- Tom Herron
Tom Herron (
December 14 ,1948 -May 26 ,1979 [cite web |url=http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ms&n=1500 |title=Tom Herron |work=Motorsport Memorial |accessdate=2007-12-28] ) was a Grand Prixmotorcycle road racer from Lisburn, County Antrim inNorthern Ireland . He specialized in road circuits such as theIsle of Man TT and theNorth West 200 .Career
The beginning
Herron's career started in 1965 when he competed in numerous events throughout Ireland, building up his experience along the way. In 1970, he won his first major race, the 350 class at the North West 200.
The 1970s
After winning the 1973 Irish 350cc championship, he moved up to the Grand Prix world championships. During these years, Herron competed as a privateer, against the factory backed riders, and it was a David vs Goliath struggle to compete. During this time, he met and eventually married Andrea, a sister of sometime Norton rider Peter Williams. They eventually had two girls, twins named Kim and Zoe.
At the close of 1976, he finished fourth in both the 250cc and 350cc world championships. Herron won the last
Senior TT at theIsle of Man TT before the FIM stripped the event of its world championship status in 1976. The following year, he finished runner-up in the 350cc championship to Yamaha factory riderTakazumi Katayama .In 1978, Herron strengthened his position as one of the worlds best riders on privateer machinery with fifth and sixth places in the 250cc and 350cc world campionships respectively.
For the 1979 season, he finally got his big break, as a full works, manufacturer backed rider for the Shell Heron
Suzuki team in the 500cc world championship, alongside two-time world 500cc world championBarry Sheene , and future Truck racerSteve Parrish .The season started well, with a third in Venezuela and Italy, and a fourth in Austria. This left him in third place in the championship after three rounds. At the fourth round in Spain he crashed in practice and broke his right thumb, suffered third degree burns and was unable to race. He finished the season in tenth place.
Tragedy
After the fourth round of the 500cc world championship, Herron returned back home to compete in the North West 200, where, in the previous year, he won 2 races, and he set a lap record of 127.63 mph. The course record still stands due to alterations made.
The 1979 North West 200 will always be remembered as "Black Saturday"; as it claimed the lives of Scottish man Brian Hamilton, Armoy man Frank Kennedy, who died of injuries months later, and Herron himself. In the last lap of the last race, Herron had been fighting for third place along with
Jeff Sayle , Steve Parrish and Greg Johnstone, when he crashed at Juniper. He died later in Coleraine hospital, leaving behind his wife and two daughters.Herron's death was a tragedy, and Ireland's place on the Grand Prix scene has never truly been replaced.
References
* [http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Tom+Herron Tom Herron career statistics at MotoGP.com]
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