Chris Palmer announced on the eve of the Gold Cup meeting at Scarborough that it would be his final road race meeting.

He explained that he feels it is right time to retire, stopping while he is remembered as a winner on the top of his sport. The decline of the two-strokes is also an underlying reason for his decision, plus he as a good job he needs to keep hold of and the pending arrival of his fourth child.

Palmer is now 51 years-old and if you include motocross has had 34 non-stop racing seasons, he began his racing career in 1981 at Silloth close to his then home in Carlisle, eight years of club racing followed before he dabbled in the British Championship, his first full season in the top level was in 1991 where he finished runner-up he did the same two years later but after teaming up with Lee Rumney he finally won the much coveted title in 1998.

His first taste of the TT course came in 1990 but he didn’t really make an impact until 2002 after moving home to live in the Isle of Man. Many wins mostly on the two- strokes followed but latterly has had great success riding classic machinery which he says he enjoyed and gave him great satisfaction – although he did find it hard at times.

Since his debut at Oliver’s Mount in 1991 Chris has notched up 99 win, the last of them coming this time around, and statistically he is the third most successful rider at the venue, the majority of his victories coming in the hard fought two-stroke battles with Ian Lougher which really were spectacular.

Palmer still holds the long standing Oliver’s Mount 125cc lap record set on the Rumney Honda in September 1997 1' 55.7s – 75.61mph. His love of speed however looks set to continue, on four wheels, as he has bought a kart.



By Sue Symons
Image by Clickspeedphotography.co.uk

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