Daniel Richard Kneen (26 June 1987 – 30 May 2018) was a professional
motorcycle racer
Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Ot ...
from
Douglas, Isle of Man
Douglas ( gv, Doolish, ) is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,677 (2021). It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and on a sweeping bay of . The River Douglas forms part of the town's harbour ...
.
Kneen was a race winner at the
Manx Grand Prix
The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course (or 'Snaefell Mountain Course, Mountain Circuit') every year for a two-week period, usually spanning the end of August and early September. New for 2022 is a period re ...
(three times) and the
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internation ...
, and finished on the podium at the 2017
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
, in the Superstock race. Kneen died of multiple injuries after an accident during qualifying for the 2018 Isle of Man TT, the 147th competitor to be killed at the
Mountain Course during a TT meeting.
Racing history
Marks Bloom Racing
In 2008, Kneen became the first rider to win a hat-trick at the
Manx Grand Prix
The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course (or 'Snaefell Mountain Course, Mountain Circuit') every year for a two-week period, usually spanning the end of August and early September. New for 2022 is a period re ...
. He was fourth in the 2009 Metzeler National Superstock 600 cc Championship, winning a race at
Oulton Park
Oulton Park is a hard surfaced track used for motor racing, close to the village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington, with a nearby rail connection a ...
. Also in 2009, Kneen made his bow at the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
with the Marks Bloom Racing team, taking a top-ten finish in the
Superstock TT
The Superstock TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival. The event for production based motor-cycles racing on treaded road tyres is based on the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship specifications.
Engine c ...
. The following year, Kneen acquired financial support from Manx Gas ahead of the
2010 Isle of Man TT
The 2010 Isle of Man TT Festival was held between Saturday 29 May and Friday 11 June on the 37.73-mile Isle of Man TT Mountain Course. The 2010 races again included a second 600 cc Supersport Junior TT race. The Lightweight TT and Ultra-Lig ...
, continuing with the Marks Bloom Racing outfit. At the event, Kneen took three top-ten finishes, including his first top-five result with a fifth-place finish in the
first Supersport Junior TT race, 48 seconds down on race winner
Ian Hutchinson. Kneen was also the fastest newcomer at August's
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internation ...
, lapping at during the first Superbike race. On the short-circuits, Kneen finished second in the
2010 British Supersport Championship's privateers' championship,
winning at
Thruxton and
Croft
Croft may refer to:
Occupations
* Croft (land), a small area of land, often with a crofter's dwelling
* Crofting, small-scale food production
* Bleachfield, an open space used for the bleaching of fabric, also called a croft
Locations In the Uni ...
. After the championship had ended, Kneen then made his début at the
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of onl ...
in November,
where he finished 14th.
Alongside his road racing commitments, for the 2011 season, Kneen moved into the Evolution Cup class of the
British Superbike Championship
The British Superbike Championship (BSB), currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, is the leading road racing superbike championship in the United Kingdom, and was once widely acknowledged as the p ...
, riding a
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki, the successor to the Ninja ZX-9R. It was originally released in 2004 and has been updated and revised throughout the years. It co ...
for Marks Bloom Racing. Kneen missed much of the early BSB campaign due to injuries sustained from an accident at
RAF Jurby
Royal Air Force Station Jurby or more simply RAF Jurby is a former Royal Air Force station built in the north west of the Isle of Man. It was opened in 1939 on of land acquired by the Air Ministry in 1937, under the control of No. 29 Group, ...
, returning at the
North West 200
The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...
road races; racing at that event was ultimately cut short due to bad weather. Kneen scored class points in eight races with a best finish of fourth at
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently host ...
, as he finished twelfth in the final Evolution Cup standings. Kneen's fourth place class finish – thirteenth place overall – also allowed him to score three points towards the overall British Superbike Championship. At the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
, Kneen took top-ten placings in the
first Supersport race (sixth) and the
Superstock race (seventh). On his way to finishing 12th in the
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
,
Kneen had a high-speed
tank-slapper
Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics is the science of the Motion (physics), motion of bicycles and motorcycles and their components, due to the forces acting on them. Multibody dynamics, Dynamics falls under a branch of physics known as classical m ...
on the exit of the
Rhencullen
__NOTOC__
Rhencullen ( gv, ‘holly ridge’) () including Birkin's Bend is adjacent to the 17th milestone of the TT course, on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road in the Isle of Man.
