Keith Farmer ‘you were mega, kid’

WEDNESDAY, November 9th at 6.51pm will go down as one of those moments in life I’ll not forget, but not for good reasons.

My kids were in the back seat of my car watching a cartoon on my phone – an occasional necessity in order to keep the two year old awake at certain times – when my daughter shouted that someone was trying to phone me.

As we were nearly home I decided to wait five minutes before responding, not realising the enormity of the news I was about to receive.

The importance of the call soon became apparent when I saw the accompanying text message that simply read ‘I’m hearing some terrible news about Keith Farmer’.

My heart sank and after speaking to the individual on the other end of the phone the realisation that there was going to be no happy ending sank in quickly.

Sadly, Keith Stanley Farmer passed away surrounded by his family at 1.45am on Thursday, November 10th, aged just 35.

To say he will be both missed and fondly remembered by those who knew him and those who even encountered him is a massive understatement.

Keith had an infectious enthusiasm about everything he did, which was always accompanied by that contagious, wide grin of his that brightened up the gloomiest of days and the talent so many in the British Superbike Championship paddock could only dream of having.

He was naturally gifted on two wheels, winning the Irish Supermoto Championship at the age of 17 before making the switch to short circuit racing around seven years later where success immediately followed.

He won the National 600 Superstock Championship at the first attempt, despite being on relatively antiquated machinery in a small family team run by his dad Alan, brother David and Darren Gawley, and having never seen most of the circuits before, beating the likes of Glenn Irwin in the process.

It was a sensational season that caught the eye of BSB team owner, Paul Bird who took Farmer under his wing in 2012 for his second season and first in the 1000 Superstock Championship which of course he won in style.

That prompted a promotion to the top flight Superbike class but it also signalled the beginning of a career-long spell of bad luck in the premier series.

He suffered from a mystery illness throughout his first season, which left him sapped of energy and strength and unable to prove his undoubted potential.

He returned to the Superbike class a year later when he claimed his first and only main category podium in tricky conditions at Brands Hatch with the PR Racing team.

Keith then turned his attention back to the support classes, competing in both the British Supersport and National Superstock Championships.

His time with the Appleyard/Macadam team in 2017 proved to be a winning combination as they celebrated title victory after nine wins and a further five podiums during a thrilling year long battle with Andrew Irwin that impressively made Farmer a champion across three different classes.

In 2018, Keith joined the Moneymore-based Tyco BMW team and he superbly claimed a second National Superstock 1000 Championship title.

A year later Keith was back on the BSB grid with the Tyco BMW team and just as the penny seemed to be dropping about how to successfully ride a superbike – sometimes less throttle is more, Keith – he suffered a horrendous crash in wet conditions at Knockhill, which resulted in two broken legs, effectively ending his career.

While he attempted a comeback following surgery and recuperation with Buildbase Suzuki, the ill-fated Morello IMR Racing and finally a return to PR Racing, it would be fair to say he wasn’t the same racer as old, which isn’t unsurprising following that incident at Knockhill.

So, after an uninspiring outing at Silverstone in September 2021 when he suffered another painful off, he decided to call an end to his racing career, much to the disappointment of his fans.

He very nearly returned to action at last month’s Sunflower meeting with the JMcC Roofing racing team but had a late change of heart and when I last spoke to him just a few weeks ago, he was mulling over an offer to return to the BSB paddock.

While it’s easy to see from the above list of successes why Keith was popular with the fans – people love a winner – that doesn’t tell the whole story. His popularity was down to his accessibility, genuine nature and his humbleness.

He had time for everyone, all the time, and he was happy to give it, as his proteges, Omagh’s Jamie Lyons and Aughnacloy’s Andrew Smyth will testify. The ‘Clogher Bullet’ acted as mentor to both, giving up his free time to help them develop their skills on the track, which both were massively grateful for. But Keith being Keith, while he was pleased to help the two lads, he was disappointed he couldn’t do more.

It was amazing he was able to do anything on race weekend, though, as apparently it took him almost the entire four days to get the length of the pit lane as he stopped and made time for everyone who said hello, but that was Keith.

I’ve been covering his career for almost 18 years, more extensively over the last decade and he became a friend during that time. No matter how badly or how well things were going he never went missing, never got above himself, he was the same old Keith, smiling, laughing and chatting, very definitely chatting.

On race weekends, when I phone riders after a meeting, the conversation invariably lasts five, no more than 10 minutes, with Keith it could be close to an hour!

He had an amazing memory, describing passes, corners, opponents with clarity and accuracy, but after he had spoken about how his on-track weekend panned out we would end up chatting about life and work and everything in between, particularly parenting and his daughters, Sophie, Khloe and the most recent arrival, Addison, all of whom he loved dearly.

He was one of those people who was easy to be around and his company a pleasure due to his effervescence and that unforgettable smile that, even just picturing it in my head, makes me do likewise.

And as sad as the end of the Keith Farmer story is, as untimely and frustrating given all he still had to offer, his life was one to remember fondly. His achievements were incredible, his ability on a bike sensational and his personality was a joy.

In short, Keith, you were mega, kid.