Mark Buckley

Mark Buckley, who has died aged 35 following a motorcycling accident at the North West (NW) 200 race in Northern Ireland, was one of life's committed individuals, who tested his mettle and his nerves to the limit every time he mounted his bike.

The Alexandria-based rider, whose passing cast a cloud over the whole event, was in thrall to motoring, machinery and manoeuvring to ride as fast as possible, whether on the treacherous terrain at the Isle of Man TT festival, or in a string of different championships in his sport throughout the last decade.

And while Buckley never enjoyed the same success as some of his confreres, headed by Steve Hislop and Niall Mackenzie, his premature demise demonstrates that road racing remains one of the most casualty-littered pursuits.

Buckley was a steely competitor, utterly fearless in his domain, and he had recently signed up with the newly formed Splitlath Redmond team, which was using the NW event as preparation for next month's action in the Isle of Man when tragedy struck.

But he was also an irrepressible character, somebody who relished the thrill of the open highway, allied to the motivation of pushing himself to the max, and friends, acquaintances and rivals alike spoke of his insatiable appetite for fresh challenges and the manifest joy which he derived from dwelling in the fast lane.

"Mark was a rider who always had a smile on his face, and he was always positive, with an infectious sense of humour," said a statement from his team, capturing the qualities which endeared him to his peers in Scotland and the wider world. "He cared deeply about his colleagues and others."

He also cared about proving his abilities at the highest level and enjoyed significant success in a number of areas. In 2006, Buckley gave Triumph their first national win for years, when riding the Daytona 675cc triple vehicle, and he also tasted victory as a newcomer at the annual Manx TT festival, and posted a string of creditable results in the Supersport races on his CBR600 Honda bike.

He was particularly fond of racing in Northern Ireland, and apart from posting a top-10 finish in the prestigious Ulster Grand Prix in 2007, was widely regarded as one of the most talented performers of his generation.

Indeed, Buckley's CV testifies to his ability to extract the most from his diverse range of equipment, yet, in common with the rest of the biking fraternity, he was fully aware that the smallest of mistakes might prove the catalyst for calamity.

Undaunted, he kept spurring himself forward with unfettered enthusiasm. As somebody who has gone round the circuit at the Isle of Man – in a car, not on a bike – I can testify to the courage required to negotiate the TT trail, but Buckley shared the philosophy of his late compatriot, Hislop, who once said: "You can't afford to be scared in this business, or you wouldn't get on the bike. You just have to aim for the black bits [of track] and trust your instincts and your opponents. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the drivers have such a deep bond. We all have to trust one another."

It may be little consolation at the moment to Buckley's wife, Jayne, but the sense of shock which enveloped the NW 200, and elicited tributes from such superstars as Carl Fogarty, highlighted the impression which this big-hearted champion made in his realm.