Richard Britton
Encyclopedia
Richard Britton was one of Ireland
's leading motorcycle
road racers
before his untimely death at Ballybunion
road races.
He was married to Maria and had one son, Loris, named after MotoGP star Loris Capirossi
.
600 Championships but an accident at the 1999 season-opening Cookstown 100 saw him sidelined for most of the season with a broken arm.
In 2000 Britton was taken under the wing of new sponsor PJ O'Kane and was drafted into the O'Kane racing team, after parting ways with Schimmell Racing at the Isle of Man TT
. The next two seasons saw him again taking both of the Regal 600 championships. With new machinery for 2002, and for the first time in Irish history, Britton won his fourth, (and his third successive) Regal 600 Championship. 2002 also saw Britton become the fastest Irishman ever to lap the TT Circuit
.
In 2003, Patsy O'Kane withdrew from the sport but allowed Britton to keep the bike that he had campaigned his 2002 season on. He was also supplied with a Kawasaki ZX-6R
by Nick Morgan of MSS Kawasaki. Britton took it to the limit, winning races North and South, and was duly crowned Irish 600 Road Race Champion (the last year of the Regal Championship) at the Dundalk
Road Races, Darver, Co Louth, at the end of 2003.
In 2004 Britton ran a team himself, acquiring sponsorship locally and through friends and family. Despite a lack of factory support, he still had a successful season, with race wins at a number of national road races. He also rode for British Superbike team Rizla Suzuki in a one-off ride at the North West 200
.
For 2005 Britton moved to the DMRR racing team, who had previously supplied him with a Supersport machine for the 2004 season. Although showing promise all season, a series of mechanical failures left him with little to show for the year, and he left the team mid-season, joining friend Martin Finnegan
at the Vitrans Honda squad for the Ulster Grand Prix
.
Britton died on 18 September 2005 in a freak accident at a new Irish national road race at Ballybunion
, Co Kerry, when the engine on his 250 machine seized. Britton was posthumously awarded Irish Motorcyclist of the Year, the highest honour in Irish motorcycling, on 6 November 2005.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
's leading motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
road racers
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
before his untimely death at Ballybunion
Ballybunion
Ballybunion or Ballybunnion is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Kerry, Ireland, from the town of Listowel. There are castle ruins near the town, although all that remains is a single wall, and two golf courses in the area including the famous Ballybunion Golf Club, a top class Links...
road races.
He was married to Maria and had one son, Loris, named after MotoGP star Loris Capirossi
Loris Capirossi
Loris Capirossi is a retired Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, who competed between and...
.
Career
Britton's racing career began in the 1994 Irish Clubman series, which saw him win the 400cc class. In 1998 he moved to race on pure road circuits where he was sponsored by Alan Gregg of the Schimmell race team. At the end of that year he won the first of his four RegalRegal (cigarette)
Regal or Embassy Regal as they are also known, is a brand of UK cigarette produced by Imperial Tobacco. Available at supermarkets for £6.81 per packet of 20, they are classed as a "premium" brand cigarette and one of the most expensive available in the United Kingdom...
600 Championships but an accident at the 1999 season-opening Cookstown 100 saw him sidelined for most of the season with a broken arm.
In 2000 Britton was taken under the wing of new sponsor PJ O'Kane and was drafted into the O'Kane racing team, after parting ways with Schimmell Racing at the Isle of Man TT
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
. The next two seasons saw him again taking both of the Regal 600 championships. With new machinery for 2002, and for the first time in Irish history, Britton won his fourth, (and his third successive) Regal 600 Championship. 2002 also saw Britton become the fastest Irishman ever to lap the TT Circuit
Snaefell mountain course
Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course is a road-racing circuit used for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix Races held in the Isle of Man from 1911 and 1923 respectively. The racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald...
.
In 2003, Patsy O'Kane withdrew from the sport but allowed Britton to keep the bike that he had campaigned his 2002 season on. He was also supplied with a Kawasaki ZX-6R
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R is a Kawasaki 600 class sport motorcycle.It was introduced in 1995, and has been constantly updated throughout the years in response to new products from Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha...
by Nick Morgan of MSS Kawasaki. Britton took it to the limit, winning races North and South, and was duly crowned Irish 600 Road Race Champion (the last year of the Regal Championship) at the Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
Road Races, Darver, Co Louth, at the end of 2003.
North West 200
The North West 200 is a motorcycle race meeting held each May in Northern Ireland. The course, made up of public roads running between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush is one of the fastest in the world, with speeds in excess of . It is one of around fifteen events run on public...
.
For 2005 Britton moved to the DMRR racing team, who had previously supplied him with a Supersport machine for the 2004 season. Although showing promise all season, a series of mechanical failures left him with little to show for the year, and he left the team mid-season, joining friend Martin Finnegan
Martin Finnegan
Martin Finnegan was an Irish motorcycle racer.-Career:Born in Lusk, County Dublin, Finnegan took up riding from a young age. At first he went grass track racing where he tasted success. In his later teens his boss at the time, Tony Carton, offered Martin the lend of a bike to try his hand at...
at the Vitrans Honda squad for the Ulster Grand Prix
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle road race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme gave it the title Grand Prix d'Europe...
.
Britton died on 18 September 2005 in a freak accident at a new Irish national road race at Ballybunion
Ballybunion
Ballybunion or Ballybunnion is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Kerry, Ireland, from the town of Listowel. There are castle ruins near the town, although all that remains is a single wall, and two golf courses in the area including the famous Ballybunion Golf Club, a top class Links...
, Co Kerry, when the engine on his 250 machine seized. Britton was posthumously awarded Irish Motorcyclist of the Year, the highest honour in Irish motorcycling, on 6 November 2005.