Invoice Kennedy is handing over the reins as Clerk of the Course on the Armoy Street Races to focus on different facets concerned within the organisation of the occasion.
The resolution comes after Kennedy additionally stood down as Chairman of the Armoy Bike Street Racing Membership at its current AGM earlier this month, with William Munnis changing him within the position.
Kennedy – who was made an honorary member of the membership on the AGM – first took on the job of operating the race in 2011 after serving two years as assistant Clerk of the Course. He has been the race chief at Armoy yearly since, excluding 2020 when the Irish nationwide race – first held in 2009 – was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kennedy will now deal with signing riders and searching for new sponsors for the race, which historically takes place through the remaining weekend in July.
And with a raft of nationwide highway races provisionally scheduled on consecutive weekends all through July in 2023, the Armoy stalwart says it is going to be extra essential than ever to work on securing riders’ signatures nicely prematurely of the occasion subsequent summer season. “Riders will decide and select the races they do,” Kennedy mentioned.
“There are just too many races one after the opposite within the month of July and it’s unrealistic to anticipate riders to have the ability to do all of them.
“It places a pressure on riders and their groups and lots of received’t be able to do each one.
“That’s why it’s extra essential than ever to be actively speaking with riders and attempting to safe them on your occasion,” he added.
“I'll now have extra free time to work on that aspect of issues after stepping down as Clerk of the Course however in no way will I be much less concerned with the race, removed from it.
“There are different areas the place we will enhance and I’ll now have extra free time to work on issues that want extra consideration, and likewise to attempt to work on sponsorship to deliver extra money into the membership.”
Irish highway racing continues to face important monetary challenges, not least the rising prices concerned in acquiring public legal responsibility insurance coverage, however Kennedy says the Armoy assembly stays in a wholesome place.
“Fortunately we now have a whole lot of very loyal sponsors who've stood by us, with the likes of the Bayview Lodge on board from the start in 2009,” Kennedy mentioned.
“We additionally get pleasure from good assist from the local people and we now have plenty of spectators who come from southern Eire and throughout the UK.
“Advance purchases of our race packages have helped us over the previous two years and we’re very grateful to have that assist, however after all there may be at all times scope for extra and we'll hold working laborious as a membership for the way forward for the Armoy Street Races.”