LIKE OUR FATHER
Taylor andTarron are making names for themselves on the superbike circuit – but proud dad Niall insists they’ll never be as quick as him
Dad Niall
He told the Observer: “It’s 100 per cent more stressful watching the boys ride than when you’re racing yourself.
“When you’re the one who is riding, then obviously you’ve got some challenges, but you’re in control of your destiny.
“The other thing I realised when they started racing is that you, as a parent, are programmed to keep your kids safe and not give them dangerous things to do, so that turns itself on its head for me.
“But the problem is that we started messing around with bikes and having fun – and the next thing you’re at the side of a scary racetrack and it’s too late.”
Despite their dad being one of Scotland’s highest profile and most successful racers, a move into the world of bike racing wasn’t a natural step for either brother.
Taylor explained: “When we were younger we always rode bikes but we weren’t that interested.
“We always went and watched dad race, but it wasn’t like it was our first passion. We were into pretty much every sport – we played football, rugby, tennis, cricket, hockey, anything we could turn our hand to.
“Whatever our friends were doing at school, we’d do that.
“We were like most sportspeople at most sports; we could turn our hands to most things and do okay, but we were never the best at anything.
“Then as we got slightly older, I was 14, we started riding bikes a little bit more and I ended up doing a race meeting just because we enjoyed riding bikes – and I finished third.
“That gave me the bug because I’d done a sport that I was really good at straight away.”
Taylor’s story mirrors that of his dad’s, with Niall admitting that he got hooked on racing after it became the first thing he excelled at.
He said: “A massive highlight of my career was my very first race at a wee track called Carnaby in Yorkshire.
“I’d never been good at anything in my life.
“I did okay at school, I was a happy kid, I had enjoyed school but I’d never really excelled at anything.
“I managed to go racing in 1981 and got a wee triangular trophy from Carnaby when I finished third in my first race, and it just felt so incredible.
“I carried around the trophy in my pocket for weeks at work, it’s just ridiculous but it was an amazing high.
“And if I look back now I realise that because that happened it drove me for more of the same and more success. That was really important.
“Obviously after that I was lucky enough to win some championships and some races, but that was massive and I treasured that trophy more than anything else.”
He continued: “We started off doing it with the boys for fun, but as it got a bit more serious we started having to find sponsors to invest in us going racing, and I always said to them that I’d keep giving it my all for them if they keep giving it their all.
“I could also see that they looked right on the bike, they’d listen and improve every time they got on.
“I could tell they were both going in the right direction. They definitely match each other in talent, commitment and determination.
“It’s dangerous so I certainly wouldn’t encourage them to compete if there wasn’t anything at the end of it.”
With riders often inches apart and competing at speeds close to 200mph, motorcycle racing is one of the most dangerous forms of motorsport.
And the dangers were brought home in 2019 when Tarran suffered two nasty accidents in quick succession that effectively curtailed any dreams he had of taking the title.
A huge crash in qualifying for round four of the championship at Brands
Hatch left Taz, as he is known throughout the paddock, briefly unconscious and forced him to miss two races when he sat just seven points adrift