A bumper crowd is anticipated for today’s Armoy Road Races which has attracted one of the best road race entries of the season with several international champions tackling the three-mile circuit — now one of the ‘must do’ events on the calendar.

Heading the quality line-up is local hero and lap record holder Michael Dunlop who completed a hat-trick last year, including the feature Race of Legends.

Dunlop the TT superstock race winner back in June comes into the Armoy meeting on the crest of a wave having recently recorded five wins at the Southern 100 on the Isle of Man and a double at Walderstown just three days later.

Out to thwart the Dunlop bandwagon will be Ryan Farquhar, who is also coming off the back of five wins at last weekend’s Scarborough Cock o’ the North meet.

Those victories have established the KMR Kawasaki rider in a clear lead of the season-long Duke Road Race Rankings, a title the Dungannon rider is looking to win for an unprecedented fifth year in a row and for the seventh time in the 11 years the series has existed.

The entry has been boosted by the appearance of Tyco Suzuki TAS runners Guy Martin and Conor Cummins, with the Lincolnshire ace out to put one over the locals in what he describes as “one of my favourite meetings held on what is probably the best road race circuit in Ireland”.

William Dunlop and his Honda stable are also a force to be reckoned with at his home meeting.

Clerk of the Course Bill Kennedy said: We anticipate a bumper crowd on Saturday and my advice would be to get there early and take up a safe vantage point to watch what should be a memorable day’s action.”

The action gets under way this afternoon with roads closing for practice from 2.30pm until 9.30pm and then tomorrow between 10am and 7.30pm.



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