Dunlop and Sheils set for Battle on Armoy Armada's old stomping ground

PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 22/6/2016: William Dunlop, Neil Kernohan and Adam McLean join Armoy road races Clerk of the Course, Bill Kennedy at the launch of the 2016 event at Bushmills Distillery today.
The races take place on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th July.
PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON — PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 22/6/2016: William Dunlop, Neil Kernohan and Adam McLean join Armoy road races Clerk of the Course, Bill Kennedy at the launch of the 2016 event at Bushmills Distillery today. The races take place on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th July. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON

NOW in its eighth year, the Armoy Road Races confirmed this week that local man, William Dunlop and Dublin's Derek Sheils are set for battle on the famous three-mile circuit come Friday 29th and Saturday 30th July.

The announcement was made at the official launch of the SGS International ‘Race of Legends’, which was held in the renowned Bushmills Distillery on Wednesday.

Ballymoney man, William Dunlop, is set to ride an IC Racing Yamaha 600 in the Friday’s First4Printing Supersport and Saturday’s Bayview Hotel Supersport 600 race and then the MMB Yamaha in the two Superbike races on the Saturday. With wins at both Cookstown and Tandragee earlier this year William is hopeful of maintaining his winning record at Armoy.

Sheils who rides for Dungannon based Cookstown Burrows Engineering Racing team will ride a Suzuki GXX-R100 in all three classes, Superbike, Supersport and Supertwin, for long-term supporter of Armoy Road Races and team owner, John Burrows. Last year Sheils challenged William Dunlop for the Irish National Superbike crown losing the championship by only six points after a number of wins down South. Both competitors are proven race and title winners and Armoy is in their sights for a few more podium wins.

William Dunlop, who has raced at every Armoy race, and won in succession at 2014 and 2015’s Friday night Supersport race, commented on the 2016 races; “The Armoy Road Races are my local races and it is just one of those events that is always marked in the calendar each and every year. I rode at the very first year Armoy Races in 2009 on a 125 cc and a 600cc in the Open race and I’ve come back every year since then. The 125 cc was what I learnt my trade on, from my father, so it is always very special to go to Armoy.”

Bill Kennedy, Clerk of the Course, AMRRC said, “We are well underway with preparations for this year’s races and the Club and I are getting increasingly excited. I’m always amazed about the popularity of the Armoy Road Races and it is testament to my fellow club members in the Armoy Motorcycling Road Racing Club who tirelessly strive to ensure they put on the very best national road race they can for riders and spectators alike.

“We’ve some exciting competitors this year but the finer details have yet to confirmed – it’s still early with the TT only finishing 10 days or so ago and riders are only starting to turn their attention to the Armoy Road Races.