Armoy Road Races: Open race delayed by rain as riders face tyre choice dilemma - "You could get into trouble very quickly"
The Open Superbike race at Armoy has been delayed by wet weather, with riders facing a tyre choice dilemma.
After completing their sighting lap, a number of leading riders highlighted one section of the three-mile course as posing safety concerns.
The majority of the course had completely dried out, but one section remained “completely soaking”, according to experienced Irishman Michael Sweeney.
“It’s perfect everywhere except when you’re coming down into the last corner where it’s completely soaking,” said the Skerries man.
“I’ll just put a front intermediate on for a bit of safety on the braking zone and leave a rear slick in because everywhere else is bone dry except for that corner, and the run down into it.
“It’s horrendous, like literally soaking spray, so I’ll go with a front inter and leave the rear slick in.”
Magherafelt’s Paul Jordan, who qualified on pole on the Jackson Racing Honda, said the conditions could cause riders to “get into trouble very quickly”.
“Everywhere else is fine, but coming out onto that last crossroads is absolutely wringing wet. What tyres do you put on?” he said.
“I’ve got slicks in and that’s what I’m staying with. You can’t run wets for three-quarters of the track and then two corners are soaking wet.
“The problem is you’re going down a hill into braking, so you could get into trouble very quickly.”
Manxman Conor Cummins added: “It’s completely dry from here right around until the last road end, where it’s soaking wet through really.
“It’s really warm as well, so I can’t get my head around it.
“I think we’re going to go full inters – in an ideal world it would be full slicks, but it’s just that one bit of the track where it’s just soaking wet and through and not ideal.
“The throttle goes both ways and all that caper, we’ll just keep riding around.”