Veteran Northern Irish road racer Davy Morgan died on Monday, June 6, 2022, on the final lap of the first Isle of Man TT Supersport Race of the year. The crash occurred on the 27th milestone section of the TT course. Morgan was 52 years old.
The race marked his 80th TT start, and he’d raced in every IOMTT since 2002—so 2022 also marked his 20th anniversary racing in the event. Morgan wasn’t just an experienced TT racer; he was well-known in road racing paddocks all over. He had a true love for the sport, racing in the Manx Grand Prix, Classic TT, Southern 100, North West 200, Ulster Grand Prix, Macau Grand Prix, and plenty more. His distinctive pink racing helmet made him stand out from everyone else in the paddock.
Morgan’s TT debut took place during the 2002 Production 600 race, and his TT career included a career-best 5th place finish in the 2008 Lightweight TT. He also managed a 7th place finish in the 2006 Senior TT. In all, he completed 49 TT races that he attempted, with 25 of those seeing him rank in the top 20. Over the course of his career, he won 14 Silver Replica trophies, as well as 30 Bronze Replicas.
Prior to the COVID-enforced two-year TT hiatus, Morgan had been contemplating hanging up his leathers. However, he told the Belfast News Letter in 2020 that “being away from racing has given me the chance to reflect on what motorbike racing means to me, so I’ve no desire to retire from the sport for a while yet, and it’s been a big part of my life for 27 years now.”
Davy Morgan’s death is the third such tragedy to occur during the 2022 IOMTT, with Mark Purslow dying during qualifying on June 1 and sidecar passenger Olivier Lavorel dying on the first lap of the first Sidecar Race on June 4. Lavorel’s driver, César Chanel, remains at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool in critical condition following the latter incident.
Morgan is survived by his partner, Trudy, as well as numerous family and friends who loved him. We at RideApart send our deepest condolences to all who are keenly feeling his loss right now.
