Rider deaths in British motorcycle racing series
Motorcycle racing is a popular competitor and spectator sport in Great Britain. Several meetings take place every weekend of the motorport season, at various circuits across the country. These range from club or national series, like the Thundersport GB series, to higher profile events like the British Superbike Championship. The age of competitors in cirucit racing ranges from juniors of 12 years to people in their 60's or occasionally older. Due to the large number of competitors and the hazardous nature of the sport, and despite the best efforts of organising bodies and redesign of circuits, there have been many rider deaths recorded. Often these deaths occur in series without a major media profile and therefore receive very little press coverage. The worst single incident occurred in 1971 when Peter Pritchard, Peter Sheridan and Philip Smith all died as the result of a sidecar crash at Oulton Park.
This article is a partial list of riders known to have died competing in British national or club racing series at any level.
1932 | Mr Dillion | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Donington Park | [1] |
1933 | Alfred Mead | Unknown | Donington Park | [1] |
1955 | Eric Shepard | Unknown | Castle Combe | [1] |
1958 | John Shakesphere | Mallory Championship | Mallory Park | [1] |
1960 | Neville Smith | Wirrall 100 Club Championships | Oulton Park | [1] |
1961 | Norman Bramhall | Auto-Cycle Union Championships | Oulton Park | [1] |
1961 | John Thomas Addis | Auto-Cycle Union Championships | Oulton Park | [1] |
1962 | Bob McIntyre | British 500cc Championship | Oulton Park | [1] |
1962 | J.W Deaville | Unknown | Oulton Park | [1] |
1962 | Roy Matthew | British Road Racing Championship | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1962 | Harold Scholes | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1963 | Thomas Sheaff | Unknown | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1963 | Blake Osborne | Hutchinson 100 Meeting | Silverstone | [1] |
1963 | Gary Saward | Unknown | Mallory Park | [1] |
1963 | Dave Downer | Unknown | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1963 | Gordon Pill | Unknown | Castle Combe | [1] |
1964 | Paul Richardson | Unknown | Mallory Park | [1] |
1964 | Alan Parker | Unknown | Oulton Park | [1] |
1965 | Florian Camathias | Unknown | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1965 | Alan Haigh | Unknown | Oulton Park | [1] |
1965 | Alex Fullerton | Unknown | Mallory Park | [1] |
1965 | Bernard Gaynor | Unknown | Mallory Park | [1] |
1966 | Robert Smith | Unknown | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1966 | Brian Madin | Unknown Darley Race | Darley Moor | [1] |
1967 | Stuart Hughes | Unknown | Mallory Park | [1] |
1967 | Fritz Scheidegger | Sidecar Race of the Year | Mallory Park | [1] |
1969 | Roly Capper | Darley 350cc Race | Darley Moor | [1] |
1971 | Peter Pritchard | 750cc Sidecar Race + | Oulton Park | [1] |
1971 | Peter Sheridan | 750cc Sidecar Race + | Oulton Park | [1] |
1971 | Philip Smith | 750cc Sidecar Race + | Oulton Park | [1] |
1972 | Thomas Goodfellow | British 750cc Championship | Mallory Park | [1] |
1972 | Patrick Belshaw | Vincent Club Championships | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1972 | Roderick Gosling | Darley Sidecar Race | Darley Moor | [1] |
1972 | John Hartridge | Darley Sidecar Race | Darley Moor | [1] |
1972 | Cyril Jones | Unknown | Snetterton | [1] |
1972 | Graham Penny | Hutchinson 100 Meeting | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1973 | Graham Wills | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1974 | Phil Haslam | Unknown Meeting | Oliver's Mount | [1] |
