Retro Rewind: Horror North West 200 crash failed to curb Stuart Easton's enthusiasm for road racing

The Hawick man, who was riding for Nick Morgan’s MSS Colchester Kawasaki team, clipped the rear of team-mate Gary Mason’s machine during practice, which had slowed suddenly due to a suspected electrical fault.

Easton went down at over 140mph on the fast stretch of the 8.9-mile ‘Triangle’ course between the Mill Road Roundabout and Station Corner.

His catalogue of injuries including a shattered pelvis, a ruptured bowel and two broken legs, with his right femur broken in three places.

He also broke two fingers and suffered internal bleeding and Easton admitted afterwards he was lucky to escape death.

However, in an interview just four months later, Easton told me he had lost none of his desire to compete on public roads circuits at events such as the North West and Macau.

The 28-year-old also revealed his ambition to follow in the footsteps of his former mentor and Isle of Man TT legend Steve Hislop by competing on the infamous Mountain Course.

“The crash was one of those things - it wasn’t my fault,” said Easton.

“It wasn’t like I was trying too hard or anything like that, it was a machine failure in front of me and I was unlucky to clip the back of Gary’s machine and that was that really.

“I think overall I was lucky to get away with it and that’s the main thing,” Easton added.

“I have my own personal goals that I set myself and I like racing at the North West and at Macau and I get to choose the races that I want to do along with BSB as well.

“Riders like John Hopkins and ‘Shakey’ Byrne just think it’s absolutely crazy, but I think as well it’s how I was brought up in racing.

“Steve Hislop was a really big part of my early career and John McGuinness as well, so I think you kind of get your eyes opened to it,” he explained.

“It would be a great feeling to ride at the TT and that will probably come later on in my career.

“But it would be good to definitely experience it.”

Easton smashed the top speed record at the North West in 2010 when he thundered through the timing beam at 204mph during practice.

He went on to finish as the runner-up to Alastair Seeley in the feature Superbike race and returned in 2011 for another crack of the whip.

But his terrifying smash during daytime qualifying brought his participation at the event to a premature end and cast a cloud over the North West, which was abandoned on race day following a series of setbacks including heavy rain, an oil spill and a bomb scare.

Reflecting on the five weeks he spent at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast before he was flown back to Edinburgh to continue his rehabilitation, Easton paid tribute to the support he received from fans here.

“I had so much support in Northern Ireland when I was in hospital with all the cards and letters from people,” he said.

“I was never short of visitors and there were letters from all over Northern Ireland and that really spurred me on.”

In 2010, another leading British championship contender, Steve Plater, was injured in a practice crash at the North West on the HM Plant Honda.

Plater, who won eight times at the NW, later announced his retirement from road racing.

Easton had been flying high in the British Superbike Championship at the time of his accident and said he was looking forward to returning to action in the class in 2012.

“I have surprised myself a wee bit and three months is still a long time, but considering everything I think I’ve been pretty lucky to get to the stage that I’m at now and hopefully I’ll continue to keep progressing and we can keep taking steps forward,” he said.

“Paul Bird and Nick Morgan are the two people who were behind me before the crash and they’re still behind me now, which is good to see.

“I think there’s maybe an option with Paul Bird and Nick Morgan for next year so we’ll have to wait and see.

“If I can prove my fitness then maybe there’s something that can be put together with either of those guys or maybe both,” he added.

“To know that there’s a chance I’ll be on a bike next year definitely helps and it would be good to go back on the Superbike with Nick or even something with Paul Bird.”

Easton returned to the North West 200 in 2013 with the Mar-Train Yamaha team. He also made a victorious return at the Macau Grand Prix in 2014, claiming his fourth win at the event.

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