Location
Rhencullen ( archaic Balla-ny-Rhenney be ...
section of the circuit.
![TT Lightweight - Dan Kneen (8985019419)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/TT_Lightweight_-_Dan_Kneen_%288985019419%29.jpg)
For the 2012 season, Kneen committed to a fourth campaign for Marks Bloom Racing – with the team now using
Suzuki
is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
machinery with technical assistance from the main Suzuki road racing team,
TAS Racing
TAS Racing (''Temple Auto Salvage'') is an International motorcycle road racing team based in Moneymore, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Owned by Hector Neill, with his son Philip Neill as the team manager, the team has been known under a ser ...
. Kneen endured a tough season on the short circuits in the Superstock 1000 class, recording a single points-scoring finish of 12th place at
Oulton Park
Oulton Park is a hard surfaced track used for motor racing, close to the village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington, with a nearby rail connection a ...
in May. On the roads in Northern Ireland, Kneen achieved a pair of eighth-place finishes in the Supersport races at May's
North West 200
The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...
, and four top-ten finishes at the
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internation ...
in August.
For the first time since he started competing at the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
, Kneen was unable to record a top-ten finish, with a best result of eleventh in the
Superbike TT. He crashed out of the
first Supersport race, after he was
highsided off the bike on the exit from
Governor's Dip onto the Glencrutchery Road; he suffered a back injury in the crash, which ruled him out of racing until the Ulster Grand Prix.
At the end of the season, Kneen returned to the
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of onl ...
, recording a ninth-place finish.
Kneen remained with Marks Bloom Racing into 2013, with the team continuing to use Suzukis for the road racing campaign. Just like in 2011, Kneen missed the early portion of his British championship campaign – remaining in Superstock 1000 – and the
North West 200
The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...
, due to injuries sustained from an accident at
RAF Jurby
Royal Air Force Station Jurby or more simply RAF Jurby is a former Royal Air Force station built in the north west of the Isle of Man. It was opened in 1939 on of land acquired by the Air Ministry in 1937, under the control of No. 29 Group, ...
. He returned to competition at the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
, finishing five out of the six races he started, with a best result of eleventh place in the first
Supersport race. While competing at July's
Southern 100
The Southern 100 is a motorcycle road racing event held on the Isle of Man in July of each year. The event was first held in 1955, with three races for different classes of solo motorcycles; the 2015 calendar included twelve races for various cla ...
, Kneen crashed out on the final corner of the Supersport race, suffering a broken elbow. Following recovery, Kneen returned to the roads at November's
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of onl ...
; he qualified in tenth position but failed to start the race, after a mechanical issue on the formation lap.
Burrows Engineering Racing
After five years with Marks Bloom Racing, Kneen moved to the Northern Irish Burrows Engineering Racing team, run by former TT competitor John Burrows, for the 2014 season. He made his début for the team at the Cookstown 100 races in April, where he won the race on corrected times from the second wave of starting riders, having qualified in eleventh position. He followed this up the following weekend, at the Tandragee 100, with victories in the Open and main Superbike races, leading into the
North West 200
The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...
international meeting. At the event, Kneen had one top-ten finish, coming in the Saturday Superstock race. Moving on to the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
in June, Kneen had three top-ten finishes, with a best of seventh place in the
Superstock race. Following the TT, Kneen took a pair of victories at the Kells Road Races in
County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...
, four podiums at the Dungannon and District Motorcycle Club's Bush Road Races, and a victory in the main Superbike race at the
Skerries 100
The Skerries 100 is a multi-race event for motorcycles held annually on countryside roads local to the town of Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland, on the first Saturday in July.
History
The inaugural Skerries 100 race was on Saturday 6 July, 194 ...
