Isle of Man TT 2026: Daniel Ingham killed in qualifying crash

• Daniel Ingham was killed in the third qualifying session on Wednesday evening
• The crash occurred at Doran’s Bend on the first lap
• Ingham had won the 2024 Senior Manx Grand Prix and was making his TT debut in 2026

The organisers of the Isle of Man TT confirmed the death of Daniel Ingham on Wednesday, 28 May 2026, at 2:30 PM. The 33-year-old from Melton Mowbray in England was killed during qualifying. According to the official statement, the incident occurred at the Doran’s Bend section of the course on the first lap of the third qualifying session on Wednesday evening. The organisers expressed their deepest sympathy to his wife Helayna, his son Joey and his daughter Phoebe, as well as his entire family and friends.

Who was Daniel Ingham?

Daniel Ingham was an experienced road racer who pursued his dream of racing on the Isle of Man for more than a decade. Born on 27 January 1993, he began racing minimotos at the age of ten and progressed through various classes on British circuits. In his day job, he worked as a motorcycle design engineer at Vepro Motorcycles.

In 2014, Ingham switched to road racing with the stated goal of one day racing on the Isle of Man. He completed his first race on the Mountain Course in 2016 at the Manx Grand Prix, where he competed in the Class B Newcomers and Lightweight races. In 2019, he reached a milestone when he was admitted to the Tommy Clucas Club with a lap speed of over 120 mph. That same year, he finished fifth in the Senior Race at the Manx Grand Prix.

What had Daniel Ingham achieved in road racing?

Ingham’s racing career extended well beyond the Isle of Man. In 2023, he won the Junior Support race at the Cookstown 100 in Northern Ireland on an Aprilia and finished second in the Supertwin race. At the 2023 Manx Grand Prix, he took the podium in the Senior Race (third place) and also finished third in the Ultralightweight race on a Honda RVF 400.

His greatest achievement came in 2024 when Ingham won the Senior Manx Grand Prix, the most prestigious race at the event. Riding a brand-new GYTR Yamaha R6, he started from pole position and led the race from start to finish. Earlier that year, he had made his debut at the North West 200, finishing 13th and 9th in the Supertwin races.

How did Ingham prepare for his TT debut?

After winning the Senior Manx Grand Prix in 2024, Ingham deliberately took a break from the Mountain Course. In road racing, there is a tradition that after a Manx GP victory, the next step is the TT. He therefore skipped the 2025 Manx Grand Prix but remained active, competing at the North West 200, the Tandragee 100 and two IRRC rounds in Belgium and Germany. The results against experienced international fields gave him considerable confidence, he said.

For the 2026 TT, the Sheffield-based Castings Technology Motorsport team, for which Ingham had ridden for several years, had put together an extensive package. With support from Kawasaki Motors UK and Brent Gladwin of GR Motosport, the team secured a factory-supported Kawasaki ZX636 for the Supersport class. Ingham also competed in the new Sportbike class on an Aprilia RS660.

Richard Cook, managing director of Castings Technology and founder of the motorsport team, had described Ingham ahead of the TT as one of the most consistent and safest riders he had ever observed on the island. “Dan has a rare aptitude for this sport. He is one of the most consistently smooth and safe riders I have watched around the island, and that is exactly what we want from our rider at the TT.”

Ross Burridge, head of marketing and racing at Kawasaki Motors UK, had said after a meeting at Motorcycle Live: “We met with Dan, Richard and Brent at Motorcycle Live last year and immediately gelled with the team! With Dan’s raw speed and the vast experience of the team around him, combined with the competitive Ninja ZX-6R we are confident of a strong IOM TT debut.”

How did Ingham’s TT week unfold before the crash?

The 2026 TT week began for Ingham on Monday with the free practice sessions. In an interview with Road Racing News, published just one day before his death, he described the conditions as the best he had ever experienced on the Mountain Course. “Mega, absolutely mega, that was definitely the best conditions, I’ve ever ridden around this place in ever, so it was good, not been here for nearly two years, felt like I hadn’t been away.”

In Tuesday’s qualifying, Ingham recorded a lap speed of 117.051 mph and improved to 118.645 mph on Wednesday afternoon. In the interview, he stated his goals clearly: he wanted to break the 120 mph barrier and achieve 116 mph on the Twin. “Really want to get above 120, I would like to get a 116 on the Twin. Where we are at the end of the day is irrelevant, I’ve come here, there is no pressure, there is no expectations anybody at Castings.”

Ingham repeatedly emphasised the role of his main sponsor: “I would not be here without him at all, put two good bikes underneath me, fully supporting me, we’ve had so much support coming on board since stepping up to the TT, it’s been a massive help.”

What other incidents occurred at the 2026 TT?

The 2026 TT had already been marked by several serious incidents before Ingham’s fatal crash. On Monday, the opening day, an incident at Parliament Square resulted in a rider and eight spectators being injured. Six of the spectators and the rider have since been discharged from hospital, while two spectators remained under treatment. The spectator area at Parliament Square was closed for the remainder of the event.

On Tuesday evening, experienced Sidecar racer Maria Costello and her passenger Shaun Parker crashed during the first Sidecar qualifying session. Costello was described as being in a serious but stable condition, while Parker was conscious and responsive.

On the same Wednesday evening when Ingham was fatally injured at Doran’s Bend, the reigning Sidecar TT champions and lap record holders Ryan and Callum Crowe also crashed at Crosby. Both brothers were conscious and responsive and were taken to Noble’s Hospital. Their father Nick later shared on social media that both had sustained fractures and a head injury but were not in danger of losing their lives. The third qualifying session was abandoned following the incidents.

What makes Doran’s Bend on the Mountain Course significant?

Doran’s Bend is a section on the 37.73-mile Mountain Course. The course, which has run largely unchanged on public roads since 1911, is regarded as one of the most demanding circuits in motorsport. Speeds reach close to 200 mph (320 km/h) as riders navigate through towns, across open mountain roads and through tight bends.

A rider who lived his dream

Daniel Ingham described his journey to the Isle of Man on his team page: “In 2014 I took to road racing to fulfil my dream of racing at the Isle of Man – winning the Manx GP in 2024 and competing in the TT in 2026!” His brother Jamie also races and finished third in the Minitwins championship of the NG Road Racing Championships in 2025.

Ingham was one of several debutants competing on the Mountain Course as part of the TT for the first time this year. The organisers had highlighted him in advance as one of the notable riders outside the top 20.

The Isle of Man TT is one of the most historic yet most dangerous motorsport events in the world. Since its founding in 1907, numerous riders have lost their lives on the Mountain Course. Daniel Ingham is survived by his wife Helayna, his son Joey and his daughter Phoebe.

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