Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1507502
MotoGP Legend Passes I t's hard to imagine MotoGP racing without Mike Trimby, but not hard to imagine it continuing to run smoothly. This is because of the systems, safeguards and working practices that he was so influential in introducing. Trimby (74), who died sud - denly last Friday night at Misano, just hours after taking part in a final GP Commission manage - ment meeting, will leave a mas- sive hole in MotoGP's manage- ment structure, but his influence will remain a powerful force. The entire MotoGP paddock was united in shock, and tributes poured in from all sides. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta mourned the loss of a real friend; FIM president Jorge Viega spoke of Trimby's huge influence in shap - ing modern racing, and several riders dedicated their success- ful performances in qualifying and the races to his memory, including Sprint and feature-race winner Jorge Martin. Trimby's career in racing be - gan more than 50 years ago as a rider, competing in Britain and in the TT. His career has encom- passed important work as much more than just a travel agent for the Macau GP, as well as the founding and development of the original London Road Racing Show in the 1970s, now the hugely popular Devitt MCN London Show. Trimby's greatest achieve - ment, however, was as a leading light in the revolution that took motorcycle racing from a time of dangerous tracks and exploited riders to the well-rounded and commercially successful international live and TV sport of today. A founding member of teams association IRTA, Trimby later became General Secretary and effectively CEO of the orga - nization, which played a major management role in the pad- dock and on track at every GP. In particular, Trimby led the concentration on four key areas: •Improving circuit safety •Creating an influential teams' association •Developing television coverage •Distributing the income, especially among the less privileged participants Along the way, paddocks were civilized from often shambolic and frequently insanitary ad-hoc villages, where the first arrivals from the previous race got the best spots, and for those who couldn't afford generators, elec - tric power had to be garnered via extension cords from wherever possible. According to Garry Taylor, contemporary Suzuki team man - ager and fellow founder member of IRTA: "Before then, we all had to queue for tickets at every race—if Barry Sheene hadn't got there first and taken all the al - location." Safety was Trimby's origi- nal concern. In 1982, after the failure of the breakaway World Series backed by (among oth- ers) Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene, matters came to a head at the French GP at Nogaru—a circuit both dangerous and with primitive facilities. Top riders went on strike and left early. Later that year, at a riders' meeting at Donington Park convened by legendary journalist Chris Carter, Trimby was invited WIND IN THE P32