A new BSB Breakthrough Award will be presented at the Adelaide Irish Motorbike Awards in Belfast next week to honour the late Keith Farmer, and will be awarded annually to a rider from Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland in memory of the four-time champion.
Farmer was a popular and highly successful rider within the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, winning multiple titles within the support classes and deeply respected by the whole paddock. He tragically died in November 2022 at the age of 35.
The first recipient of the BSB Breakthrough Award will be the Irish rider who is deemed to have made the biggest impact over the season and will be revealed at the gala event in Northern Ireland next week.
Farmer first claimed the National Superstock 600 Championship title in 2011 as a privateer and his performances led him to join PBM and progress into the Superstock 1000 class, delivering his second consecutive title victory in 2012.
As reigning champion in the Superstock 1000 class, he was elevated into Bennetts BSB with PBM with a best result of fourth, before returning to the Superbike class a year later where he claimed his first and only main category podium in tricky conditions at Brands Hatch with the PR Racing team.
Farmer returned to the support classes, competing in both the British Supersport and National Superstock Championships, firstly winning the Supersport title in 2017 with the Appleyard/Macadam team, impressively making him a champion across three different classes. He then once again celebrated Superstock title glory in 2018 with the Tyco BMW team.
The new BSB Breakthrough Award in Keith Farmer’s honour will continue to recognise and celebrate future riders from Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland making their mark within the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and support classes.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship Series Director Stuart Higgs commented: "The new BSB Breakthrough Award is the result of a collaboration between BSB promoter MSVR and the organisers of the Irish Motorbike Awards in Keith Farmer’s honour and will annually recognise and celebrate future riders making their mark within the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and support classes. Keith made a lasting impression on everyone involved in BSB and this award will keep his memory to the forefront."