DADDY COOL ...
whyweowe him so much
My dad was my best friend. I spent all my time with him and we did everything together. Growing up I wasn’t into bikes at all, I just wasn’t interested in them, but I loved other sports, particularly football.
When dad wasn’t racing or working with his bike he would have spent a lot of time with me and my brothers, Michael and Daniel. Dad and I loved to play snooker and pool and when I was living at home we would do that most evenings. When we got the chance, we would also play golf together.
Ironically I only really decided to give motorcycling a go when my uncle Joey was killed in a racing accident in Estonia in 2000. Everyone was talking about the tragedy and it just triggered something in me. It sounds strange now that it was his death that led me into racing, but basically I just wanted to try it out for myself.
Dad’s sponsor at the time lent me a bike and I just gave it a go. I found I had real adrenaline rush. I loved it.
I decided to start practicing and racing on roads. Dad wasn’t a very outspoken man and he didn’t say a lot about my decision, but I think he was thrilled when first I decided to follow in his footsteps, and then my brother Michael did so as well.
Indeed, Michael and I were both racing at the NW200 in 2008 when dad had his fatal crash. My bike broke down in the practice lap about a mile behind the scene of his accident. I remember feeling completely shocked when I heard the news and we all rushed to the hospital.
The doctors told us dad had died and I just couldn’t get my head around it as the NW200 had always seemed to me to be a safe course. I never expected anything would happen to any of us on that course.
Looking back, I was stunned at what had happened— we all were — but I was never sad for dad. Of course, I miss him very much but I also have to remember that he died doing what he loved and he had also enjoyed an amazing career out of it. It might seem strange to some people but when dad died I never once considered giving up racing. That just wasn’t an option for me. My philosophy for life is that you should live how you want to and do what you want. After all, that’s what my dad did.
If Janine and I have a son and he wants to go into racing like the rest of the family, then I would fully support it.
Dad had a good life and lived it to the full. That’s all anyone wants.
Like I said, I miss him all the time and I miss having him to talk to if I am having problems — or if I want to borrow a few quid from my old man! I can’t do that anymore.
Having said all of that, I’ve grown up a lot in the last 10 years since he died. When he was alive I was always with him, and dad did everything for me to do with the bike. After he died I didn’t really know what to do and had to learn it all for myself. I also had to build up my own circle of friends, whom I spend a lot of time with now.
‘Of course I miss him very much, but he died doing what he loved’