Irish national road race on Saturday, May 2.

Kyle White