Biker who crashed at 200mph determined to race again

A motorbike racer who came off his bike at 210mph said it was “a miracle” he survived, but he has not decided to give up racing.

Danny Cockerill, 56, from Basildon in Essex, had just finished a personal best at Santa Pod Raceway when he lost control of his Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo drag bike.

“I travelled down the finish line, barrel rolling, sliding, crashing and banging – I didn’t think it was ever going to stop.

“I saw daylight and darkness, and every time I rolled over it hurt. When I came to a stop I was lying on my back and my nephew said ‘Just lie still’,” Mr Cockerill recalled.

He had been racing his nephew at the track on Sunday 17 August, accelerating from zero to 210mph in 7.01 seconds.

“When I left the start line, everything seemed really good. The bike was on a good run, it was a personal best run.

“I went through the finish line at 210 miles per hour, but by the time I came off the motorcycle it was more like 219,” he said.

Mr Cockerill said the team at Santa Pod were “absolutely fantastic”.

“The medics came and told me to stay still. I had to have an operation to the knee, and there were broken bones. I had a lot of grazes to the rest of my body.”

Mr Cockerill also needed a skin graft on his forearm and said: “I’m pleased to say I’m here to tell the tale.”

“Even the hospital couldn’t believe how well I was, not long after the accident.

“I was alert the next day – it’s a miracle really that I’m still alive.

“People may say ‘Now’s the time to hang up your boots’, but life’s for living.”

He said when the accident happened, he was “ready to quit,” but is now “contemplating getting a bike back together to go and race next year”.

“My wife and daughter apparently spoke on the Sunday night. I was trying to achieve a goal and didn’t quite get to it.

“They were discussing my future and didn’t think I’d be ready to quit without running a six second pass.

“I haven’t made that decision yet. I’m not worried about getting back on a bike – it depends on finances and my ability to do so,” he added.