Mark Watson: Quad bike racing champion dies in car crash in Cumbria

By
Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 6:20 PM on 27th December 2011

Mark Watson died in a car crash

Mark Watson died in a car crash

A quad bike racing champion who competed nationally has died after he was in a car accident.

Mark Watson was involved in the accident in the early hours of Tuesday morning when the white Ford Fiesta he was travelling in smashed into a house in Alston, Cumbria.

Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. Police have said a full investigation into the death will be carried out.

The 26-year-old was recovering from serious injuries after another accident in September involving a quad bike which landed on him.

Watson, who was competing at the time, had to be airlifted to hospital and spent three weeks recovering while he underwent laser treatment to heal his damaged ligaments and muscles in his lower back.

He was a former British motocross sidecar champion in 2007 as passenger with brother John driving, but turned to quad bike racing in February 2008.

Watson, of Alston, Cumbria, was ranked second in the country for quad biking.

He pulled off his first first overall victory in the British MMX championships in 2009 at a national event held in Workington.

In 2010, he won the top spot in the 2010 Goldspeed ACU British Quad Championship and was ranked second overall.

He had raced for Bishop Auckland based team Team Anderson ATV, owned by Paul Anderson, a former British Quad Champion.

A message on ‘Quad Online’ – a website dedicated to Quad racing, read: ‘Top UK quad racing star Mark Watson had died following a road accident last night.

The scene of the accident in Alston, Cumbria, which killed the quad biking champion

The scene of the accident in Alston, Cumbria, which killed the quad biking champion

‘Mark had been making a remarkable recovery from multiple injuries received in an horrendous practice crash at the Quadcross of European Nations in Germany in September, and was preparing and training for the 2012 QX season.

‘There are few details available at the moment, but we will publish an update in due course. Our thoughts are with Mark’s family and friends at this time.’

Mark Watson also owned his own construction company and worked as a builder.

Watson at the Moto Cross side car World Cup Final in Rudersberg, Germany in 2005

Watson at the Moto Cross side car World Cup Final in Rudersberg, Germany in 2005

In February this year, he made an appeal for the return of his KTM quad bike worth £8,000 after it was stolen from an outbuilding near his home.

His orange and black competition bike was emblazoned with 85 on the front and rear – the year of his birth.

Mark competed in events in Britain, Europe and America and his favourite circuits for motocross were in Brou, France and Rudersberg, Germany.

He began winning trophies in 2004 for sidecar racing he became British Under 21 champion.

In 2007 he became British Sidecar Champion after coming 2nd the previous year.

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