. Later in July, Kneen again recorded four podium finishes at a race meeting, at the
Southern 100
The Southern 100 is a motorcycle road racing event held on the Isle of Man in July of each year. The event was first held in 1955, with three races for different classes of solo motorcycles; the 2015 calendar included twelve races for various cla ...
; in the process of doing so, Kneen recorded the fastest lap of the
Billown Circuit
The Billown Circuit is a motorcycle road-race course used for the Southern 100, the Pre-TT Classic races and the National Road Races meetings near Castletown on the Isle of Man. Racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynw ...
by a Manx rider, lapping at during the Senior race – surpassing
Conor Cummins
Conor Cummins (born 27 May 1986, in Douglas, Isle of Man) is a Manx motorcycle road racer who rides in British racing events, competing in the British Superstock Championship, as well as in specialist closed-road events at his home Isle of Ma ...
' previous best speed.
Kneen added a victory at the Walderstown Race of the South meeting, and a third-place finish at the Armoy Road Races, to seal the Ulster Superbike Championship.
In preparation for August's
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internation ...
, Kneen finalised the Irish Superbike Championship with a victory in the Faugheen 50, where he also won the Supersport race.
At the Ulster Grand Prix, Kneen took his first international road race victory, winning the opening race of the day, the Superstock event. In the race, Kneen battled Dean Harrison and
Bruce Anstey
Bruce Anstey (born 21 August 1969 in New Zealand) is a professional motorcycle road racer. He is a former lap record holder on the world-famous Snaefell Mountain Course with a time of 17 minutes 6.682 seconds, at an average speed of set du ...
for the lead,
with the trio trading the race lead throughout; on the final lap, Kneen went round the outside of Harrison on the penultimate corner, and was able to fend him off to the timing line.
Kneen's winning margin of 0.001 seconds over Harrison was the closest in Ulster Grand Prix history.
Kneen and Harrison were later involved in a race-stopping crash in the following Supersport race; Harrison crashed on slick roads, with Kneen and Keith Amor crashing out in avoidance.
All three riders suffered broken bones in the accident, with Kneen fracturing his foot.
The crash ruled Kneen out for the remainder of 2014, missing the Classic TT – where he had previously been announced as a replacement for the injured
Cameron Donald
Cameron Donald (born 28 September 1977 in Melbourne, Australia) is a professional motorcycle racer who has raced at the Macau Grand Prix, the North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT races. Donald has not raced at the TT since 2016, but has wor ...
– and the
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of onl ...
, having previously been announced on the race's entry list.
Valvoline Racing by Padgett's
![Guy Martin & Dan Kneen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Guy_Martin_%26_Dan_Kneen.jpg)
Kneen left Burrows Engineering Racing to join the Millsport Racing team on a one-year contract, in November 2014. However, in February 2015, Kneen was looking for a new deal as Millsport Racing did not have enough funding to run their original schedule. A month later, Kneen signed a deal with the Valvoline Racing by Padgett's team, joining Bruce Anstey and Cameron Donald in the team. His first race with the team came at
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit located near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. The circuit business is now owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, and the surrounding Donington Park Estate, still owned b ...
in the British National Superstock 1000 cc Championship, where he took an eighth-place finish. At the
North West 200
The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...
, Kneen finished only one of the four races he entered, finishing eleventh in the Saturday Superstock race. As he did in 2014, Kneen had three top-ten finishes at the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
, finishing seventh in the Superbike TT, and ninth in both
Supersport TT races. In the
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
, Kneen recorded his fastest lap speed of the Mountain Course to that point, lapping at exactly.
The following month at the
Southern 100
The Southern 100 is a motorcycle road racing event held on the Isle of Man in July of each year. The event was first held in 1955, with three races for different classes of solo motorcycles; the 2015 calendar included twelve races for various cla ...
, Kneen recorded three podium finishes, with a best finish of second to
Guy Martin
Guy Martin (born 4 November 1981) is a British former motorcycle racer and heavy vehicle mechanic who became a television presenter. In July 2017, Martin retired from motorcycle racing.
Martin started racing in 1998 and in 2004 competed on a ...
