Conor McGinn

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Dubliner Conor McGinn first competed on the Isle of Man in the 1978 Southern 100 road races at Castletown, winning best newcomer and 6th overall in the Southern 100 championship race. Later in September that year at the Manx GP, he finished 2nd in the Newcomer’s Junior 350cc class. Then while lying 2nd on the final lap of the Senior MGP, he ran out of fuel at Hilberry, pushing in to finish 22nd and take the last silver replica. The 1979 MGP saw two 2nd places again in the Lightweight & Junior races to winners Con Law & Clive Watts respectively.

In the 1980 TT, he had entries in the Senior, Junior & Classic races on Yamaha TZ 250cc and 350cc machines. It was a busy race week after bad weather cancelled the Monday and Tuesday race days. Using one Spondon frame, it was a rebuild of a complete machine for each race day. After a DNF in the Senior, the Junior saw an 11th place finish with a 13th in Friday’s Classic, which also saw Joey Dunlop’s famous victory at a new lap record of 115.40 mph. Later that year, Conor finished 3rd in the Southern 100 championship race in July.

1981 saw hopes high, arriving TT week with a new Yamaha TZ350, new TZ250 power-valve and Joey’s previous year’s TZ500. Some very quick standing start laps on the 250 saw potential for a top three finish. And thanks to the late Jock Taylor, replacement engine crankcases gave him only one Friday practice session lap on the Yamaha TZ500 at 110mph.

However, fate took its course starting in the Senior TT the following Monday, and after a DNF when the front sprocket sheared its teeth at Ballacrye, that race was stopped due to worsening weather on the 3rd lap. Being allowed to restart in Tuesday’s re-run Senior and getting in to fifth place on the second lap, Conor crashed heavily in the Black Dub area of the course. Aged 26 and left paralysed from the accident which ended his racing career, he returned for several years to the TT on holidays. There he could be often found at his TT sponsor’s Hotel RIO (aka the ‘R10’) on the Loch Promenade. Since then, he’s been involved in the sport in Ireland and worked in Information Technology.
(Biography and images suppliedy by Conor McGinn, 2020.)

Nationality: Irish

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