2018 Road Racing Calendar

This past year I haven’t been very active with the blog as I have been many months without taking the bike. The cause of it was of a little human being who was growing during 8 months and then landed in our lives mid February. Emma, a gorgeous little girl (of course! 🙂 ).

So the bike stuff was temporarily put apart, and between nights without sleeping and another nights without sleeping, we didn’t find any energy to go to the first road races of the season. Apart from the fact that we thought that she was a little bit small to take her on walks across the fields under the rain (which happens pretty much in road racing in Ireland…).

But finally we decided to give it a go when the stars finally got aligned, probably because of the luck of the Irish. We had thought to go to Armoy, or well, we had thought that it would be very nice if the road race which was our first one could also be our daughter’s first road race. While we were thinking about how to go to watch a road race with a 5 months old baby, 2 things happened:  they reopened the Pub that had been closed for about 2 years in Armoy’s village, and this pub “The Armada Inn” was now also offering bedrooms as “Bed and Breakfast”. I contacted them but they were full. A couple of months after, for whatever reason, they had some rooms available again. We didn’t think it twice, it was our opportunity! I called and booked a room for our short holidays. A room with some space for a travel cot, and with a view to the circuit! Better than a 5 stars VIP Pass!!!

We arrived on Thursday afternoon, on time for the classic bikes show. We also had some time to spend in the Club shop to buy some merchandising, as the one we had from our first year were quite worn out… We also bought the programme. And we had a nice chat with 2 of the Club ladies who minded the shop.

A little bit later we had our first “Irish Stew” in the village coffee room, very good and at a good price too.

After that we went to the room to watch the parade lap of the classic bikes. Emma seemed to like it.

On Friday morning, after the typical “Ulster Fry”,

we went for a walk to the paddock. It was a little bit muddy because of the showers, but it would get worse later. We went twice around the paddock but couldn’t find Andy Farrell’s team.

But we did meet with Yvonne Montgomery who was recovering from her accident in Skerries at the beginning of the month, she was walking with crutches but was talking about racing at the UlsterGP 15 days later (!!!) .

We saw a few racers like Davy Morgan and Michael Dunlop, but I had forgotten my camera in the B&B and with the phone the result wasn’t too good.

After the second round we went back to the village where we met with a very nice couple from Barcelona, Spain, Montse and Randy, who had contacted me and who were coming to Ireland on holidays on their bikes, and were also taking the opportunity to watch their first road race. We had a coffee and a nice chat until they left to find a place to spectate before the road closure.

And the practice started. What a privilege to be able to follow all the practice sessions from the bedroom window, without having to worry if the baby needed eating, changing, sleeping, or whatever… She took her nap as usual (even with the classic bikes practice going on…), she had her lunch watching the bikes by the window… I think that without this option we wouldn’t have enjoyed much. We had bought ear protectors for babies and they didn’t seem to bother her at all…

The practice sessions went on, starting with the Newcomers. This year Patricia Fernandez from the United States was a newcomer in Armoy.

The female racers weren’t many this time as Yvonne was injured, and Veronika couldn’t go on with the Irish season after Cookstown. But Melissa Kennedy was there with her Moto3.

The practice sessions were stopped at time because of the rain,

and also there was a red flag because of spectators in prohibited area.

Forest Dunn & Andy Farrell

Adam McLean

Forest Dunn

Michael Dunlop

After the practice sessions, they started with the races, the first being the Senior Support won by Adam Lyon *29, second Joe Loughlin *150 and third David Howard *4.

Then there was the first Supersport one, which was stopped a first time because of an incident (without consequences) involving Paul Jordan and Adam McLean.

Then it was restarted, but stopped again after a few laps because Michael Dunlop’s engine blew up.

As it was late and the road had to be checked and so, the race wasn’t restarted. The final result was given later, won by Derek McGee 86, second Davey Todd *174 and third Christian Elkin *8.

On Saturday race day we had an early breakfast and also a nice chat with the amateur photographer John Condie. Then we waited for the road closure.

The races started and followed as this:

Junior Support: 1- Joe Loughlin *27, 2- Marc Ironside *151, 3- Glenn Walker *44

Moto3/125: Christian Elkin *8, Adam Mc Lean *56

Supersport 2: 1 Michael Dunlop, 2 Derek McGee, 3 James Cowtown *52

Classics: 1- Ed Manly*66, 2- Wattie Brown *10, 3- Barry Davidson *40

Open 201-1010cc: 1-Michael Dunlop, 2- Derek McGee, 3-William Dunlop

Lightweight: 250cc Neil Kernohan *109 and Brian Harding *59

400cc: Darryl Tweed, Callum Laidlaw, Seamus Elliott

Poor Paul Gartland *28 got several times black flag over the week-end because of his exhaust pipe…

Supertwin: 1-McGee, 2-Adam McLean 3- James Cowtown

Senior Support: 1-Joe Loughlin 2-Adam Lyon 3-David Howard

Race of Legends: 1-Michael Dunlop (seven times in a raw), 2-William Dunlop 3-Micko Sweeney

Adam Mc Lean

Derek Mc Gee saving his back tyre

James Cowton

McGee, William Dunlop, Micko Sweeney

Melissa Kennedy 

Michael Dunlop

William Dunlop

There were also a few showers during the day, which always make it difficult for the organisers. Even though, they were able to complete the full programme and end the races around 5pm.

We met a couple of times over the day with Montse and Randy, one of them it was during a race, and I got so nervous for not being able to take pictures that they might have thought I was completely mad…

After the last race, we had an early dinner and then said goodbye.

We left the next day after breakfast, while outside they were working hard to take away all bales and protections and give back to the village its face of 360 days a year.

Of course we first took a lap around the circuit, Emma’s first lap ever around Armoy circuit! 🙂

It was so great to be able to watch the races from the room, with such a small baby I don’t think we would have enjoyed the races from the usual spectating places, even with the car close by.

Next year she will be bigger and even if we will have to change some things in our way of spectating, I think we will be able to watch races not from a “Mega VIP” place.

In any case we were very happy to be able to watch Armoy road races this year, and that Armoy was also Emma’s first road race was very special.

It’s also funny that now I have a baby, I can see that there are many people who go watch road racing with their children, even quite small. There is a future for road racing spectators for sure! 🙂

See you in 2018!