Ryan Farquhar has announced his retirement from racing following the tragic death of his uncle at the Manx Grand Prix. Trevor Ferguson, who was riding one of Farquhar’s KMR Kawasakis in the Supertwins race, was killed after crashing at ‘The Nook’ on the approach to Governors Dip. Ferguson was 48 years of age and leaves behind a wife and three children.
Harvey Garton, Chairman of the Manx Motor Cycle Club, paid tribute to Ulsterman who was a hugely experienced racer on the Isle of Man.
“Trevor was a major part of the Manx Grand Prix family and his support for the event was hugely appreciated. He was a very committed rider who loved racing around the Mountain Course on the Isle of Man and was enjoying a strong race today. On behalf of the Manx Motor Cycle Club I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to his family and friends.”
Farquhar would go on to win the 500cc Classic Race on the same day but that will go down as the last of ten Manx GP victories. He also claimed three wins at the Isle of Man TT with the most recent of those coming in the Lightweight TT this year but the loss of his uncle has convinced him to call it a day.
“I’m finished with racing”, Farquhar told the Belfast Newsletter. “I’ve been racing a long time and I’ve lost a lot of friends in that time, but it’s different when it comes to your own doorstep. What I have witnessed in the past 24 hours I’ve never seen before. It’s the people who are left behind who suffer the most. Trevor probably didn’t know anything about the crash, but the people left behind are hit the hardest.
“His wife and girls are in pieces. I don’t ever want Karen and my two girls to ever have to go through something like that. This is a sport I love but I can’t risk putting my family through something like that anymore – I have to think of them.”
“I’m just absolutely gutted, I went up today to where the accident happened at The Nook and laid some flowers. I keep thinking if I hadn’t offered him the bike and he’d been on his own bike then maybe it wouldn’t have happened, but life is all ifs and buts. This is going to be a very tough time for Trevor’s family but I’m going to be there for them. He wasn’t just my uncle, he was a really good friend, I don’t think it has even really sunk in yet to be honest.”
