Heartbroken family members have paid tribute to a County Durham man who died "doing what he loved" when he crashed during qualifying for the Manx Grand Prix.
Ian Bainbridge, 69, of Barnard Castle, died when he was involved in a crash on the exit from Kirk Michael village on Tuesday evening.
He is the second competitor to have died during qualifying for the event.
In a Facebook post, his daughter Victoria Bainbridge said: "It's with a heavy heart that I write this, but yesterday we lost our dad Ian Bainbridge in the Isle of Man.
“He was doing what he loved and we have been told he would not have suffered, which is a small comfort at this time.
“I don't really know what to say other than he will be sorely missed with his big smile and daft sense of humour as a dad, a son, a husband, a grandfather and a friend."
She added: "Please understand that we likely won't be replying to many messages for a while as we have a lot to deal with. If anyone has any photos of him or memories they would like to share, we would love to go through these when we are able to.
"Thank you for all the kind words we've received and for your understanding in this difficult time."
Victoria said: "We were enormously proud of Dad for competing.
"He was in his element when he was there and it was a lifelong dream to race the TT track.
"We would also like to thank the marshalls on the course for responding to the incident and everyone who has sent over kind words as we really appreciate them.
"We are surrounded by family and friends who all loved him and he will be greatly missed."
He was also a keen supporter of grassroots racing, helping new racers attain their licence as an active member of the North East Motorcycle Racing Club.
Mr Bainbridge went to Baliol School, Barnard Castle and studied for a master’s in Business Administration at Durham University. He is survived by his Janette and daughters Victoria and Nicola.
In a statement released today (Wednesday, August 23) the organisers of the Manx Grand Prix Races said: "We are saddened to confirm that Ian Bainbridge, 69, from Barnard Castle, was killed in an accident during the second qualifying session for the 2023 event.
"The accident occurred on the exit of Kirk Michael village on his first lap of the session.
"Ian made his Mountain Course debut in 2005 and had been a regular competitor in the classic racing classes ever since, only missing the Manx Grand Prix on two occasions in that time.
"His best performance came in the 2010 Classic Senior Manx Grand Prix when he finished in eighth place.
"The Manx Grand Prix pass on their deepest sympathy to Ian’s family, loved ones, and friends."
Described as a "stalwart of the classic racing scene", he had raced his Manx Norton around the UK, the Pre TT Classic at the Southern 100, and the Bob McIntyre Memorial Races at East Fortune over many years.
He was also a keen supporter of grassroots racing, helping new racers attain their licence as an active member of the North East Motorcycle Racing Club.
His death follows that of Colchester's Gary Vines, who died as a result of injuries he received in a crash at Ballagarey in Glen Vine on his first lap on Sunday afternoon.
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