Former GP co-organizer named MotoGP Legend

Mike Trimby (left) and Micheal Rutter

Mike Trimby, a former long-term co-organizer of the Macau Grand Prix event, has been named a MotoGP Legend, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and the organizer and commercial rights owner of MotoGP championship Dorna Sports announced.

He will become the first non-rider to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, honoring his off-track contributions to the sport.

Trimby, who passed away in September last year, had played a major role in the organizing of the local Motorcycle GP over 34 years. In 2011, he decided to abandon the organizing committee of the Macau GP, citing internal disputes with other members of the local committee.

In November 2011, Trimby announced the news of his departure in a personal letter addressed to all the riders who joined that year’s event.

Although Trimby always refused to comment on the matter to the media, the letter cited problems with an unnamed member of the Macau GP organizing committee, “who clearly does not like me and goes to great lengths to cause trouble for me.”

He further elaborated on the topic by referring to an accusation that claimed he profited from sponsorship arrangements that he claimed to be out of his scope of work and that he “had nothing to do with.”

In addition to being a co-organizer of the Macau GP, Trimby was the founder and CEO of the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA), the association that continues to represent the interests of the riders with the organizers of the championship races.

He had been involved with the local GP since 1978 when he raced in the event and finished on the podium behind Sadeo Asami and Steve Parrish.

In the same year, he began work with the organizers to gather a contingent of foreign riders to compete in Macau, an arrangement that lasted until 2011.

He is credited for using his influence and knowledge over more than 30 years to bring superstars of the motorcycle championships worldwide to Macau, including names such as 500cc category world champions Kevin Schwantz and Wayne Gardner, Superbike world title winners Carl Fogarty, and the Macau GP and Road Racing stars such as Ron Haslam, Joey, and Robert Dunlop.

Trimbyís exit carried

consequences

Apart from being a shocking revelation at the time, the departure of Trimby also brought consequences that outshone the GP event itself, due to the extent of Trimby’s influence. Probably the biggest example of this was the removal of American racer Kevin Schwantz’s motorcycle from the collection of the Macau GP Museum, arguably the most valuable piece that has ever been on display in the local museum that is dedicated to the over 70-year-old event.

Although, according to an official response from the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), the famous motorcycle of the “wheelie-king” was removed due to the end of the loan agreement with Suzuki who owned the piece, sources close to the matter told the Times that the motorcycle was removed shortly after the relationship of Trimby and the local GP ended. They claim the motorcycle was, until some time ago, in the possession of Trimby’s family.

Concurrently with the removal of Schwantz’s motorcycle from the museum, at least one other motorcycle was also removed from the collection, being the one that Trimby rode during the 1978 Macau GP.

Among the big names

With Trimby as a MotoGP Legend in 2024, Dorna and FIM expressed the desire to honor a life dedicated to motorcycle Grand Prix racing. They said Trimby was one of the most important figures in the history of motorcycle Grand Prix racing, having  played a pivotal role in shaping the sport.

In the announcement, Trimby’s wife, Irene, said, “Mike would have been very honored to receive this prestigious award. Everyone who knew him knows he never would have expected it either. It’s wonderful for his work and legacy to be acknowledged in this way, although I’m sure he might also have been a little embarrassed to see us putting on a ceremony and giving him a trophy! It’s also something very special for me, for everyone who worked closely with him, and for everyone who continues to miss him very much. Thank you very much.”

CEO of Dorna Sports, Carmelo Ezpeleta, added, “Mike’s contribution to motorcycle Grand Prix racing is truly monumental, and we’re proud to name him a MotoGP Legend. Since the concept of MotoGP Legends was born, it has always been about more than numbers. There are no criteria based on simple race wins or number of championships. It’s about contribution to the sport – be it off-track, on-track, or a combination of the two. Mike should become the first figure honored purely for his off-track impact, as his work in this sport was truly second to none. It will be an honor for us, and for me, to induct Mike into the Hall of Fame. He is greatly missed and we race on in his memory.”

Trimby will join the list of his fellow MotoGP Legends in the Hall of Fame, which includes names such as Giacomo Agostini, Max Biaggi, Alex Crivillé, Mick Doohan, Andrea Dovizioso, Geoff Duke, Wayne Gardner, Mike Hailwood, Nicky Hayden, Jorge Lorenzo, Daijiro Kato, Eddie Lawson, Randy Mamola, Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez, Angel Nieto, Dani Pedrosa, Wayne Rainey, Kenny Roberts, Kenny Roberts Jr, Valentino Rossi, Kevin Schwantz, Marco Simoncelli, Freddie Spencer, Casey Stoner and Franco Uncini.