Simon McKinley
| Simon McKinley | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Irish |
| Born | 3 April 1981 Naul, County Meath, Ireland |
| Died | 25 April 2015 (aged 34) The Burren, County Clare, Ireland |
| Irish Hillclimb and Sprint Championship | |
| Wins | 4-time Irish Hillclimb and Sprint Champion |
Simon McKinley was an Irish racing driver and four-time Irish Hillclimb and Sprint Champion.[1]
Career
[edit]McKinley was from Naul, Ireland.[2] He famously competed in a white 1980 Mk2 Ford Escort, which he began building with his father, Peter, at age 13, as well as the Lant RT4.[3][4] He was the four-time winner of the Irish Hillclimb and Sprint Championship, and was reigning champion at the time of his death in 2015.[citation needed]
Death
[edit]On 25 April 2015, McKinley was killed during the Clare Motor Club Annual Hillclimb, at an event held on Scalp Hill between Carran and Bellharbour in The Burren, County Clare, Ireland.[5] The incident occurred during McKinley's final hillclimb run of the day around 5:30pm.[1][5] His Lant RT4 lost control, and he collided with a stone cliff at 140 miles per hour.[1][6] McKinley was brought to University Hospital Limerick, where he was pronounced dead.[7][8]
Personal life
[edit]He married Deirdre McKinley in 2012, and had a son Rory in 2014.[9] Their family was dubbed, "Ireland’s fastest family" as Deirdre was one of the highest-ranking female motorists in the world, having placed third in the FIA International Hillclimb Masters in 2014.[6][9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Flynn, Pat (2015-04-27). "Simon McKinley". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ Pattison, Brynmor (2015-04-26). "Simon McKinley: Tributes pour in for much-loved rally driver killed at Clare race event". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ "Warrior Comes Out To Play. #MaximumAttack Escort". Speedhunters. 2014-02-05. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ "Motorsport Memorial -". www.motorsportmemorial.org. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ a b "Motor racing driver killed after crash at Clare rally". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ a b "Tributes paid after top race-diver dad is killed in tragic accident". Irish Independent. 2015-04-27. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ Flynn, Pat (2015-04-25). "Man killed in Burren rally event". The Clare Herald. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ David (2015-04-25). "Leading Irish rally driver dies in North Clare accident". Clare FM. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ a b "Meet Ireland's fastest couple and their biggest fan 11-month-old Rory". Irish Independent. 2015-04-18. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ "'He relished every moment with his family' - motor racing champion Simon McKinley laid to rest". Irish Independent. 2015-04-29. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
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