Armoy road races: Davey Todd obliterates lap record on way to four-timer
- Published
Davey Todd gets airborne at the Armoy road races
Davey Todd demolished the absolute lap record on his way to a stunning four-timer at Saturday's Armoy road races.
Todd took victory in both Supersport events on his Milenco by Padgett's Honda and then chalked up a 'big bike double', including a win in the feature seven-lap 'Race of Legends' race.
The Yorkshireman bettered Michael Dunlop's previous course benchmark with a lap at 107.8 in the Open race.
Todd went faster in the final race at an average lap speed of 108.534mph.
The 2019 North West 200 Supersport race winner enjoyed a 3.68-second cushion over Roadhouse Macau BMW-mounted Derek Sheils in the Open race, with Michael Sweeney a further 10 seconds in arrears in third.
Michael Browne, Phil Crowe and Jamie Coward rounded out the top six leaderboard.
Todd was an even more convincing winner of the 'Race of Legends' as he had 8.86 seconds to spare over Sweeney at the chequered flag, Sheils completing the podium places on this occasion, followed by Crowe, Browne and Coward.
Superstock TT rostrum finisher and Southern 100 solo champion Todd obliterated the lap record on his third circuit of the feature outing to become the first name on the trophy for more than a decade, Dunlop having triumphed in the last nine runnings of the race.
Dunlop announced on Friday morning that he would not be taking part in this year's meeting because of a disagreement with the organisers.
Todd became the first rider to lap the County Antrim circuit in less than one minute 40 seconds with his time of 1:39.773.
Jamie Coward leads Michael Sweeney and Paul Jordan in the Supertwins race
Earlier in the day, Todd won the 600cc opener, which had been delayed from Friday night, by 0.3 seconds from Darryl Tweed.
Tweed started from the second group of riders and led for much of the race on corrected time before being overhauled by the Saltburn pilot on the final lap.
Todd enjoyed a more comfortable 5.1-seconds winning margin over Adam McLean in the second Supersport outing.
Tobermore rider McLean had finished third in the first of the Supersport races on a Yamaha, followed by Dominic Herbertson, Paul Jordan, Browne, Sheils and Sweeney.
Sheils claimed the final podium spot in race two on his McAdoo Kawasaki, with Browne, Herbertson and Jordan making up the top six in the seven-lapper.
Cork competitor Browne ended 10 seconds ahead of Joey Thompson in the Moto3 class, with Coward enjoying a similar advantage over Crowe by the end of the Classic Superbike, with David Bell third in that category.
Coward came home first in a thrilling Supertwins race, edging out Sweeney by 0.013 seconds, pipping the Skerries man on the run to the finish line. Jordan completed the podium.
Keelim Ryan won the Lightweight Supersport, which was also carried over from Friday night, while Welsh veteran Ian Lougher won the 350cc classic and Jordan the 1000cc classics.