Remembering the fallen riders lost in 2025 as popular trio sadly missed
This year’s British Superbike Championship began on a tragic note following a heartbreaking double fatality at Oulton Park.
An 11-rider incident occurred on the first lap of the British Supersport Championship race at the Cheshire circuit, resulting in the deaths of Owen Jenner and Shane Richardson, while Tom Tunstall was badly hurt in the pile-up.
The race was immediately stopped, with the meeting later abandoned.
Jenner, who was only 21, had made the step up to the Supersport class in 2025 with the Rapid Honda Racing Team. He finished 13th in the Sprint race at Oulton before tragedy struck.
Jenner, from Crowborough in East Sussex, dominated the GP2 series in 2024, winning 18 of the 22 races. He previously won the British Junior Supersport and Junior Superstock titles in 2020 and 2021 respectively and was regarded as a bright prospect for the future.
A shining light in the British championship paddock, Jenner is sadly missed.
Richardson also sadly lost his life in the accident. A dedicated racer originally from New Zealand, the 29-year-old travelled more than 11,000 miles to realise his dream.
He made his debut in the British Superbike Championship in the National Superstock 600 class in 2019, when he narrowly missed out on the title by six points, with a machine issue in the final race ultimately thwarting his hopes.
After competing in the Superstock 1000 series in 2020 and 2021, securing a best finish of fourth, Richardson moved into British Supersport racing in 2022, contesting the final few rounds.
In 2024, he ended the championship in ninth, competing for the Astro-JJR Hippo Suzuki team.
A popular figure in British championship circles, the father of two is a huge loss.
Full inquests into the deaths of Owen and Shane will be held in January.
Also this year, former Isle of Man TT racer Ben Wylie tragically died following a road traffic accident.
The 42-year-old was riding his motorcycle when he was killed in a collision with a van in Audlem, Cheshire in August.
An experienced competitor, Wylie raced in the British Junior Superstock Championship, Superstock 1000 Championship, European Superstock Championship and Endurance World Championship before competing in the British Supersport Championship in 2006.
He made his debut at the TT in 2009, when he claimed the top newcomer award. His best result at the TT was seventh in the Supersport class in 2011.
Wylie also competed at the North West 200, Ulster Grand Prix and Armoy road races, and raced at the Macau Grand Prix in southern China.
He co-founded Moto-Hub UK – a specialist and sportsbike showroom and workshop in Stoke-on-Trent – with fellow TT racer Sam West in 2021.
In a post on social media, West paid tribute to his business partner and friend, writing: “Ben, my partner in Moto Hub, we met 10 years ago in Macau and have been working together every day for over 5 years. “We've done a huge amount in that time, travelled, ridden, raced, wheelied, drunk an irresponsible amount of beer, then more beer, had some fantastic nights out and enjoyed some of the best moments of my life together.
“Words can't describe some of the moments we've shared, and nobody else will ever know them - but I'll never forget.”