Martin Finnegan remembered: Father's eloquent tribute to racing star son following fatal crash at Tandragee 100

In a particularly bleak year for Irish motorcycling, Ballymoney’s Robert Dunlop lost his life in a crash during practice at the North West 200 less than two weeks later.

Popular Lusk man Finnegan had joined Ballymoney team JMF Millsport Racing to ride Yamaha machinery 12 years ago and had made his debut at the Cookstown 100 in Co Tyrone a week before the ill-fated Tandragee meeting.

The 29-year-old tragically died after crashing in the Supersport race at Marlacoo Corner on Saturday, May 3. He had earlier clinched his maiden victory at Tandragee, beating Ryan Farquhar by only 0.069s after a titanic battle around the undulating 5.3-mile course in Co Armagh.

Clerk of the Course Yarno Holland abandoned the event following the tragedy as a dark cloud descended on the Tandragee meeting for the second year in succession, with Ardglass rider John Donnan (42) losing his life at the event the previous year in 2007.

In an emotional interview with the News Letter the day after the fatal crash, Finnegan’s disconsolate father, Jim, said his son knew only too well the risks involved.

He told me: “If you were to talk to any of the riders, they always know that there is a possibility that they could be killed. Martin knew this, but the riders love the sport and that is the reason they do it – because of the sport.

“Martin was aware of the dangers involved and he was a very careful rider, but this was an unfortunate racing accident.”

Mr Finnegan was adamant that despite his family’s heartbreak over the tragedy, his views on road racing remained unchanged.

“My feelings are very raw, but Martin loved the sport; I love the sport and have lost my son to it, but my views have not changed – absolutely not,” he said.

“We are a very strong, united family, but if I were to say we were all grand, I’d be telling a bare-faced lie. We were all involved in Martin’s racing in some way and our loss is very great, but we can work through it together.”

Dungannon rider Farquhar, who was behind Martin when the crash occurred on the second lap of the 600 race, said he had the utmost respect for his racing rival.

“Martin was about 50 yards in front of me and I saw smoke coming from the rear of his machine,” said Farquhar.

“My initial thoughts were that his bike had blown up because the back of the bike was weaving from side to side as he approached Marlacoo. It swung around sideways and pitched him off, and both he and the bike went into the banking.

“I saw it all happening and it’s hard to describe how you feel when you see something like that. I would have had total faith in Martin and he would have been the same with me. You need to be able to trust each other when you’re riding at almost 200mph just inches away from each other’s back wheel,” Farquhar added.

“I had a lot of respect for him although I wouldn’t have been over in his awning drinking tea because I tend to keep myself to myself in the paddock, but it comes as a big shock when someone of Martin’s capabilities is killed like that.

“It’s hardest for his family and friends and the cruel thing is that next week is the North West 200 and racing just goes on, but then I suppose that’s how it is in any walk of life when someone dies – the world just goes on.

“Sometimes it all goes wrong and that is the very unfortunate thing about it.”

At the time of his death, Martin Finnegan was the fastest Irishman ever around the Isle of Man TT, lapping at 127.014mph on his way to sixth place in the Senior TT in 2005. Earlier that same week, he finished on the rostrum in third place in the Superbike race.

He was a former Irish Senior road racing champion and had chalked up 43 wins at the national meetings since 1999. Martin was adored by his fans in the south, particularly at his home races at Skerries and Killalane, where he had seven and six wins respectively.

In 2012, an inquest found that the accident at Tandragee was in all probability caused by a loose banjo bolt, which resulted in the failure of the front brake on his new 600cc Yamaha.

* A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. To subscribe, click here.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor