From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

DAVID JEFFERIES

Team Suzuki Press Office. May 30 2003.
David Jefferies, 30, the fastest-ever rider on the TT Mountain Course, died (Thursday May 29th) when he crashed his 1000cc TAS Suzuki during practice for this year’s races in the Isle of Man.

The burly Yorkshireman was on his second lap of the dry-roads, afternoon session when his machine left the road at the flat-out-in-top-gear, 160-mph left-hand kink between Glen Vine and Crosby. On the opening lap he recorded a speed of 125.20 mph.

The afternoon practice season was stopped and then abandoned with an extra session for solo riders being scheduled for Friday morning.

In an official statement, the race organising ACU, said that an enquiry into the details of the incident would be instituted immediately.

Nine time TT winner, Jefferies, opened his score in 1999 when he won the Formula One, Senior and 1000cc Production races on V&M Yamahas. The following year, with similar machines, he again won the Senior and Production events and added a first place in the Junior Supersport race.

Following the cancellation of the TT because of foot and mouth disease in 2001, Jefferies joined Suzuki for last year’s event and added yet another victory treble in the F1, Senior and Production races.

Also last year Jefferies won the Superbike race at the North West 200 and the production 1000cc race at the Ulster GP on TAS GSXR Suzukis

Jefferies, from Baildon, West Yorkshire ran a motorcycle dealership at Shipley and came from a family long associated with the motorcycle trade and sport. This dated back to the early post-second World War days when his grandfather was a bike sport all-rounder.

Philip Neil, the Team Manager of the TAS Suzuki team: “The death of David has left the team shocked and devastated. Not only had David become a very close personal friend of the whole team, but he was a fantastic motorcycle rider and a real ambassador for our sport. Our thoughts are now with Pauline, Tony and the rest of David’s family circle,”