1974 | Steve Machin | Unknown Meeting | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1974 | Dennis Westwood | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Mallory Park | [1] |
1974 | Mick Moore | Snetterton Combine Sidecar Race | Snetterton | [1] |
1975 | Veronica Ensor | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1975 | Lance Capon | Silver Trophy Road Race Series | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1976 | Rod North | Unknown | Oulton Park | [1] |
1976 | Derek Best | Unknown | Oulton Park | [1] |
1976 | Bill Henderson | Race of the Year | Mallory Park | [1] |
1976 | Thomas Standing | Unknown | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1977 | Mick Patrick | MCN Superbike Championship | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1977 | Piers Forester | BRC Formula 750 Championship | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1977 | Steve Tomkins | Bemsee Club Meeting | Snetterton | [1] |
1977 | Phil Bosco | North East Solo Championship | Croft Circuit | [1] |
1977 | Greg Bailey | British Motorcycle Racing Club | Donington Park | [1] |
1978 | Stanley Cooper | Darley Sidecar Race | Darley Moor | [1] |
1979 | Dave Powell | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Oulton Park | [1] |
1980 | Hans Peter Lubbering | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Oulton Park | [1] |
1980 | Geoff Fawcett | Unknown | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1980 | Simon Corry | BMCRC Production Race | Snetterton | [1] |
1981 | Dave Potter | British Superbike Championship | Oulton Park | [1] |
1981 | Wayne Mills | ACU 125cc Clubmans Championship | Silverstone | [1] |
1981 | Mick Downs | Newmarket Club Championships | Snetterton | [1] |
1981 | William Watson | Cheshire Club Championships | Oulton Park | [1] |
1981 | Neil Miles | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1981 | William Deacon | Unknown | Mallory Park | [1] |
1981 | Kevin Clementson | Transatlantic Trophy Meeting | Mallory Park | [1] |
1982 | Michael Robbins | 500cc Production Championship | Donington Park | [1] |
1982 | Douglas Taylor | Reverse Direction | Knockhill | [1] |
1982 | Stewart Burkhart | Reverse Direction | Knockhill | [1] |
1982 | Bill Jackson | Unknown | Snetterton | [1] |
1982 | Garry Hislop | Club Championship | Silloth | [1] |
1983 | John Birkett | Star of Darley Race | Darley Moor | [1] |
1983 | Bob Smith | 500cc British Championship | Olivers Mount Scarborough | [1] |
1984 | Jack Gordon | Sidecar Race | Knockhill | [1] |
1986 | Suzzana Berg | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1986 | Brian Whittaker | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Oulton Park | [1] |
1987 | Carl Dugdale | Cheshire Club Championships | Oulton Park | [1] |
1988 | Kenny Irons | British Superstock Championship | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1988 | Peter Warden | Unknown | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1988 | Les Burgan | Unknown | Snetterton | [1] |
1988 | Paul Blanks | Champion of Brands Series | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1989 | Dave Burford | Unknown | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1989 | Paul Kernan | Darley Ministock Championship | Darley Moor | [1] |
1990 | Paul Walsh | F5 Club Championships | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1990 | Rob Butler | Champion of Snetterton Sidecar Race | Snetterton | [1] |
1990 | Eric Martin | Newmarket Club Sidecar Race | Snetterton | [1] |
1990 | Mike Gray | Ken Redfern Trophy | Knockhill | [1] |
1992 | Kevin Lowndes | Unknown Sidecar Meeting | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1992 | Norman Francis | Unknown Vintage Event | Mallory Park | [1] |
1992 | Drew Hogg | Unknown | East Fortune Raceway | [1] |
