THE heartbroken family of a Bodmin man killed in a motorcycle race crash is calling for tougher regulation of the niche grasstrack sport and a complete ban on the highest-powered class of machines, following an inquest into his death.

Thomas Newton was 24 when he was killed in the crash in June 2024, just three weeks before he was due to be married to his fiancée, Lauren. He also left behind his parents, Laura and Kevin, his brother Dillon and sister Neave.

A two-day inquest held in Maidstone heard the tragedy took place at the 2024 season-opening meeting for the British Southeastern Centre Grass Track Championship, being held at a grass racetrack near Frittenden, Kent on Sunday, June 30 2024.

Mr Newton was the sidecar passenger in the 1000cc right-hand sidecar races alongside driver Robbie Simmons, in outfit No.9. They were among the favourites for the race, which was the penultimate of the day and started at about 6.05pm.

But on lap four, the bike was disrupted by a bump on the track, rearing up the front wheel which resulted in Thomas being thrown from the machine. Thomas was struck by outfit No.2 while lying in the track, which was piloted by Steve Smith and Gareth Little. First aid was given to Thomas but unfortunately, due to the significant injuries sustained, he was declared deceased at 6.58pm by the Southeast Coast Ambulance Service.

During the inquest, Counsel for the family had challenged aspects of the sport’s governance, on-the-day event management and marshalling and the decision to allow racing, given dust levels present and the change in condition of the track during the day. It was also argued Thomas’s death was avoidable had lessons been fully learned and changes adopted following a previous death in a 1000cc motor cycle race in 2023.

In that case the Worcester Coroner prepared a Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths dated 5 April 2024. This report was sent to the Auto Cycle Union, the national governing body for motorcycle sport in the British Isles calling for the preparation of event-specific safety plans for all national and club events as well as a copy to the Chief Coroner.

The Auto Cycle Union had 56 days to respond to the report containing details of action to be taken and they responded in May 2024 to say this rule change would be brought in for the 2025 season. Thomas was killed six weeks after that response.

Kent & Medway Coroner Catherine Wood recorded a verdict of accidental death having heard testimonies, witness evidence and viewed video evidence of the race and crash in which Thomas was killed.

In her summary, she recognised there were inherent risks within the sport and competitors knew this when taking part. Her view was that the decision to allow the race to go ahead was, on balance, reasonable and that she believed appropriate measures had been made to prepare the track and undertake a risk assessment, including walking the course.

While dust had affected visibility, she said once Thomas had been thrown from the vehicle, the following race outfit, which had seen something on the track, was too close and had insufficient time to take avoiding action to avoid a collision.

Speaking on behalf of the family following the inquest, his mother Laura Tyrrell said: “We remain devastated as a family by the loss of Thomas and the circumstances of his death.

“Our concern is that as a largely amateur, community driven sport, grasstrack racing appears lightly regulated given the level of potential risk involved and we are calling for tougher regulations, accountability and independent oversight.

“The barrier to entry is far too low in our view and someone can arrive at a race meet, pay their entry and, providing their bike passes the scrutineers exam and they have full racing kit, they are allowed to race.

“We are also calling for an immediate stop to the 1000cc races due to the clear danger these present to those taking part. The UK is the only country in Europe that still runs these classes and in Australia racing takes place on designated speedway tracks rather than what are often no better than farm fields here.

“Thomas revelled in competing and like so many of those who take part in racing he was driven by a passion for the sport – but no one should be losing their life pursuing the sport they love. It is for sports’ governing bodies and the law to insist all possible safety measures are in place to protect competitors and that recommendations are taken seriously and acted upon quickly where lessons need to be learned and further improvements identified.

“As a family we can’t help feeling this was a missed opportunity to make a Prevention of Future Death order as we continue to believe there were lessons to be learned from this tragedy and things that should have been done differently on the day that could have led to a different outcome.

“It is imperative that everything possible is done so an incident like this never happens again and that no other family has to endure the terrible trauma and overwhelming and ongoing grief of having a loved one taken from them in this way.”

The family have been supported throughout the inquest process by Coodes Solicitors, who are continuing to represent them as they consider next steps in their ongoing efforts to bring about changes to the sport.

David Usher of Coodes Solicitors, said: "While we respect the Coroner’s conclusion, the family remains deeply concerned that not all contributing factors to Thomas’s death have been adequately addressed. The inquest highlighted significant questions around the governance, regulation and safety management of grasstrack racing, particularly in the 1000cc class. These concerns have not been fully resolved.

“We are continuing to investigate the circumstances of Thomas’s death and are exploring all legal avenues available to ensure that full accountability is achieved and that meaningful change follows. This includes a review of potential failings in event planning, risk assessment and the implementation of previous safety recommendations. It is our view that the events leading up to this tragedy warrant further scrutiny.

“The claim is ongoing and we remain committed to supporting the Newton family in their efforts to seek justice for Thomas and to push for the urgent safety reforms this sport clearly needs."