“That’s how powerful humans are. You can write your own destiny if you put the work in.”

After breaking the record for the number of Superbike victories at the North West 200, Glenn Irwin was in a philosophical mood.

The PBM Ducati rider is no stranger to tasting success at his home road race on Northern Ireland’s north coast, but compared to the highly-emotional showdown with Alastair Seeley 12 months ago, Irwin was in a more reflective state.

Earlier on Saturday, he had surpassed Michael Rutter and the late, great Joey Dunlop for the number of victories in the class, something he said “meant a lot”.

In the final race of the day, the feature Superbike race, Irwin held off the challenge to complete his Superbike treble ahead of Davey Todd, who was so impressive with a hat-trick of wins and second-places across the week.

“It’s really, really special,” Irwin added. “When I tell people that I feel on top of my game, an abundance of clarity and happiness in my life, my love for the team – I have worked so hard, and so have the team.

“It’s so hard to explain, but when you feel like something is going to happen in life, it happens.

“It can also be negative, like it was to me for a long time. But to anyone listening, never give up and keep believing in your dreams, they come true.”