, in the solo championship race. As a precursor to August's
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internation ...
, Kneen contested the Superbike race in the Dundrod 150 two days prior, qualifying in eighth position and finishing the race in fourth. In the race, he also recorded his best lap speed at the
Dundrod Circuit
Dundrod Circuit is a motorsport street circuit used for the RAC Tourist Trophy for sports cars between 1950 and 1955 and for the motorcycle Ulster Grand Prix from 1953 onwards. It is situated near the village of Dundrod in Lisburn, Norther ...
, lapping at on the final lap. Kneen was unable to defend his Superstock race win from the 2014 Ulster Grand Prix, finishing seventh, in the 2015 edition; his best result at the meeting was a sixth-place finish in the second Superbike race. After missing out on the Classic TT in 2014 due to his Ulster Grand Prix injury, Kneen made his Classic TT début in 2015. At the event, he rode a
1989 Superbike World Championship-specification Yamaha OW01, based upon the
Yamaha FZ750
The Yamaha FZ750 is a sports motorcycle produced by Yamaha Motor Corporation between 1985 and 1991. The FZ750 is notable for several reasons, perhaps the most radical being the 5-valve cylinder head with a radial arrangement. This became somethin ...
, in the Formula 1 Classic TT, where he finished in ninth position. He completed the season with a pair of fourth places in the Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club's Stars at Darley meeting in October.
Mar-Train Racing
In November 2015, it was announced that Kneen was to replace Dean Harrison at Mar-Train Racing, the official Yamaha UK road racing team, for the 2016 season, where he would compete in the Irish road races alongside the international meetings. He made his bow with the team at an Irish short circuit meeting held at the
Kirkistown Circuit
Kirkistown Motor Racing Circuit is a permanent motorsport circuit located between the villages of Kirkistown and Portavogie, on the Ards Peninsula of County Down in Northern Ireland.
History
The circuit is owned and operated by the 500 Motor ...
, finishing second in both Superbike races. He then competed at the Tandragee 100, winning the feature race of the meeting,
just as he did in 2014, and also finished second in the Supersport race.
He also won the Open race on-the-road, but was penalised 60 seconds for a jump start, dropping him to tenth.
The following weekend, Kneen took three podium finishes at the Cookstown 100, in preparation for the
North West 200
The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...
in mid-May. However, Kneen missed both that event and the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
, after breaking his arm in a mountain biking accident.
He made his return to racing at the
Southern 100
The Southern 100 is a motorcycle road racing event held on the Isle of Man in July of each year. The event was first held in 1955, with three races for different classes of solo motorcycles; the 2015 calendar included twelve races for various cla ...
in July, with a best result of second place to
Michael Dunlop
Michael Dunlop (born 10 April 1989) is a Northern Irish professional motorcycle racer. Part of a motorcycle racing dynasty, Michael is the brother of the late William Dunlop, son of Robert and nephew of former World Champion Joey Dunlop.
He ...
in the Senior race. On three occasions at the
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internation ...
, Kneen improved on his fastest lap speed personal best at the
Dundrod Circuit
Dundrod Circuit is a motorsport street circuit used for the RAC Tourist Trophy for sports cars between 1950 and 1955 and for the motorcycle Ulster Grand Prix from 1953 onwards. It is situated near the village of Dundrod in Lisburn, Norther ...
– by the end of the meeting, he had recorded a lap speed of ,
in the second Superbike race; his best race performance came during the Superstock race, where he recorded Mar-Train Racing's first Ulster Grand Prix podium with a third-place finish.
He contested the Lightweight and Superbike Classic TT races at the end of August, but failed to finish either race. Kneen finished his season with two podiums at the Gold Cup meeting at
Oliver's Mount
Oliver's Mount is an area of high ground overlooking Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It offers views over the town, a tribute monument to the war dead, camping and caravanning at selected times of the year, 10 football pitches, 1 rugby l ...
in
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Scarborough () is a seaside town in the Borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Scarborough is located on the North Sea coastline. Historic counties of England, Historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the town lies between 10 ...
, and an eleventh-place finish in the
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of onl ...
