Isle of Man TT: another big name goes

[garcon]

IoM TT, afternoon practice, Thurs 29th May:

David Jefferies killed and Jim Moodie seriously injured in accident during practice, near the village of Crosby.

Jefferies, riding for the TAS Suzuki team, had entered four races and was gunning for his fourth consecutive treble.

Sad news.

[Dave Brand]

Terrible news; at this point, words fail me.

[KC]

Damn. Two vets of the classic. Condolences to the families and the team.

[sss]

it is sad news as he was one of the top riders in this world, able to change from super moto to road racing & short circuit racing, rip dj,

[sss]

oh and i hope people dont use it to get rid of one of the truly great road race circuits in the world

[pixie]

Looks as though Jim is not as badly hurt as first thought, good news. David was an all rounder and will be missed

[ascarracinguk]

its very sad

[asha]

very sad news, as much as i think the Isle of Man is amazing, it takes such a great toll.

[gomick]

david jefferies - the defending british superstock champion.... that is shocking news - in this day and age is the isle of mann tt outdated, sorry sss!

[ghinzani]

what sad news...

I read on the MCN site that Jim Moodie ran into cables from a telegraph pole that was somehow involved in Jefferies crash. That sort of indicates the magnitude of the accident, but what can they do about it? with so many walls, gateways etc they cant protect the entire island.

[racer69]

Originally posted by sss
oh and i hope people dont use it to get rid of one of the truly great road race circuits in the world

I agree, as sad as this is, all the riders know the risks, and accept that they could pay the ultimate price. The event has as much history as Indianapolis, and i think (as it should) it will be here for a while.

Jeffries was a real star on the TT course, in 2000, of the six TT races, he won 3 and Joey Dunlop won the other 3, 2 of the very best TT riders dominated that week, showing how good they both were. A shame neither of them are any longer with us.

[mpj]

i cant believe it, another truley great rider has been taken from us.
rip DJ

[Dave Cooney]

A very sad day.
Having got to know DJ over the winter at the Supermoto meetings that our club ran, I feel I've lost a friend if there is any consolation though it is hard to find then DJ died doing what he loved.
A great character and a great lose to motorcycle racing RIP DJ.

[John Reeves]

I saw this item on Teletex and I must admit I was shocked. He will be missed. A top ambassader for the sport now gone forever. Rest in peace David.

[Cynic]

Terrible news. Anyone who can master the TT course is a real hero in my books. Rest in Peace DJ.

[blackx]

I have to disagree with sss i am afraid..
It IS a truly superb spectacle to see bikes and riders being pitted against the TT course bit I for one believe it is time something was done to stop the death and carnage that nearly always follow the TT............

[av8rirl]

RIP DJ. Another great one gone.

If it was a lesser rider would people (and theres only a few at the moment) still be looking to get rid of the TT. Its a great and unique race. I'm quite sure that last week DJ wouldn't have wanted it stopped!

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by blackx
I have to disagree with sss i am afraid..
It IS a truly superb spectacle to see bikes and riders being pitted against the TT course bit I for one believe it is time something was done to stop the death and carnage that nearly always follow the TT............

Let's get things into perspective here. Emotive terms like 'death & carnage' serve no purpose. I stand to be corrected on this, but I believe that the number of deaths per racing mile is actually lower for the TT than it is for circuit racing.

[John Reeves]

I read a news item earlier and it appears that DJ's mother still wants the Team to carry on and not pull out of this years races.

[garcon]

I can understand the reaction after a tragic death, but I can't agree with the notion of scrapping the TT because it's dangerous. Because then we'd have to apply the same logic elsewhere and ban every dangerous sport and scrap every dangerous venue.

I honestly don't know the stats between road and circuit bike racing. But I do know that every rider who goes to the TT knows very well what the risks are. They compete in it and we watch it with our eyes open. It's partly the danger that makes it so enticing. Modern life is so sterile, we need the adrenaline rush that such danger brings.

In some ways, it's more tragic for the sport when an unknown youngster is killed on his first visit than when an experienced campaigner like Jefferies dies having achieved so much.

Re-reading it, that sounds nonsense (!) but hopefully you understand what I mean. Of course, that's no consolation to DJ's family and friends, and my sincere condolences go out to them.

[Lee Yue Yang]

Oh man.It's very sad.....

[jetsetter]

Another fatality for the world of motorsport in 2003 surely luck's got to improve shortly.

[BootsOntheSide]

Terrible news though this is, there is no way the TT should be scrapped. I'm sure safety improvements can be made without destroying the track, and this is one of the classics. It's not part of any major championship anymore, and entry is voluntary. As such, it usually attracts the guys who love bike racing and its proud history. Leave it alone. If anything, the multitude of poles and things adds to the setting.

[Lee Janotta]

What a shame.

Although I'm, admittedly, not that a big follower of motorcycle racing, the TT has always fascinated me like no other event. The sheer courage and love of the sport exibited by the entrants makes everything else pale in comparison!

Every rider knows the risks associated with open-road racing/TTs. When they feel it's too dangerous, they'll stop coming. Until then, no one else has a right to stop the event.

[Rambo]

I'm saddened to hear about this. He was one of the best, no, *the* best big-bike rider in the world. At least Jim seems to be OK.