Girlfriend of British Superbikes Rider Faces Second Tragedy in Devastating Crash

In a heart-wrenching twist of fate, the motorsport community was left stunned this week by the sad death of British Superbikes rider Shane Richardson. 29-year-old New Zealand native Richardson died of his life-threatening injuries after sustaining them in an accident involving 11 motorcycles when he crashed while racing in Sunday’s British Supersport Championship at Oulton Park, Cheshire. But for girlfriend Hannah James, this tragic news was worse as it was her second experience of losing a beloved partner in a motorbike racing accident.

The crash happened at the first corner of the event with terrifying quickness and resulted in bringing anarchy onto the road. 11 motorcyclists were among the crash. Unfortunately, that day, instead of one life, two lost their lives: Shane Richardson and Owen Jenner aged 21 years. Richardson was killed by serious chest injuries during the transfer to Royal Stoke University Hospital. Jenner, with an awful head wound, was dead on the scene.

Richardson was racing for the Astro-JJR Hippo Suzuki team, one which had established its reputation for durability and competitiveness on the circuit. His passing is being lamented not just in the British Superbike paddocks but far and wide by his partner Hannah James and their two young children, now bereft of a father.

For Ms. James, the grief has a bitter echo of what once was. Nine years previously, she had gone through something similar when her then-boyfriend, 25-year-old Billy Redmayne, was killed in a crash while racing in the Oliver’s Mount Spring Cup in North Yorkshire. Redmayne was a good Isle of Man-based rider with a traumatic brain injury and, although flown to hospital by air ambulance, was unable to be saved.

That previous defeat didn’t come easy to everyone within the close racing community. In those visiting then to leave tributes was one Shane Richardson himself. He’d put up on Instagram a sentimental picture of he, Redmayne, and James with written words on the caption, “How quickly it all can change. I’ll never forget the short-lived time we shared both racing, and getting the most drunk I’ve ever been! RIP Billy, ride on up there.”

It was a reminder, at the time, of how narrowly the line between rush-of-adrenaline thrills and disaster can be drawn in motor sport. Little could he have ever imagined that he would eventually go on to meet his own tragic end in a similar way and that the woman he comforted would eventually mourn him in like fashion.

This most recent tragedy at Oulton Park has fueled renewed debate about safety in motorcycle racing. The first-corner carnage which claimed two lives and left one in serious condition has raised some pressing questions about track procedures, visibility of the rider, and emergency response protocol. Motor racing has always been full of risks, but safety equipment and technology improvements on tracks have made it far safer over the past few years. But when something like that happens, they’re a bitter reminder of how capricious and merciless – this sport can be.

Aside from the headlines and ensuing investigations, it’s the people’s stories that are most deeply resonant. Hannah James, who used to stand by and see her partners, upon whom she cheered and luxuriated in their victories, now must grapple with the unthinkable chore of having to tell her children why their father will never be returning. It is an ironical irony that she must endure such colossal loss twice over, under almost precisely the same conditions.

Tributes have been coming in since the accident for Richardson and Jenner. Fellow cyclists, teammates, and supporters have expressed sympathies and memories of two men pursuing their dreams on the track. Richardson was not only known for his hard competitive edge but also his niceness and camaraderie off the track. Jenner, who was already a rising star at 21, had already established himself and was regarded as one of the stars of the sport in the future.

For most in the world of racing, the fatalities are more than statistics – they are grim reminders of mortality in life in spite of the brash who live, breathe, and die for speed and competition. Safety will undoubtedly be the main subject of the weeks and months ahead. But for now, attention is on paying tribute to those who have died and caring for the survivors.

As motorsport grieves, Hannah James is suffering a loss that few can ever truly comprehend. The death of Shane Richardson is the loss not only of a brilliant rider but of a wonderful partner and a dad. Racing will continue as it always does, but the aftershocks of this disaster will resound for years to come – among fans, among colleagues, but most of all among those who cared about him.