, having hoped for a podium placing at the event.
DTR and Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Racing
For the second time in less than two years, Kneen found himself out of a ride due to the team not being able to be compete going forward – Mar-Train Racing withdrew from competition in December 2016 after a decade in the sport. It was not until January 2017 that Kneen was able to find a new ride, signing for the
Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Racing Team, run by another former TT competitor, Rico Penzkofer. In addition to this deal to ride Superbikes, Kneen signed a deal to ride BMW Superstock and Kawasaki Supertwin machinery for Danny Tomlinson Racing, in March 2017. Kneen made his début with the team at
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit located near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. The circuit business is now owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, and the surrounding Donington Park Estate, still owned b ...
in the British National Superstock 1000 cc Championship, scoring a championship point in the weekend's final race. Kneen continued his preparation for the international meetings, by contesting the Enkalon Trophy on
Easter Saturday
Easter Saturday, on the Christian calendar, is the Saturday following the festival of Easter, the Saturday of Easter or Bright Week. In the liturgy of Western Christianity it is the last day of Easter Week, sometimes referred to as the Saturd ...
, an Irish short-circuit event at Bishopscourt, outside of
Downpatrick
Downpatrick () is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the Lecale peninsula, about south of Belfast. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Dál Fiatach, the main ruling dynasty of Ulaid. Its cathedral is said to be the bu ...
. Kneen won the event overall, with a victory and a second-place finish over the two Superbike races. He added two further victories on
Easter Monday
Easter Monday refers to the day after Easter Sunday in either the Eastern or Western Christian traditions. It is a public holiday in some countries. It is the second day of Eastertide. In Western Christianity, it marks the second day of the Octa ...
at the
Kirkistown Circuit
Kirkistown Motor Racing Circuit is a permanent motorsport circuit located between the villages of Kirkistown and Portavogie, on the Ards Peninsula of County Down in Northern Ireland.
History
The circuit is owned and operated by the 500 Motor ...
, in another Irish short-circuit championship meeting.
After a best result of eighth place in the Superstock race, at the
North West 200
The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...
, Kneen contested the 300 Curves of Gustav Havel event for the first time, at
Hořice
Hořice (, also known as Hořice v Podkrkonoší; german: Horschitz) is a town in Jičín District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,600 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Villages of Březovice, Chlum, Chvalina, ...
in the Czech Republic. He finished eighth once again, this time in the Superbike race. Ahead of the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
, Kneen picked up an additional ride, signing for Jackson Racing to compete in the
Supersport TT races, replacing Lee Johnston. In the opening
Superbike TT race, Kneen finished fifth despite a time penalty for exceeding the maximum speed limit in pit lane during one of his pit-stops.
Following an eighth place
in the only Supersport race to be held – the second race was cancelled due to the weather – Kneen recorded a TT-best finish during the
Superstock TT
The Superstock TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival. The event for production based motor-cycles racing on treaded road tyres is based on the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship specifications.
Engine c ...
. Having started at number 14 on the running order, Kneen started well and moved up to fourth position on the first lap of the race, before reaching the podium positions by the end of the second lap. He held on for the remainder of the race, and as a result, sealed his first rostrum finish at the Isle of Man TT, stating that the podium was "a feeling I can't describe at the moment". Kneen completed the race meeting with twelfth in the
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
.
Kneen's next race meeting was on foreign soil, competing in the Imatranajo road races at the
Imatra Circuit
The Imatra Circuit is a motorsport street circuit in Imatra, Finland. The circuit has existed in two versions, and has been exclusively used for the "Imatranajo" motorcycle road race. From 1962 to 1978 a clockwise street circuit in the east o ...
in Finland. Kneen took a victory and a second place in the two Superbike races, with each race finishing in a 1–2–3 for the team. The following week, Kneen competed at the
Southern 100
The Southern 100 is a motorcycle road racing event held on the Isle of Man in July of each year. The event was first held in 1955, with three races for different classes of solo motorcycles; the 2015 calendar included twelve races for various cla ...
