Isle of Man TT rider Mark Purslow died from head and neck injuries, inquest hears

The popular 29-year-old came off his Yamaha R6 Supersport machine at the fast Ballagarey right-hander on Wednesday, June 1. The incident happened after he had recorded his fastest ever lap of the Mountain Course on his previous lap with a speed of 120.857mph.

The inquest heard that Mr Purslow, from Llanon, Ceredigion, approached the corner four miles into the 37.73-mile course on the racing line before losing control of his machine and colliding with safety bales.

Conditions on the evening were good but the inquest was told that marshals had displayed the sun warning flag at the corner to warn competitors of low sun as the solo qualifying session neared an end.

The Coroner of Inquests, James Brooks, said that although Mr Purslow’s helmet was fitted with a clear visor without a tint, he was unable to conclude that the sun had played a part in the accident.

Mr Purslow’s 600cc Yamaha was not found to have any mechanical defects and a vehicle examiner said the machine was professionally prepared and fit for racing.

Mr Purslow was a former winner at the Manx Grand Prix who was competing at the TT for only the second time.

An experienced classic racer, he made his debut on the TT Mountain Course at the 2015 Manx Grand Prix and won the Lightweight Race.

He competed at the TT for the first time in 2017 in the Supersport and Lightweight classes.

The inquest recorded a verdict of misadventure into his death.