An experienced and successful sidecar racer died after running wide at a notorious bend on the TT course.
Coroner John Needham recorded a verdict of misadventure on Ian Bell, a 58-year-old company director from Bedlington in Northumberland, who died after an accident during the second sidecar race on June 10 this year.
Chief sector marshal David Dentith, who was on duty at Ballaspur where the accident happened, said he saw Mr Bell approach the corner. He said Mr Bell’s passenger, who was his son Carl, seemed to be towards the middle of the outfit, close to the rider, rather than hanging to the left as the outfit approached the left hand bend.
‘The wheel of the outfit lifted gently, quite high, and the rider seemed to be fighting it. The wheel carried on lifting and the outfit collided with the air bales then bounced back and carried on,’ Mr Dentith said in a statement read out in court.
The outfit came to rest further up the road on the right hand side and the race continued under waved yellow flags at the accident site, warning riders to slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary.
Mr Bell was pronounced dead at the scene and a post mortem examination by pathologist Dr Christopher Clague said the cause of death was blunt force trauma, causing injuries to Mr Bell’s head, neck and chest.
Mr Bell’s Yamaha R6-powered LCR outfit was examined but found to have no defects and examination of the accident scene found the road was clean and dry and visibility was good.
Film footage taken at the scene appeared to show Mr Bell’s number six outfit approach the left hand bend on the right hand side then apparently run wide of the corner.
Delivering his verdict, Mr Needham said: ‘This was entirely unforseen and accidental in nature. The activity is inherently dangerous and that is why TT racing deaths are usually recorded as misadventure. The court heard Mr Bell was extremely experienced having first competed in the Isle of Man in 1979 at the S100.
Offering condolences to Mr Bell’s family, he added: ‘It may be trite but it is also true to say he was following his passion.’