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Isle of Man TT: Daley Mathison dies in tragic crash

A LEADING TT rider was killed as motorcycle racing finally got underway at the Isle of Man yesterday.

Daley Mathison, 27, of Stockton-on-Tees died after falling from his Penz13.com BMW on lap three of the four-lap RST Superbike race early yesterday afternoon.

The accident happened at Snugborough, just over two miles into the 37.73mile Mountain Course, a few minutes after he had made his compulsory pit stop.

Mathison was an experienced road racer who was seeded 19th for this years event after a best result of 11th in last years Superstock race. He had also achieved three consecutive podiums in the TT Zero race, including a second place last year representing the University of Nottingham team.

He leaves behind three-year-old daughter Daisy and wife Natalie, who yesterday posted a heartfelt tweet: Not something I ever wanted to write but here we goDaley, as Daisy says is now sleeping with the fairies. Thats all I can bring myself to say.

The last image I saw of my husband was of a man so happy with life and so proud of his racing.

The race was red-flagged seconds after the accident and a result called, with Smiths BMW rider Peter Hickman declared the winner.

Hickman, who remains the fastest ever man around the course after last years Senior TT win, has had a troubled start to this years event and after a problem with his Superbike, took a late decision to run his Superstock machine.

Silicone Engineerings Dean Harrison had led from the start on his Kawasaki as Hickman moved into second, moving into the lead on the second lap when Harrison got held up heading into Ramsey.

Hickman was on a charge as he headed onto the Mountain, arriving at the Grandstand with a 132.95mph lap as the riders pitted for fuel, holding the lead as they moved into lap three and passing the first marker in the lead, seconds before the race was stopped.

Harrison was second with Milenco by Padgetts Honda rider Conor Cummins third.

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Daley Mathison has died at the Isle of Man TT (Pic: Pacemaker)(Image: Pacemaker )

We had a bit of a problem with Superbike yesterday so this is actually the Superstock bike with a few Superbike bits thrown onto it, said Hickman.

We put the Superbike front end and rear end into it its actually a road bike engine with the Superstock electronics.

It took me a good half a lap to get going, just to feel it and understand it a bit and from that point onwards the bike felt really good.

In the Locate.im Sidecar race, brothers Ben and Tom Birchall destroyed the field as they scorched to a new race record of 118.317mph, beating John Holden and Lee Cain by 48 seconds.

And Lee Johnston last night took the Monster Energy Supersport honours, the Ashcourt Racing Yamaha rider beating Quattro Plant Kawasakis James Hillier by more than three seconds as the race was cut short due to deteriorating weather.

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