Obituary: Darran LindsayPopular, cheerful, well loved and talented, Darran Lindsay from Dundrod illuminated the roads and circuits on his motorcycle as he skilfully negotiated the tracks and joyfully competed with other riders.
"A veteran racer beyond his years, he had fantastic battles on the race track especially with the young Dunlop's, William and Michael, he will be sadly missed," said friend and photographer Stephen Davison.
Four-time Irish champion, North West 200, Ulster Grand Prix and Manx Grand Prix winner Lindsay raced with a cheery countenance and a great deal of dexterity. "He was naturally popular and got on with everybody," said Leslie Moore, secretary of the Dundrod club, of which Darran was a member. "He was the cheekiest guy in the paddock," added Mr Davison.
Darran, aged 35, was killed during a practice session of the Killalane Road Races in North County Dublin last Saturday.
Jim Leonard, eyewitness and club medical co-ordinator for the Loughshinny Motorcycle Supporters Club (LMSC) said, "Lindsay was killed instantly when he failed to avoid a collision ahead of him and crashed into a telegraph pole."
Fellow rider Raymond Porter was also involved in the collision and is currently recovering in hospital with a broken collarbone and injured knee.
Darran's racing career began in 1990 and he quickly became a noteworthy rider both on the road and track.
His debut at the Isle of Man Manx Grand Prix in 1997 proved to be a gloriously victorious one. He won the newcomer's race in the senior class on his 600cc AG/Nibbles Suzuki at a lightening speed of 105.17 mph. The following year he returned to the Manx GP with another great win in the Ultra Lightweight. "Not only did he win the race and set the lap records, he also became the first rider of a 125cc racing machine to lap the Snaefell Mountain Course at over 100 mph in the Manx Grand Prix," according to the Isle of Man TT records.
Closer to home he won an impressive five races at the Ulster Grand Prix, including a hat trick of wins in 2002 and victories in both 2003 and 2006. Last year he achieved a great victory in the 125 class at the North West 200.
Throughout his career he mainly specialised in the smaller capacity machinery but he also displayed great skill and talent on 600cc and Superbike machines. "He was great on the 125cc, 250cc and 600cc bikes," according to friend and sponsor Noel Johnston.
Lindsay was a dedicated and devoted family man. "He lived life to the full and packed a lot into a short time, he loved racing and was a great family man who idolised his children," according to Mr Johnston. "His wife worked as an air hostess and he took an active part in rearing their three young children, which is why some people found it hard to understand why he still raced," said Leslie Moore.
Despite the tragedy of the previous days practice, the races at Killalane continued on Sunday with the expressed wishes of his family. "He saw a lot of friends die in racing but he loved what he was doing and he found it very hard to resist. He knew the dangers and he would have wanted the racing to go on," said Leslie Moore.
A poignant tribute to Darran from a fan on an Internet motorcycle forum conveys the sadness at the loss of another road racing legend. It reads, "Another great taken away from us."
Darran Lindsay is survived by his wife Kerry and three young children Ben, Zak and Poppy.