Armoy Road Races: Paul Jordan and Mike Browne Trade Victories in Thrilling County Antrim Showdown
The 2026 Armoy Road Races in County Antrim produced a thrilling opening day on Friday, July 24, with Mike Browne claiming his ninth career victory at the circuit in the Supertwins race — winning by just 0.05 seconds from Paul Jordan — before Jordan reversed the result in the Supersport opener, winning by a margin of 0.023 seconds after setting the fastest lap of the race at 104.624 mph on the final circuit.
Background
The Armoy Road Races, held annually in the village of Armoy in north County Antrim, are one of the most celebrated events on the Irish road racing calendar. Known as the 'Race of Legends', the meeting has been a fixture of the Northern Ireland motorsport scene for decades, attracting some of the finest road racers in the world to the challenging 4.1-mile circuit that winds through the Antrim countryside. The event is organised by the Armoy Motor Road Racing Club (AMRRC) and is broadcast through the 'King of the Roads' series by Greenlight Television.
Road racing occupies a unique place in the sporting culture of Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland more broadly. Unlike circuit racing, road racing takes place on closed public roads, with competitors reaching speeds of over 200 mph on straights that pass through villages, farmland, and forest. The sport has a passionate following in Northern Ireland, where the Ulster Grand Prix, the North West 200, and the Armoy Road Races are among the most attended sporting events of the year.
The 2026 Armoy meeting featured a strong entry list, with Mike Browne, Paul Jordan, Richard Cooper, and Phil Crowe among the leading contenders across the various classes. Browne, who rides a Honda Fireblade in the Open class, set the fastest speed in qualifying at 106.788 mph, with Jordan (106.573 mph) and Crowe (106.389 mph) close behind.
Key Developments
The opening Supertwins race produced one of the closest finishes of the season, with Browne winning his ninth career victory at Armoy by just 0.05 seconds from Jordan, with Richard Cooper taking third. During the race, Jordan set a new Supertwins class lap record of 101.160 mph — a mark that underlines the extraordinary pace at which the sport is developing. Browne's victory on his Paton was a masterclass in racecraft, with the Irishman managing his tyres and fuel load perfectly over the seven-lap distance.
The Supersport race that followed was even more dramatic. Jordan led from the front for much of the race before Browne closed the gap in the final laps, setting up a last-lap showdown that produced one of the most exciting finishes in recent Armoy history. Jordan set the fastest lap of the race at 104.624 mph on the final circuit, crossing the line just 0.023 seconds ahead of Browne to claim his fourth career win at the event. Joe Yeardsley finished in third place.
Jordan also topped the Supersport qualifying times with a speed of 105.094 mph — the fastest ever recorded in Supersport qualifying at the Armoy circuit. The Saturday programme, which includes the feature 'Race of Legends' and second outings for the Supersport and Supertwin classes, is expected to produce further close racing between the two leading contenders.
Why It Matters
The Armoy Road Races matter to Northern Ireland's sporting culture in a way that is difficult to overstate. Road racing is one of the few sports in which Northern Ireland consistently produces world-class competitors, and the Armoy meeting provides a platform for those competitors to showcase their skills in front of a passionate home crowd. The rivalry between Browne and Jordan, which has been one of the defining storylines of the 2026 road racing season, is exactly the kind of compelling sporting narrative that draws tens of thousands of spectators to events like Armoy. The sport also has significant economic benefits for the north Antrim area, with visitors travelling from across Ireland, Great Britain, and further afield for the meeting.
Local Impact
The Armoy Road Races bring significant economic activity to the north Antrim area, with hotels, guesthouses, and campsites in Ballycastle, Ballymoney, and the surrounding area reporting strong occupancy throughout the race weekend. The village of Armoy itself is transformed for the event, with thousands of spectators lining the circuit and the local community playing a central role in the organisation and marshalling of the races. The AMRRC has worked closely with the PSNI and local councils to manage the traffic and crowd management challenges that come with hosting an event of this scale on public roads.
What's Next
The Saturday programme at Armoy includes 11 races, featuring the feature 'Race of Legends' and second outings for the Supersport and Supertwin classes. The battle between Browne and Jordan is expected to continue, with both riders having demonstrated that they have the pace and the racecraft to win. The next major road racing event on the Irish calendar is the Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod in August, where the rivalry between the two is expected to reach its climax.
