Portballintrae's Bayview Hotel to support Armoy Road Races for the 17th consecutive year

Armoy is set to welcome hordes of global visitors again this summer as the Armoy Motorcycle Road Racing Club (AMRRC) confirms dates for the 2026 event as Friday and Saturday, July 24 and 25.

The Bayview Hotel has renewed its sponsorship of both the iconic Race of Legends for the 17th consecutive year and the Armoy club who will once again strive to attract the sport’s top riders from around the world.

“It may be a few months away but excitement for this year’s event is already ramping up,” said AMRRC Chairman, Gareth McAuley.

“We’re delighted to have Trevor and the team at the Bayview Hotel back on board for 2026. Trevor has been supporting the Armoy Road Races since its inception, and we’re indebted to his generosity as it helps us to host such a world-class event that puts Northern Ireland road racing on the map.”

The Bayview Hotel Race of Legends is the notoriously highly coveted prize, and it was Mike Browne who clinched the accolade in 2025, closely followed by Paul Jordan and Michael Sweeney, who all performed strongly throughout last year’s event.

The Supertwin races are always hotly contested and 2025 was no exception with Magherafelt rider Paul Jordan having to set a new lap record to ensure the win.

Lap records were also broken in the Junior classics 250 by Brian Mateer and Nigel Moore in the 350 class but ultimately the star of the show was Cork rider Mike Browne winning both Next Generation Supersport races and the Norman MacFarlane Tarmac Contractor Open Race to add to his first Bayview Hotel Race of Legends.

“There’s nothing quite like the thrill of the Armoy Road Races, being so close to the action and soaking up the atmosphere – it’s not hard to see why it’s such a popular and special event,” said Trevor Kane, owner of the Bayview Hotel.

“Armoy holds a rich road racing history and I’m very proud to play a role in supporting it. We welcomed so many global visitors last year, which was brilliant to see, and I expect this year will be no different. I’m really looking forward to July and can’t wait to see how the riders perform across the circuit.”

Last year’s event was streamed live on BBC Sport Northern Ireland, exposing the Armoy Road Races to a global audience for the first time. The races were viewed by approximately 11 million people in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States of America to name a few. The event was also broadcast on ITV4 and ITVX, reaching a combined total of 162,000 homes.

“It’s brilliant to see the viewership figures for 2025’s event. On behalf of the Club, we’re extremely impressed and proud to have well and truly put Armoy on the global road racing map,” Gareth McAuley continued.

Part funded by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, the Armoy Road Races will take place on July 24 and 25. For more information, visit the website: www.armoyroadraces.com or search for AMRRC on Facebook.