, where he recorded his best series of results at the event. In the opening race of the week, Kneen led for most of the race but was passed by
Michael Dunlop
Michael Dunlop (born 10 April 1989) is a Northern Irish professional motorcycle racer. Part of a motorcycle racing dynasty, Michael is the brother of the late William Dunlop, son of Robert and nephew of former World Champion Joey Dunlop.
He ...
before the end, as he took a second-place finish along with a lap record for the 600 cc–1000 cc combination race at . On the following two days, Dunlop and Kneen battled over victory once again in the Senior races, with Dunlop prevailing on both occasions by 0.184 seconds, and 0.901 seconds respectively. In the final race of the week, Kneen contested for the win in the Solo Championship race along with Dean Harrison and Dunlop, with Harrison ultimately claiming the honours by 0.131 seconds over Kneen and 0.515 seconds over Dunlop. All three riders set an outright lap record as they crossed the timing line on the final lap, in excess of . Kneen returned to the team after his Tyco BMW replacement rides in November for the
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of onl ...
, run in conjunction with
Paul Bird Motorsport
Paul Bird Motorsport are a British motorcycle road racing, car racing and rallying organisation. The owner Paul Bird competed as a rally driver and was formerly a solo-rider in motocross. His son Frank is a car racer.
Motorcycle racing
The tea ...
and
Paul Poon
Tak Chun "Paul" Poon (traditional Chinese: 潘德俊) is a racing driver from Hong Kong, China. He is the current Hong Kong Touring Car Championship champion. He drives a Honda Civic EP3 for ''China Dragon Racing''.
Career
Paul Poon is also t ...
's Tak Chun Racing. Kneen finished eleventh in the race, which was called after five laps following an accident that resulted in the death of Daniel Hegarty.
Tyco BMW
In August 2017, it was announced that Kneen would compete at the
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internation ...
for the
Tyco BMW team. Kneen was signed to replace the injured
Ian Hutchinson, following his crash during the
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
at the Isle of Man TT. In his first start with the team – in the Dundrod 150 Superbike race – Kneen finished fourth, missing out on a podium by 0.05 seconds behind
Bruce Anstey
Bruce Anstey (born 21 August 1969 in New Zealand) is a professional motorcycle road racer. He is a former lap record holder on the world-famous Snaefell Mountain Course with a time of 17 minutes 6.682 seconds, at an average speed of set du ...
, having run as high as second on the final lap. He qualified on the front row for the 1000 cc races, qualifying second in Superbike and third in Superstock. In the races, Kneen took a third-place finish in Superstock and finishes of fourth and second in the two Superbike races,
missing out on victory by just over a tenth of a second in the latter Superbike race, after leading on the final lap.
Kneen also took a fifth-place finish in the Classic TT Superbike race at the end of the month, riding a
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R was a motorcycle in the Kawasaki Ninja, Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine, Kawasaki produced from 1989 until 2003. It remained largely unchanged through i ...
for Mistral Racing.
In November 2017, Kneen was confirmed for a full road season campaign with Tyco BMW in 2018,
and in February 2018, it was announced that Kneen would return with Jackson Racing to contest the Supersport races at the international road racing meetings. As he did in 2017, he contested the opening
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit located near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. The circuit business is now owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, and the surrounding Donington Park Estate, still owned b ...
meeting of the British National Superstock 1000 cc Championship; in the races, Kneen took finishes of seventh, fourth and tenth. He also contested the second round at
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently host ...
two weeks later, but failed to add any championship points to his tally. From there, Kneen shifted his focus to the roads, with his first meeting of the season being the Tandragee 100. Kneen qualified on the front row for the Superbike races, and finished second to Derek Sheils in the Open race, setting a lap record of for the Orritor Circuit.
In the feature race, Kneen was part of a lead quartet that battled it out for race honours, along with Sheils, Derek McGee and Michael Sweeney. Kneen ran at the back of the group for a time, before making his way to the front, taking the lead on the final lap and won a closely fought race with half a second covering the podium positions.
At the
North West 200
The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...
, Kneen finished three out of the six races, with a best of sixth place in the Superstock race, his best North West 200 result.
