GARY DYNES 17th OCTOBER 1964 – 13th AUGUST 2000

Gary Dynes started his motor sport career in the field of schoolboy moto-cross where he won numerous events, but quit saying it was too tough and turned to motorcycle racing. At the age of 24 he bought a 250cc Rotax from Victor Kelly, while his parents where on holidays, his first race was in Nutts Corner short circuit in August 1988 were he finished mid pack.

1989 saw the Rotax updated for his first road race at Tandragee 100, on the day he was very nervous as his 250cc was in with the big 1000cc bikes but when it was all over he had a taste of it and wanted more.

Gary’s first rostrum place was at the Mid Antrim 150 later that year in group B and then at Carrowdore 100 he achieved 3 rd place in group C 250.350 class.

The 1990 season started with a few non-finishes on the Rotax so a 250cc ECM was purchased with the help of Billy Dynes ( Gary’s father), from Ernie Coates Motorcycles in Belfast. He spent the rest of the year learning the race circuits.

The 1991 Cookstown 100 saw Gary win the B group and come 7 th overall in the 250cc race. Gary’s first real sponsorship came from Wilfie McAvoy with a Denis Todds 200cc Yamaha. Gary had numerous wins and was rewarded with a 200cc road race championship.

1992 is the year which Gary was asked to ride for the Moira Motorcycle Racing Club on their 250cc Yamaha, this was the start of a 7 year relationship with the Club. Gary rode road races all over Ireland that year with improving success; he won his first short circuit Bishopscourt 250cc that year.

In 1993 the Moira Club got Gary a 250cc Honda with help from Jim and Iris Watters. The Honda was raced with a lot of success, Gary achieved 4th in the 250cc and Open championship. He also raced a 125cc Honda supplied by his father and Wilfie Mavoy on which he did well.

1994 The Club upgraded the Honda and Gary’s racing also improved with him winning his first 250cc road race at Killalane in September. He was now also riding one of the new 125cc Yamahas ,provided by Billy Dynes and Ivan Rainey.

1995 started badly with Gary having an accident at Aghadowey resulting in a broken wrist, so he was out until Dundrod 150.

1996 began with a new 250cc Honda from the Club and a new 125cc from Billy and Ivan. This year was the start of his race to the top. He won most races North and South of Ireland so much so that he achieved his goal of winning the 250cc road race championship (according to some, the hardest championship). He was also 2 nd in the 125cc road race championship.

1997 the Club again updated the 250cc Honda with Billy and Ivan purchasing another new 125cc Honda. Gary had additional sponsorship from the newly formed Ardee Road Racing Supporters Club who helped him through the following years. Gary gained himself some good results this year. One of the most memorable would be the Grand Final at Skerries 100 in July, Gary was racing against the big Hondas and Yamahas on his 250cc Honda and won the race setting a new absolute lap record of 102.82mph. He also recorded his fastest lap at the Ulster Grand Prix in August of 119.03mph. He won the 250cc championship again, 4 th in the 125cc championship and 3 rd overall in the Senior Championship.

The Club bought another new 250cc Honda in 1998, Francis Neill supplied a new 125cc Honda and ex racer Raymond Campbell supplied a 600cc Honda. Gary only raced the 600 a few times finding it finding it strange being so used to race bikes. Gary ended the year with a 2 nd in the 125 championship, 4 th in the Senior Open Championship and winning the 250cc Championship again.

In 1999 Gary left the Moira Club to go to Francis Neill as his principal sponsor with the Royal Hotel owned by Milton and Stephen Thom becoming his main associate sponsors. Gary finished 3 rd in the 125cc Championship and won the 250cc Championship recording wins at many venues, with Killalane probably the best 250cc race of the year between Gary, Denis McCullough and the late Joey Dunlop. He also achieved the lap record for the 125cc race at the Ulster Grand Prix with a speed of 112.4mph. 1999 also saw Gary riding the ex Grand Prix 4 cylinder 500cc Yamaha owned by the Greenham brothers, Dave and Geoff. This was to be a two year project.

