ENGLISH rider Guy Martin, riding the Tyco Suzuki, dominated the Metzeler Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod at the weekend, taking a hat-trick of wins plus the Man of the Meeting award.
Martin, who is now the third most successful rider in the history of the Ulster Grand Prix with 11 race wins, got his day under way in the Barron Transport Services Supersport 600 race.
Along with New Zealand's Bruce Anstey on the Padgett's Honda, he dominated the race from the start, with just 0.038 seconds splitting the pair at the finish line.
Martin's eagerness on the final lap through the Quarry Bends proved to be the winning touch over Anstey.
Fermanagh rider Lee Johnston, on the East Coast Racing 600 Honda, took a splendid third place.
Welshman Ian Lougher, who was making his final appearance at the Ulster Grand Prix, came home in fourth, just in front of William Dunlop on the Milwaukee Yamaha.
Michael Dunlop, who had been in contention early on, had to retire from the race with clutch problems on his PTR-backed Honda.
Martin continued his winning ways in the feature McKinstry Skip Hire Superbike race, leading for the duration of the seven laps.
He was locked in a ding-dong battle with Michael Dunlop on the TT Legends Honda, but not even Dunlop's fastest lap, the fastest lap of the meeting at 133.09mph, was enough to beat the Suzuki rider.
Try as he might, Dunlop was unable to reel in Martin as they crossed the finish line just 0.3 seconds apart.
William Dunlop, on the Milwaukee Yamaha, came home in third place, just in front of team-mate Conor Cummins and Englishman Gary Johnson.
"I knew Michael was right behind me and I could not afford to put a foot wrong," said Martin.
"The Tyco boys have done a wonderful job and those Metzeler tyres were just ace in that race."
Michael Dunlop was a little disappointed with the outcome.
"I lost the race because of back markers," he said.
"They should not be out there racing in these races, they are just not quick enough.
"The bike was good enough to win and I set a really good lap to try and catch Guy, but, fair play to him, he rode well."
Martin made it a day to remember in the IFS Superbike race, where he again led from start-to-finish.
There was drama at the start when Michael Dunlop had to withdraw after his TT Legends Honda suffered a fuel leak on the warm-up lap.
Martin took an early lead, followed by Gary Johnson and William Dunlop.
By the end of lap three, he had opened up a three-second lead over new second-placed rider William Dunlop, with Bruce Anstey making inroads in third.
Martin was just too good for the rest, taking a four-second win over Anstey and Manxman Conor Cummins, with William Dunlop forced to retire on lap six.
In the Lisburn City Council Superstock race, Michael Dunlop, on the Hunts McAdoo Honda, took a runaway win with seven seconds to spare over second-placed Gary Johnson. Anstey was in third.
William made it a win each for the Dunlop brothers in the Around A Pound Supersport 500 race two.
He produced the move of the day on the final corner of the final lap, when it looked like Anstey had the race in the bag.
Dunlop rode around the outside of the New Zealand rider to take the win with just 0.03 seconds the difference at the line.
Cummins took third place, with Michael Dunlop fourth and Dean Harrison fifth.
Lougher took the win in the 125cc race, while Gareth Keys took the 250cc honours, and Ivan Linton the 650 Supertwins race victory.