The two men killed in an accident during a practice session for the Southern 100 road race have been confirmed as Alan Connor, 50, and Liam Clarke, 66.
Connor, an experienced road racer from County Meath, and Clarke, a seasoned road racing marshal from Wigan, were killed following a serious incident at the Billown Circuit near Castletown on the Isle of Man during a 1100cc qualifying practice session on 11 July.
Their identities remained unknown until three days on from the incident to allow police to begin an investigation into the circumstances that led to the tragic accident, which involved another rider and a spectator.
In a statement issued by the Southern 100 Road Racing Club on 14 July [Saturday], it confirmed Connor as the rider killed.
An regular figure at many high-profile road racing events, Connor has several starts to his name at the Ulster Grand Prix, North West 200 and Manx Grand Prix.
He'd go on to compete at the Classic TT and the Isle of Man TT, notching up 36 finishes and hitting a fastest lap of 119.304mph. He has also competed on the British Superbike Championship support programme in a career spanning more than two decades.
Clarke was marshalling at the Southern 100 for the first time, having also contributed to the necessary safety efforts at the Isle of Man TT last year.
Full statement from the Southern 100 Road Racing Club:
"It is with great sadness that the Southern 100 Road Racing Club can confirm that rider Alan Connor, aged 50 from County Meath was killed in the serious incident that occurred on the final lap of Tuesday evening’s 1100cc Practice Session of the 2023 Southern 100 Races.
"It is with a deep sense of sorrow that the Southern 100 can further confirm that this incident also sadly resulted in the fatality of race marshal Liam Clarke, aged 66, from Wigan.
Alan was an experienced Southern 100 competitor, having made his Billown Course debut in 2017. Alan was known by many for his blue and yellow leathers and competed regularly at the Ulster Grand Prix and North West 200.
"Alan was also a stalwart of the Mountain Course, making his debut in the 2003 Manx Grand Prix, before graduating to the Isle of Man TT Races where he recorded 36 race finishes and achieved a fastest lap of 119.304mph.
"Liam was an experienced marshal that had travelled over to the Isle of Man for the event. Although the 2023 meeting was his first time marshalling on the Billown Course, Liam had previously marshalled across other motorsport events including the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races.
"The loss of both Alan and Liam is felt deeply amongst the racing community. The Southern 100 Road Racing Club pass on their deepest sympathy to Alan and Liam’s families, loved ones, and friends."
The Southern 100 - colloquially known as The Friendly Races - was due to host 12 races over the three-day meeting and feature many of the sport's most esteemed road racers, including 25-time TT winner Michael Dunlop, 2019 Senior TT winner Dean Harrison and up-and-comer Davey Todd.
The remainder of the 2023 Southern 100 event was cancelled in the wake of the fatalities.
