Michael Dunlop will be aiming to uphold his status as the dominant force at this weekend’s RiverRidge Recycling Armoy ‘Race of Legends’, which gets under way with practice on Friday afternoon.

Dunlop clinched a treble a year ago on his home turf, defeating Tyco Suzuki’s Guy Martin and Kawasaki rider Ryan Farquhar in the Open and Grand Final races respectively, setting a new outright lap record for the three-mile circuit at 105.893mph in the feature race of the day.

The seven-time Isle of Man TT winner, who dominated on the Mountain Course in June with a famous four-timer, also had the bit between his teeth in the Supersport class as he defeated Farquhar and brother William.

Dunlop enters the top-rated national meeting this weekend as the race favourite on his MD Racing Honda machines, although Tyco Suzuki ace Martin’s record-breaking success in the blue riband Solo Championship race at the Southern 100 served as a timely reminder of the Lincolnshire rider’s capabilities.

Martin has been a regular at Armoy since the race’s inception in 2009 and provides serious opposition to Dunlop on his home patch, with the Milwaukee Yamaha pairing of William Dunlop and Manxman Conor Cummins also gunning for the rostrum places.

Jeremy McWilliams makes his national road racing bow in the Supertwin race tomorrow on a Kawasaki ER6 supplied by Ryan Farquhar and backed by SGS International, when the former Grand Prix rider goes up against Ballyclare’s Jamie Hamilton.

Armoy clerk of the course Bill Kennedy said:

“We’ve definitely got an outstanding number of entries this year with a massive entry list for the two stroke races along with a great mix of big-name riders and teams plus international newcomers and some up and coming local talent.

“We were all immensely proud of what Michael [Dunlop] achieved at the TT and there is no doubt in my mind that he’s coming here to accept nothing less than the top podium place.

“The ‘Race of Legends’ is going to be one of the highlights. I’m really looking forward to a fantastic and safe event.”



Kyle White
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