IRRC Superbike race winner Luca Salvadori dies following crash at championship finale at Frohburg in Germany

The 32-year-old lost his life in an incident that also involved German competitor Didier Grams in the Superbike and Superstock class on Saturday.

Grams is reported to have been seriously injured in the crash.

A statement from Salvadori’s Broncos Racing team said: “With infinite sorrow we announce the loss of our Luca Salvadori.

“Following an accident on the Frohburg road circuit, the multiple injuries he suffered did not allow him to hang on and he left us.

“We express our deepest sympathy and unite around the family members.”

Salvadori was competing in the IRRC series following a stint in MotoE and also raced in the Italian Superbike Championship.

He had a huge following on social media, with 415k followers on his Instagram account and 583k subscribers to his YouTube channel.

Earlier this year, Salvadori – a wild card entrant – claimed a Superbike double in the IRRC round at Hengelo in the Netherlands in May and a runner-up finish at Schleiz in Germany in June.

Salvadori had secured pole position at Frohburg on Saturday on the Broncos Racing Ducati Panigale in the Superbike/Superstock class ahead of seasoned IRRC riders David Datzer and Erno Kostamo, with Grams fourth fastest.

The final IRRC round is going ahead on Sunday, where Northern Ireland riders including Adam McLean and Darryl Tweed, and Derek McGee from the Republic of Ireland are in action.