MIKE TRIMBY – LEGEND!

The late Mike Trimby will be named a Motogp Legend this year, honouring a life dedicated to motorcycle Grand Prix racing.

Mike died in September 2023, and as we recalled in our Nov/dec 2023 issue, he was the founder and CEO of IRTA, thereby becoming one of the most important figures in the history of motorcycle Grand Prix racing and playing a pivotal role in shaping the sport of Motogp, especially in the arena of safety.

Mike – who was originally a racer himself – will now become the first person inducted into the Hall of Fame wholly due to their work off-track.

In 1982, the riders in Grands Prix officially requested Trimby to act as their representative, something further formalised a few years later with the founding of the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA) in 1986, with Trimby at the helm. The huge progress in safety made since the organisation was founded is thanks in large part to the work undertaken by Trimby, his wife Irene, and IRTA. Fittingly, Mike will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, officially becoming a Motogp Legend.

Mike’s wife, Irene, said: “Mike would have been very honoured about receiving this prestigious award, and everyone who knew him knows he never would have expected it either. It’s wonderful for his work and legacy to be acknowledged in this way, although I’m sure he might also have been a little embarrassed to see us putting on a ceremony and giving him a trophy! It’s also something very special for me, for everyone who worked closely with him, and everyone who continues to miss him very much.”