Rising motorbike star dies after horrific Brands Hatch crash

A promising young motorbike racer who was tipped as a future world champion, has died in hospital following a horrific crash.

Honda rider Craig Jones, 23,  of Peterborough, Cambs, suffered serious head injuries when he lost control of his bike on the seventh lap of the British leg of the World Supersport Championship at Brands Hatch at the weekend.

He was in a close second place when he accelerated out of the fast Clark Curve and lost the back end of his 600cc Parkalgar Honda machine.

The race was immediately stopped and Jones was treated at the scene of the 120mph accident.

He was transferred to the Circuit Medical Centre before being flown by Air Ambulance to the Royal London Hospital.

The former Foggy Petronas World Superbike rider arrived in a critical condition and was placed in a pharmacological coma by doctors to try and stabilise his condition but he died in the early hours of the morning.

Jones, originally from Northwich, Cheshire, was lying in seventh place in the overall championship standings.

He won the 1996 British Junior Mini-Moto Championship, the 1997 British Senior Mini-Moto Championship, 2002 British Junior Superstock Championship and numerous race victories and awards.

In 2005 he finished runner-up in the British Supersport Championship before moving to the World Superbike Championship for the 2006 season. He finished fifth in the World Supersport Championship last year.

Jonathan Palmer, chief executive of MotorSport Vision which owns the racetrack, said Mr Jones was a "determined and professional" rider.

'I am so desperately sad that Craig died from the injuries he sustained at Brands Hatch,' he said.

'Britain has lost a wonderful rider whom I admired enormously and had every chance of being a future world champion.

'It is fitting that the abiding memory so many of us will have of Craig was him riding brilliantly, battling for the lead of an incredible race, in front of his home crowd.'

Jones' team manager at Parkalgar Honda, Simon Buckmaster, also paid tribute to his rider.

'It is with great sadness that we learned Craig passed away in the early hours,' he said.

'The team's thoughts are with Craig's family and friends at this very difficult time. Craig's family passes on its thanks to all well wishers.'