Reigning British Superbike champion Steve Hislop was killed today when the helicopter he was piloting crashed in remote farmland on the Scottish border.

Hislop, 41, had a turbulent career with both very high peaks and very low troughs. At his best, the Scots rider was almost unbeatable as borne out by his 11 TT wins and two British Superbike Championships. But he has also been beset by problems including an horrific accident in the opening round of World Superbikes at Brands Hatch in 2000 which saw him break his neck in a first corner pileup.

This season was typically up and down, with some great race performances being coupled with bad luck and setup problems. The results he was searching for were not coming and he had recently parted company with the Virgin Yamaha team.

While 2003 will never be regarded as the highlight of Hislop's career, there can be no doubt that one of the British Superbike Championship's brightest stars has been taken from us. Ironically, just as his racing career may have been on the wane other avenues were opening with the success of his autobiography and the recent acquisition of a helicopter licence which he was considering as a springboard for a move into commercial aviation.

On a personal note, while Steve may have had his faults, he was always a gentleman, always friendly and courteous and always had time for his fans. He was a pleasure to race against and could always be relied upon to be utterly professional, even in the heat of competition. I for one will miss him greatly.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.