Michael Dunlop thrills fans after impromptu visit to pub on victory lap at Armoy Road Races

The 34-year-old destroyed the opposition to win the blue riband race on the Hawk Racing Honda by almost 17 seconds in the rain at the Co Antrim course after six laps.

Cheered on by huge crowds around the three-mile venue, Dunlop stopped in Armoy village, parked up his Honda Superbike and disappeared into the Armada Inn.

He then emerged with a pint in hand as his supporters showed their appreciation for the home hero, who dominated the final Irish road race of 2023 with five wins from five starts after withdrawing from the event in 2022.

There could be no more popular winner in the backyard of the legendary Armoy Armada, where Joey Dunlop, Frank Kennedy, Mervyn Robinson and Jim Dunlop fettled their machines in the halcyon days of Irish road racing in the late 1970s.

By far the most successful rider ever at Armoy, Dunlop – the last bastion of the revered road racing dynasty – won his first race in the 125cc class when the national road race was first run in 2009.

Of his 29 victories since, 18 have been Superbike wins with seven Supersport successes and a maiden victory in the Supertwin race on Saturday. He has also won twice on 250cc machinery.

Now the second most successful rider ever at the Isle of Man TT with 25 wins, one behind his uncle Joey, Dunlop is the biggest name in the sport and his decision to return to Armoy was met with a collective sigh of relief from the organisers.

He has made the event his own, claiming his first ‘Race of Legends’ triumph in 2011, when he won on the Street Sweep Kawasaki ZX10 by 4.7s from Ryan Farquhar, who was the inaugural victor in the showpiece race in 2010.

Dunlop’s victory sparked an unbeaten run in the headline Superbike race, which has continued to grow in stature over the years.

He won every ‘Race of Legends’ from 2011 to 2017, but was understandably absent from the event in 2018 after his brother William tragically lost his life in a crash during practice for the Skerries 100 a few weeks earlier.

As it was, the meeting was cancelled due to torrential rain, with Dunlop returning in 2019 to claim his eighth victory in the race on the Tyco BMW.

Covid-19 restrictions resulted in the cancellation of Armoy in 2020, but the race resumed in 2021, and Dunlop was on cloud nine after another dominant win, this time on the SYNETIQ BMW.

Davey Todd won the trophy last year in Dunlop’s absence, but inevitably there was only going to be one winner on Saturday as the Ulster rider toasted a perfect ten.