Gary McCoy says he intends to be back racing next year, with the North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT at the centre of his plans. The 27-year-old rider suffered a serious crash at the Isle of Man TT in June that hospitalised him with five broken vertebrae, one of them crushed, and a broken shoulder blade. Thirteen months earlier a collision at the North West 200 had left him with a bleed on the brain, a punctured lung and 22 broken bones.
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The TT accident occurred on the third lap of the opening Supersport race at the Kerrowmoar section of the 37.73-mile circuit, in damp conditions that caught several riders out. McCoy described the instant he left the road as a two-second realisation and recalled thinking, "Oh no, not again." He added he felt "in disbelief" afterwards and called himself "very, very lucky."
Before this summer’s crash he had been showing encouraging form as a newcomer, having been named best newcomer on his North West 200 debut in 2022 and posting several top-ten finishes at international road races. The Isle of Man outing was due to be his TT debut with the family-run MadBros team, following recovery from the previous year’s injuries.
McCoy acknowledged the toll his career takes on those closest to him. He and his wife, Leana, have two young children, and he conceded road racing is "a very selfish sport." He said Leana would prefer he stopped racing, and that he spent three months living with his parents after the 2025 crash while his wife looked after a newborn, describing her as a "strong woman."
Despite the risks McCoy told a podcast interviewer that motorcycling remains his driving force. "Whenever you want something bad enough you sort of look by it all, and it keeps you going forward," he said. He added, "Motorbikes is driving me on, motorbikes is driving me on to get fitter and get better, get back to work, get back to racing."
McCoy’s timetable now depends on medical recovery and follow-up scans. He has set the clear short-term goal of returning to the North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT and has said he plans to pursue rehabilitation and fitness with the aim of being back on the roads next year. Those steps will determine whether the MadBros rider can convert intention into a competitive comeback.