In the new millennium the Royal Hotel took over as team owner with additional sponsorship from McQuaid International Transport Ltd. His 1999 machines were updated to the latest specs for the season, with wins at Tandragee, Walderstown, and the Southern 100, Gary also had regular finishes in the top 3 in both 125 and 250 classes. He set the fastest lap record of 91.031 on the 125 at Monaghan. Gary was leading he 250cc Championship at the time of his untimely death after the crash at Monaghan Road Races on August 13 th.

GARY and THE ISLE OF MAN T.T.

Like every ‘Road Racer’ Gary’s ambition was to win at the Isle Of Man T.T, his first visit was in 1993. He prepared for the race by watching video footage of the race all through the winter and finally taking a trip in February to see the circuit for real. So in May of that year he was all set for his first T.T. With the help of is friend, the late Raymond Hanna he commenced to do numerous laps of the circuit in the van taking it all in, as no one else seemed to notice he was even there. In the 125cc race misfortune struck on lap two at the Bungalow, Gary retired with a broken exhaust. Later in the week on the 250cc he finished with a credible 15th and received his first of many replicas. Gary also won the best newcomers award on his first attempt at the mountain circuit.

Returning in 1994 armed with an updated 250cc and a new 125cc Yamaha, which was to give Gary his first silver replica. In the Junior after a slow start he progressed to finish 10 th overall and another silver replica.

Gary missed the T.T in 1995 due to breaking his wrist earlier that season.

The 1996 T.T he returned with a very good show, he achieved 6 th place in the 125 and finished in the top 12 in the 250cc. At the National Road Race meeting on the Southern 100 course he came 2nd in the 201-400cc class behind Joey Dunlop and 5th in the 125 solo less than a second behind Joey.

1997 was one of the best rides Gary had. The top 6 places had Joey Dunlop, Ian Lougher, John McGuinness, Shaun Harris and Denis McCullough all gong for it. By lap two Gary had managed to shake them off to get 3rd, by lap four he was in 2nd with only seconds splitting 2nd to 5th place. But as Gary passed the pits he signaled his pit crew that there was something wrong and had to settle with 5th place due to engine problems but he was there and that’s what counts. He also got 7th in the 125cc.

The 1998 T.T proved very disappointing with 5th place in the 125cc and a lowly 15 th in the very wet 2 lap lightweight race.

But the best was yet to come, 1999 was his best year at the IOM T.T. Geared up with Francis Neill’s 125cc and 250cc Honda’s plus an exotic 500cc Yamaha from Dave and Geoff Greenham. Gary finished a fantastic 8th in the T.T. Formula 1 event and also recorded his fastest lap ever 119.93mph. In the lightweight he finished 6th with a lap speed of 117.67mph but there was more to come, they say keep the best till last and he did. In the ultra-lightweight on the Wednesday Gary rode his finest race to achieve 3 rd place with a fastest lap of 107.98mph. This got Gary his only rostrum placing at the IOM T.T. probably his proudest moment and the proudest of his family and friends.

T.T 2000 with his new sponsor the Royal Hotel Cookstown, with updated 125cc, 250cc and along with the Greenhams 500 Gary’s expectations were high, but with retirements in the Formula 1 and the Senior and a disappointing 9th in the 250, he did not have a good TT. He went on to finish 4th in the ultra-lightweight. This was Gary’s last Isle Of Man T.T.

On the thirteenth of August 2000 Gary Dynes had a tragic accident at the North Monaghan Road Races on the first lap of the 250cc race, from the injuries he sustained he subsequently died at Craigavon hospital.

Our club, this website and the championships we run are a tribute to Gary Dynes.

Thank you to Gary’s wife Vivienne, his sons Carl and Mark and to his family for their continuing support.