Death
On 30 May 2018, during qualifying practice for the 2018 Isle of Man TT, Kneen died after an accident at the
Churchtown section of the circuit. As a result, Kneen became the 147th competitor to be killed at the
Mountain Course during an
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
meeting,
and the 256th competitor when counting other meetings such as the
Manx Grand Prix
The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course (or 'Snaefell Mountain Course, Mountain Circuit') every year for a two-week period, usually spanning the end of August and early September. New for 2022 is a period re ...
and the Classic TT.
The previous evening, Kneen had unofficially recorded his fastest ever lap of the Mountain Course, lapping at during Superbike qualifying.
In the immediate aftermath of Kneen's crash, competitor Steve Mercer was seriously injured after colliding with a course-car conveying police officers to officiate at the scene of the fatality. Mercer was one of a number of riders who were proceeding back to the paddock in the reverse-direction after the
red flag stoppage, causing organisers to change their protocols, requiring that returning riders must be controlled by travelling marshals to the front and rear. An independent inquiry into the circumstances has been arranged by ACU Events, the event organisers.
On the day following the crashes, Kneen's father Richard gave his backing to the
Tyco BMW team for them to continue in the meeting, while his brother and fellow TT competitor Ryan Kneen completed a lap of honour of the Mountain Course, as a tribute. Tyco BMW elected to continue at the 2018 Isle of Man TT, with the team winning the opening race of the meeting, as
Michael Dunlop
Michael Dunlop (born 10 April 1989) is a Northern Irish professional motorcycle racer. Part of a motorcycle racing dynasty, Michael is the brother of the late William Dunlop, son of Robert and nephew of former World Champion Joey Dunlop.
He ...
won the Superbike TT. Dunlop and runner-up
Conor Cummins
Conor Cummins (born 27 May 1986, in Douglas, Isle of Man) is a Manx motorcycle road racer who rides in British racing events, competing in the British Superstock Championship, as well as in specialist closed-road events at his home Isle of Ma ...
dedicated their race performances to Kneen. Ryan Kneen later received the PokerStars Spirit of the TT Award from the event organisers ahead of the
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
.
At a preliminary inquest at the Isle of Man Courts of Justice, coroner and
High Bailiff
The High Bailiff ( gv, Ard-Vaylee) is a legal position held within the Isle of Man. The High Bailiff is the head stipendiary magistrate.
The current High Bailiff is Her Worship Jayne Hughes, who took office on 11 March 2019.
The High Bailiff a ...
John Needham certified that Kneen had died of "multiple injuries" in the crash which had been estimated to have occurred at .
A full inquest, initially notified to be heard at a later date,
commenced on 28 September 2018, but was further delayed due to a lack of information from the telemetry of Kneen's motorcycle.
A verdict of
death by misadventure
In the United Kingdom, death by misadventure is the recorded manner of death for an accidental death, caused by a risk taken voluntarily.
Misadventure in English law, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, ...
was returned at the conclusion of the inquest in February 2019. Competitor Dean Harrison, who was travelling behind Kneen, estimated his speed at the time of the crash to be between and .
Kneen's funeral was held on 15 June at Douglas Crematorium, with mourners requested to wear motorcycle gear or casual clothing.
A commemorative bench to Kneen was sited in May 2019, close to the Media Centre in the
TT Grandstand
The TT Grandstand including the startline, pit lane, re-fuellers, merchandising, scoreboard and paddocks for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix races is situated on the A2 Glencrutchery Road, in the town of Douglas, Isle of Man.
Histor ...
area.
Career statistics
Isle of Man TT results
Over his Isle of Man TT career, Kneen started 39 races, finishing 31 of these.
British Superbike Championship
See also
*
List of Snaefell Mountain Course fatalities
Notes
References
External links
Posthumous charity websiteDan Kneen's results on the TT DatabaseTyco BMW team profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kneen, Dan
1987 births
2018 deaths
Manx motorcycle racers
British Superbike Championship riders
Isle of Man TT riders
People from Douglas, Isle of Man
Motorcycle racers who died while racing
Sport deaths in the Isle of Man