Lee Johnston (motorcyclist)
| Lee Johnston | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Lee Johnston 1989 Maguiresbridge, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Sencat by Swan Racing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lee Johnston (b. 1989) is a motorcycle racer from Maguiresbridge,[1] County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland who currently competes in the British Supersport Championship for Sencat by Swan Racing. He is a successful road racer, having won the North West 200 five times and 2019 Isle of Man TT in the Supersport class.
Career
Early career
Johnston first began competing in motorcycle racing as a teenager, winning national championships on Minimoto bikes. He then moved British Superstock, originally in the National Superstock 1000 class and then National Superstock 600, winning the latter category in 2008.[2]
He graduated to the main British Supersport Championship in 2009, and finished 12th overall in the standings with a best result of fifth. For the 2010 season, he contested all but one round of the championship and finished in 13th place. In 2011, he signed a deal with East Coast Construction team, and finished the season in 16th place. Following the 2011 season, Johnston moved primarily to road racing.[2]
Road racing
Johnston first competed in road racing in 2011, when East Coast Construction invited him to North West 200, Isle of Man TT and Ulster Grand Prix, taking a podium in the latter. He competed in the three races for the following eight years, switching to a Honda bike in 2017, on which he finished second at the 2017 North West 200. The following year, he moved back to Yamaha, with East Coast Construction now known as Ashcourt Racing, and won the North West 200. In 2019, he achieved his first victory at the Isle of Man TT in the Supersport race.[2]
Major road races were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
During practice for the 2023 North West 200, Johnston crashed heavily and sustained serious injuries, including a broken femur, shoulder and ribs, along with a collapsed lung.[4] In 2025, BBC released a film titled Ride or Die which partially focused on Johnston's accident and recovery.[5]
Johnston attempted to return to road racing in 2024, but broke his leg during testing in Spain.[6] This left him unable to compete in both the North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT. However, he was able to recover in time for the Manx Grand Prix in August, competing in the Lightweight class, and finished in second place.[7][8]
He chose not to return to the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT in 2025, instead focusing on his British Supersport campaign, although he did participate in BBC Northern Ireland's coverage of both events.[9]
Return to British Supersport Championship
Johnston returned to the British Supersport Championship in 2020. Towards the end of the season, he began to struggle with ankylosing spondylitis, a spinal condition that causes inflammation.[10]
In 2023, he was leading the championship standings when he suffered severe injuries during the North West 200, which meant he was unable to compete in the remainder of the season. He finished 17th in the standings with two wins.[11]
In September 2024, Johnston returned to the series following recovery from his 2023 injuries, competing in the final three rounds of the championship. In the same month, he announced that Ashcourt Racing would withdraw from competiton following the end of the season.[12] He finished the year in 15th place in the standings.
Johnston remained in the series for 2025, now competing for Sencat by Swan Racing.[13]
Career statistics
Partial British Supersport Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
* Season still in progress
References
- ^ Katrina Brennan, 'The man behind the helmet'. Fermanagh Herald, 10 February 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2025
- ^ a b c Bestwick, Alex (8 August 2022). "Return to the Roads: Lee Johnston". MoreBikes. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Petrie, Richard (16 April 2020). "Lee Johnston: 'I'm lucky enough I have a job to go to' - TT winner working for sponsor". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Lee Johnston releases NW200 crash footage and speaks of traumatic battle". Belfast Live. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "New BBC film, Ride or Die, explores how faith, grief and the risk of fatality push a diverse cast of racers to the limit". www.bbc.co.uk. 3 April 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Top NI rider's comeback ruined by double leg break after horror crash in Spain". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 4 March 2024. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Robinson, James (7 August 2025). "Lee Johnston set for return to the roads after two years out". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "PE Lightweight Manx Grand Prix Race" (PDF). Manx Grand Prix. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Lee Johnston: NI rider to sit out North West 200 and Isle of Man TT in 2025". BBC Sport. 30 December 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Gray, Andy (24 February 2022). "Lee Johnston: 'I've been given another chance' - Isle of Man TT winner Johnston back after fighting illness". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "'Crash almost killed me but I'll be back', says Lee Johnston". Impartial Reporter. 21 August 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Close, Josh (26 September 2024). "Roads: Lee Johnston reveals that Ashcourt Racing will withdraw from racing at the end of 2024". www.motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Duncan, Lewis (31 December 2024). "Isle of Man TT winner won't be road racing in 2025, gets British Supersport deal". www.crash.net. Retrieved 4 July 2025.