Four-time British champion Keith Farmer announces retirement

Four-time British champion Keith Farmer has called time on his racing career.
Four-time British champion Keith Farmer has called time on his racing career.Four-time British champion Keith Farmer has called time on his racing career.
Four-time British champion Keith Farmer has called time on his racing career.

The ‘Clogher Bullet’ took the decision following a tough weekend at Silverstone, where Farmer returned to the British Superbike class with the PR Racing team to ride the iForce Lloyd and Jones BMW.

Farmer says he always intended on stepping away from the sport at the end of this season, but two crashes at Silverstone led him to call it quits with immediate effect.

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The 34-year-old won the Superstock 600 title in 2011 and followed up with the Superstock 1000 crown the following year.

Farmer then underscored his versatility by winning the British Supersport Championship in 2017 before claiming the Superstock 1000 title for a second time in 2018 with Northern Ireland’s TAS Racing team.

The Co Tyrone man, now based in Penrith, announced his decision on social media on Monday night.

Farmer said: “It’s never easy to just pack up and walk away, but at the end of this year I was always planning on retirement from racing.

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“I have had a tough year but that’s just racing. I stepped in to finish the year for PR Racing BMW but after two relatively big crashes, one taking out Takumi Takahashi, which I am sorry for, and the other smashing myself to bits, I have realised that it is time to walk away.”

Reflecting on his trophy-laden career, Farmer said he feels extremely lucky to have won four British titles after riding for some of the top teams in the paddock.

“I’ve had 10 good years of racing in the BSB paddock riding for some of best teams with great opportunities, some worked & some didn’t.

“I count myself extremely lucky to have been given these opportunities and with these I have won four British titles

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“I want to thank every single person that has ever supported myself in anyway shape or form… not least my family who have been behind me every step of the way through the good and the bad. I could not have done this without any of you guys.

“I will still be watching and keeping an eye on everything, and maybe next year I could start something new.”

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