Mike Browne streaked clear to win the opening Supersport race at the Bayview Hotel Armoy Road Races on Friday evening after turning the tables on pole man Davey Todd.
Heavy rain led to a delay of more than an hour before the first races of the 2024 programme got under way, with roads drying around the three-mile course in Co Antrim but remaining wet in places.
Form man Todd, who claimed his maiden victories at the Isle of Man TT in June and retained his Solo Championship crown at the Southern 100, had sealed pole for the Supersport race on the Powertoolmate Ducati by one second from Browne.
The 28-year-old took the lead, but Browne was right on his tail as they flashed across the line after the opening lap, with the Cork man sweeping past on the brakes at the chicane as they began their second lap.
Browne quickly began to put some daylight between himself and Todd and led by one second at the halfway point of the six-lap race.
He continued to extend his advantage on the BPE by Russell Racing Yamaha and eventually won by 7.6 secs.
Todd began to slip back and was coming under threat from Magherafelt’s Paul Jordan and Dominic Herbertson, who were locked in a battle for third.
However, Senior TT winner Todd held on to clinch the runner-up spot, with Jordan holding off Herbertson to secure the final place on the podium.
Browne, who set the fastest lap of the race at 100.117mph, joined Northern Ireland man Alister Russell’s team to compete in the Supersport class in the 2024 season and has claimed some eye-catching results, including his first win at the Southern 100 in July.
“It is the best 600 on the grid,” Browne said.
“Alister and the lads put in a huge effort, and it’s nice to pay them back.”
Jamie Coward (KTS/Stanley Stewart Triumph) and Barry Furber (Clem Davies Kawasaki) completed the top six.
Yorkshireman Coward, ruled out of Armoy in 2023 after suffering injuries in a cycling accident days before the event, won a thrilling Supertwin race from Browne.
On damp roads, Coward set the pace during the first four laps before Browne took over at the beginning of the fifth and penultimate lap on his Aprilia.
As the crowds craned their necks to see who would take the chequered flag in first position, it was Coward (KTS Racing Kawasaki) who edged the verdict on the line by just 0.012 secs to deny the Republic of Ireland rider.
Michael Sweeney was 22 seconds back in third on his Aprilia.
Jordan, riding a KMR Kawasaki for Ryan Farquhar, was third on the opening lap but did not complete lap two and failed to finish, although he later lined up for the Supersport race.
Coward earlier set the first 100mph Supertwin qualifying lap in qualifying to claim pole.
English rider Todd will line up for the Superbike races on Saturday, including the blue riband ‘Race of Legends’, in pole position after he unofficially shattered the outright lap record, recording the fastest-ever qualifying lap as he came in at 108.717mph on the Milwaukee BMW.
Phil Crowe was three seconds down in second place on his BMW with a speed of 105.504mph with Jordan in third, courtesy of a lap at 105.113mph on the Jackson Racing Honda.
Todd won the ‘Race of Legends’ for the first time in 2022 and goes into the feature race on Saturday afternoon as a strong favourite.
2023 winner and man of the meeting Michael Dunlop is absent from his home event, claiming the Armoy Club had ‘no budget’ left for him because ‘everybody else has taken it up’.
Roads close on Saturday at 9am for a 12-race programme.