Backing stars of tomorrow
Fan-run fund aims to help young racers
Die-hard British Superbike fan Shane Farrow and his pal Stephen Thomas have set up a fund to assist young racers hit by financial difficulty.
“We aim to help a lot of the younger dad-and-lad type racers,” Shane told MCN. “We're never going to be in a position where we can give away £10,000, but if someone needs a set of gloves, or a fuel bill paying, then we might be able to do that.”
Shane describes the fund as a “marketing and advertising eco system”, whereby in exchange for financial support, the riders aided by the scheme then help advertise the companies funding them.
Found on the ‘BSB Barmy Army' website, the scheme actually rose from the ashes of a tragic family loss for Shane – losing both of his sisters in early 2023, the latter of which was to suicide.
Realising just how short life can be, Shane and Stephen set about following every single round of the 2023 BSB series, touring the country in a pair of converted campers.
As their adventure drew to a close, the pair elected to run a raffle in memory of Shane's late sister, with the proceeds raised going towards the Mind mental health charity.
After reaching out to teams for potential prizes, they were inundated with 50 items to give away and within just three days all 200 tickets had been sold. Realising they could do even better, additional tickets were added and the proceeds pledged to help fund young racers. With that, the ‘Rider Support Fund' was born.
If you can spare a few quid, or are looking for funding yourself, head to bsbbarmyarmy.com for further information on the cause.
‘New gloves or fuel? We might be able to help’