A father and son have been killed at the 2022 Isle of Man TT - bringing the tragic death toll at this year's event to five.
Roger Stockton, 56 and his son Bradley, died after an accident during the second lap of yesterday's (Friday) Sidecar race, the Mirror reports. The incident was at the exact same part of the 37.73mile course where sidecar driver Cesar Chanel was killed last Saturday.
TT chiefs announced the death of the pair, from Crewe in Cheshire, with 'deep sorrow'. A statement said: "With a deep sense of sorrow, the Isle of Man TT Races can confirm that Roger Stockton, 56, and Bradley Stockton, 21, from Crewe, Cheshire were both killed in an incident on the second and final lap of the second Sidecar Race of the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races.
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"The incident occurred at Ago’s Leap, just under one mile into the lap. Roger and Bradley were father and son, and driver and passenger respectively. Roger was an experienced TT competitor, with today’s race marking his 20th TT race start. He competed at the TT regularly from 2000 to 2008, before then returning in 2010, 2017 and at this year’s event.
"In his career, he claimed a total of twelve top-20 finishes and four top-10 finishes, as well as 10 Bronze Replicas. Bradley was a newcomer to the TT and finished his first TT race on Monday, securing an impressive 8th-place finish alongside his father.
"2022 was their fifth season racing together, and Roger and Bradley were regular podium finishers and frontrunners in the British F2 Sidecar Cup Championship, finishing second in the championship in 2021. The Isle of Man TT Races pass on their deepest sympathy to Roger and Bradley’s families, loved ones, and friends.”
The race was declared a result after the first lap, with Haith Honda’s Ben and Tom Birchall taking their 12th TT win ahead of FHO’s Peter Founds and Jevan Walmsley. Earlier in the day, Michael Dunlop became the most successful 600cc rider ever around the TT course as he beat Peter Hickman for his ninth Supersport win, taking him to 21 TT wins in total – five away from his late uncle Joey’s record of 26.
Due to deteriorating weather, the blue riband Senior TT was postponed with organisers hoping to run it today.
The deaths follow that of Cesar Chanal, where mistaken identity meant it was initially announced it was his passenger Olivier Lavorel who had been killed. Organisers released a statement apologising for their error.
The Welsh rider Mark Purslow was killed in qualifying last week and Northern Ireland’s Davy Morgan died after an accident in Monday’s Supersport Race.