1993 | David Collins | Forgotten Era Championship | Mallory Park | [1] |
1994 | Gary Walker | British 250cc Supercup Championship | Brands Hatch | [1] |
1995 | Stephen Grayson | Unknown | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1996 | Richard Everett | Thunderbike Championship | Oulton Park | [1] |
1997 | Stephen Lee | British 125cc Championship | Mallory Park | [1] |
1998 | Dave Tills | Bemsee Club Open Junior Race | Pembrey | [1] |
1999 | Ian Hamilton | Classic Racing Bike Club Meeting | Cadwell Park | [1] |
1999 | David Morris | British Supermono Championship | Croft Circuit | [1] |
2000 | Kevin Scott | Classic Racing Club Sidecar Race | Pembrey | [1] |
2000 | Kieth Lowton | Aprilla RS250 Championship | Oulton Park | [1] |
2001 | Bob Bradley | Boxing Day Meeting | Mallory Park | [1] |
2001 | Tim Levy | British 250cc Championship | Cadwell Park | [1] |
2002 | Rod Clapham | CRMC Sidecar event | Cadwell Park | [1][2] |
2002 | Gavin Turner | Powerbike Southern Championship | Brands Hatch | [1] |
2003 | Lee Johnson | BMCRC Club GP250 championship | Cadwell Park | [1] |
2003 | Ross Campbell | Club Supersport 600 Championship | Snetterton | [1] |
2003 | Danny Whalin | BMCRC Yamaha Past Masters | Brands Hatch | [1] |
2004 | Darren Mitchell | British Superstock Championship | Brands Hatch | [1] |
2004 | Ross Couzens | BMCRC Minitwins | Lydden Hill | [1] |
2004 | Ian Mcdonald | Scottish Production Championship | Knockhill | [1] |
2005 | Chris Jones | British 125cc Championship | Cadwell Park | [1] |
2005 | James Fennings | BMCRC Rookie 400s | Lydden Hill | [1] |
2005 | Miles Tripp | NG Club Streetstock Championship | Pembrey | [1] |
2005 | Gareth Cutts | Derby Phoenix Club Championships | Cadwell Park | [1] |
2005 | Ross Paine | Derby Phoenix Club Championships | Mallory Park | [1] |
2006 | Matt Horne | Derby Phoenix Club Championships | Mallory Park | [1] |
2006 | Ashley Martin | British Supersport Championship | Cadwell Park | [1] |
2006 | Richard Moreton | East Midlands Club Events | Mallory Park | [1] |
2007 | Ollie Bridewell | British Superbike Championship | Mallory Park | [1] |
2008 | Richard Gammon | Derby Phoenix Club Championships | Cadwell Park | [1] |
2008 | Ben Lightowler | BMCRC Junior Stocksport 600 | Brands Hatch | [1] |
2009 | Terry McConnachie | Derby Phoenix Club Championships | Cadwell Park | [1] |
2009 | Richard Slater | Hottrax Endurance Championship | Snetterton | [1] |
2009 | Roy Parbury | BMCRC Yamaha Past Masters | Lydden Hill | [1] |
2010 | Simon Exton | BMCRC Thunderbike Championship | Snetterton | [1] |
2011 | Benjamin Gautrey | British Superstock Championship | Cadwell Park | [3] |
2011 | Dave Wells | Sidecar Festival | Mallory Park | [1] |
2012 | Steven Hix | Auto 66 | Oliver's Mount | [1] |
2013 | Karl-Heinz Kalbfell | BMCRC Lansdowne Classic Series | Brands Hatch | [4] |
2013 | Matt Polanski | Reverse Direction | Knockhill | [1] |
2014 | Ian Allkins | Thundersport GB 500 series | Donington Park | [1] |
2014 | Jake Hingley | No Limits Racing | Cadwell Park | [1] |
2015 | Michael McKenzie | Thundersport GB Stocktwins | Donington Park | [1] |
+ = Multiple riders to have died as the result of a single incident (see previous/following entry)
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 MotorSportMemorial.org Motorcycle deaths (retrieved 8 November 2011)
- ↑ Source - eye witness; I was there, racing at this meeting with the Classic Racing Motorcycle Club (CRMC)
- ↑ Press Association (29 August 2011), "Ben Gautrey killed in race accident at British Superbike meeting", The Guardian, retrieved 2011-08-30
- ↑ "Ex-BMW motorsport boss Karl-Heinz Kalbfell dies in motorcycle crash". Autosport.com. Haymarket. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.