Bayview Hotel Pledges Support for 17th Year as Club Celebrates 2025 Global Viewing Figures
THE picturesque village of Armoy is set to welcome hordes of global visitors alongside the roar of engines once again this summer as the Armoy Motorcycle Road Racing Club (AMRRC) confirms dates for the 2026 event and announces the return of its most longstanding title sponsor, the Bayview Hotel, Portballintrae.
Confirmed to take place on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th July, the Bayview Hotel, has renewed its sponsorship of the iconic Race of Legends for the 17th consecutive year and to the Armoy club who will once again strive to attract the sport’s top riders from around the world to showcase the sport and country to a worldwide audience.
“It may be a few months away but excitement for this year’s event is already ramping up,” AMRRC Chairman, Gareth McAuley commented. “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. According to figures attained by Greenlight television, the races were viewed by approximately 11 million people in countries such as Abu Dhabi, 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 continued.
“This just goes to show the interest that is being shown in the sport currently, which will go a long way to helping to secure its future and to inspiring budding riders to become involved.”
The launch of the 2026 Armoy Road Races also comes amid positive news for motorsport across the island of Ireland, following an announcement last month, that three races in the Republic are to return for the first time since 2022. According to Gareth, this news is a welcome development that underscores growing stability within the sport, momentum which the Armoy Road Races continues to build upon.
“It’s a very exciting time for Irish motorcycle road racing,” Gareth said. “The return of the Skerries 100, Kells and Athea meetings is great news for the wider sport across Ireland.
“The next few months will be busy for the Club as we put preparations in place, continue discussions with sponsors and work towards making 2026’s Armoy Road Races better than ever.”
Part funded by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, the Armoy Road Races will take place on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th July. For more information, visit the website: www.armoyroadraces.com or search for AMRRC on Facebook.
