Adam McLean and James Cowton shine for McAdoo Racing at Billown

Yorkshireman Cowton topped the times in practice, before sealing three podium finishes and establishing two lap records on the Northern Ireland team’s Kawasaki machinery, while McLean clinched a victory in the Supersport class.

The event also marked the return to racing of Ryan Kneen, whose brother Dan was tragically killed in a crash in practice for the TT.

In the Supersport 600 race, it was McAdoo Racing rider Adam McLean who was the early leader, although there was little between the top three with Cowton and Joey Thompson in pursuit on lap one.

The trio battled it out throughout the race, with McLean hanging on for a narrow win ahead of Cowton, while Thompson secured the last podium position.

Cowton had seized the lead on the eighth and last lap and set a new record of 109.311mph, although it was McLean who hit back to snatch the win by 0.2 seconds.

In the 250/650 race, Thompson and Cowton were locked in battle but the young prospect had more in reserve and broke the lap record on the third lap with a speed of 102.208mph.

Cowton did manage to reduce the deficit as he then smashed the lap record (102.758mph), but Thompson was able to pull a gap on the last lap and he won comfortably in the end by nine seconds over Cowton. Jonathan Perry was third ahead of Rob Hodson.

The feature 1100cc race was the last event on the evening schedule and it was Cowton who seized the early initiative from Hodson.

Throughout the eight-lap finale, Cowton was under pressure from Hodson, but he set a new lap record of 112.345mph to grind out victory by only 0.6 seconds.

In an emotional finish, Ryan Kneen claimed the final podium spot, just over a week following brother Dan’s fatal crash on the Tyco BMW in TT practice.