Neil Robinson (29 July 1962 – 13 September 1986) was a motorcycle circuit and road racer from
Ballymena,
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...
, Northern Ireland. Robinson died aged 24 during a practice session at
Oliver's Mount racing circuit,
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
.
Racing career
Early years
In 1983 Robinson made an immediate impact on the British domestic racing scene, winning the 250cc Championship riding a
Yamaha RD250
The Yamaha RD250 is a two-stroke motorcycle produced by Yamaha Motor Corporation between 1973 and 1987.
Four generations of RD (also known as the RZ250 in the Japanese and Australian markets) were produced: the air-cooled models from 1973 up t ...
.
1986 season
For the 1986 racing calendar Robinson initially campaigned
Suzuki machinery in a
privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
capacity, being sponsored by a used car business.
Making his debut 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 ...
in June of that year Robinson was entered in three races: the
TT Formula 1, Production B and 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 ...
. Robinson enjoyed a constructive week in the pre-race practices and qualifying, being timed as the 12th fastest for the Formula 1 TT.
Building on his practice lap times, in the Formula 1 race he took his machine home in 11th place, recording an average race speed of following 226.38 miles of racing and which resulted in him being the best placed of the newcomers.
This was followed by the Production B Race with Robinson securing 22nd place with an average race speed of . The week's racing concluded with disappointment for Robinson when he was forced to retire in the premier race, the Senior TT.
The 1986 Isle of Man TT was the subject of a documentary film produced by
BBC Television. The documentary, entitled ''The Mecca of Motorcycling,'' featured Robinson prominently as it focused on his getting to understand the 37.73 miles of the
Snaefell Mountain Course and the various
idiosyncrasies
An idiosyncrasy is an unusual feature of a person (though there are also other uses, see below). It can also mean an odd habit. The term is often used to express eccentricity or peculiarity. A synonym may be "quirk".
Etymology
The term "idiosyncr ...
involved with competing at the Isle of Man TT.
Despite his setback in the Senior TT race, Robinson's consistency had come to the attention of Suzuki Racing's Rex White who offered Robinson a limited contract with the
Skoal Bandit Suzuki Team. This allowed Robinson the chance to replace Chris Martin whose season had ended through injury, and thereby offered Robinson the opportunity of competing in the
TT Formula 1 World Championship on factory machinery alongside Paul Iddon.
Robinson made his debut for Suzuki at the
Dutch TT held at
TT Circuit Assen
The TT Circuit Assen is a motorsport race track built in 1955 and located in Assen, Netherlands. Host of the Dutch TT, it is popularly referred to as "The Cathedral" of motorcycling by the fans of the sport. The venue has the distinction of hol ...
. Robinson made an immediate impact, dicing at the head of the field along with
Joey Dunlop
William Joseph "Joey" Dunlop (25 February 1952 – 2 July 2000) was a Northern Irish motorcyclist from Ballymoney.
Career
He won his third hat trick at the Isle of Man TT in 2000 and set his fastest lap on the course of 123.87 mph in th ...
and
Kevin Schwantz
Kevin Schwantz (born June 19, 1964) is an American former professional motorcycle road racer. He was the world champion of the 1993 FIM Road Racing World Championship.
Early life
Schwantz, whose parents owned a motorcycle shop, learned to ride ...
he was well placed for a podium finish when he suffered a broken chain.
The following round was held at
Circuito de Jerez
Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto (formerly known as Circuit of Jerez and Circuito Permanente de Jerez), is a racing circuit located close to the city of Jerez de la Frontera, south of Seville and deep within the sherry-producing region in th ...
, Spain. Although the hot track conditions experienced during the race were something to which Robinson was not particularly accustomed to, he nevertheless managed to secure third place behind race winner Graeme McGregor.
Technical misfortune accompanied Robinson at the following round which was raced on the road circuit at
Vila Real
Vila Real () is the capital and largest city of the Vila Real District, in the North region. It is also the seat of the Douro intermunicipal community and of the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro historical province. The Vila Real municipality cover ...
. Again Robinson started the race brightly and led the field until a loose
fairing forced him to stop and make adjustments. The time lost undergoing the alterations meant Robinson slipped down the field, finally coming home in fifth place.
The Championship then moved on to Finland with 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 ...
playing host. Robinson was again at the head of the field, tussling for the lead when his machine sustained a puncture. Whilst this resulted in him missing out on top spot, Robinson was still able to secure the third step on the podium.
The World Championship concluded at the 1986
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 Internatio ...
where Robinson achieved a memorable performance in the
Formula 1 Race. In wet conditions Robinson claimed victory over
Joey Dunlop
William Joseph "Joey" Dunlop (25 February 1952 – 2 July 2000) was a Northern Irish motorcyclist from Ballymoney.
Career
He won his third hat trick at the Isle of Man TT in 2000 and set his fastest lap on the course of 123.87 mph in th ...
, who at that time was the newly crowned
World TT Formula 1 Champion. Robinson's further endeavours at the meeting resulted in disappointment in the TT Classic Race which saw him retire with a blown engine whilst Dunlop upped the outright lap record to .
A collection of results saw Robinson standing on the threshold of what promised to be a brilliant international career, being on the cusp of signing a full-time contract with the factory
Suzuki Racing Team when he became the 13th rider to die on the
Oliver's Mount circuit at Scarborough. Competing at the circuit for the first time, Robinson crashed in dense undergrowth and trees on the uphill Quarry Hills section on his sixth lap of practice. He suffered head injuries and a broken leg, and died in the evening in Hull Royal Infirmary.
Legacy
Neil Robinson Trophy
Robinson's name remains very popular within the motorcycle racing fraternity. The Neil Robinson Trophy is considered as one of the most prestigious in Irish Motorcycle Racing. The trophy is awarded to the winner of the Irish Minibike Championship. Previous winners of the trophy include
Joey Dunlop
William Joseph "Joey" Dunlop (25 February 1952 – 2 July 2000) was a Northern Irish motorcyclist from Ballymoney.
Career
He won his third hat trick at the Isle of Man TT in 2000 and set his fastest lap on the course of 123.87 mph in th ...
,
Carl Fogarty
Carl George Fogarty, (born 1 July 1965), often known as Foggy, is an English former motorcycle racer and one of the most successful World Superbike racers of all time. He also holds the second highest number of race wins at 59. He is the son ...
and
Alastair Seeley.
90 Club
The 90 Club was a group formed to support Robinson during his racing career.
Donny Robinson
Robinson's older brother, Donny Robinson, was killed in a racing accident at the 1999 North West 200 at Coleraine. He crashed heavily at the Mill Road Roundabout whilst riding a 125cc machine during a wet practice session and died the next morning at Coleraine Hospital from multiple injuries. Aged 45 at the time of death, Donny had retired from his Grand Prix career in 1985 to concentrate on road racing.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Neil
1962 births
1986 deaths
Motorcycle racers from Northern Ireland
Motorcycle racers who died while racing
Sportspeople from Ballymena