Farquhar hints 2027 could be his final chapter in sport
· Yahoo Sports
Road racing record holder Ryan Farquhar has hinted that 2027 could mark the end of his involvement in the sport as he reflected on a remarkable career, huge crashes and the stress of watching riders compete on his bikes.
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Farquhar, who holds the Guinness World Record for road race victories with 357 wins, said he remains immensely proud of a career that began simply "for fun".
"To be at it long enough and be lucky enough to accumulate over 300 wins is something I'm very proud of," he told the BBC Bikes podcast.
The 50-year-old raced alongside Joey Dunlop before going on to surpass the legendary rider's record.
Looking back, Farquhar said being able to compete with the famous Dunlop family remains one of his greatest achievements, including racing against record Isle of Man TT wins holder Michael Dunlop.
"When I look back, that's another thing that I'm proud of. There's quite a few days where I'm one of the few that was able to get the better of Michael. What he has achieved in the sport is remarkable."
But while the victories piled up, Farquhar admitted road racing consumed huge amounts of his life and eventually made him reassess his priorities.
After retiring following the death of his uncle Trevor Ferguson, who was killed while competing at the Manx Grand Prix, one of the reasons behind the decision was a desire to spend more time with wife Karen and daughters Keeley and Mya.
"From they were born, it was paddock after paddock, Northern Ireland, Southern Ireland, Isle of Man, Scarborough," he said.
"We never got on holiday and I thought it was time to knock it on the head and spend more time and do more of the family thing."
However, the Northern Ireland rider later returned to competition and joked that criticism he received for reversing his decision meant he is reluctant to make the same declaration again.
"I'm not retired," he said. "Whenever I did retire and I come back, there's a load of people slagged me off and I'm never going to give them the opportunity in case I do take a notion to go out again."
Despite enjoying success as both a rider and team owner, Farquhar revealed the pressure of running bikes can be harder than racing them himself.
"Over the past four times I've been to the North West 200, whenever Richard Cooper's been on my bike and leading the race, I've actually been physically sick," he said.
"I put that much pressure on myself. If the bike fails, I feel like I've let him down."
Asked whether riding was easier than watching, he laughed: "A hundred per cent. Once you pull the helmet on, the nerves go away."
Farquhar also opened up on the dangers of the sport, recalling major crashes at Cookstown 100 and the North West 200, while paying tribute to many riders lost over the years.
"There are lads that had much smaller crashes and sadly didn't make it," he said. "I don't know why, but I think I'm meant to be here."
Now on the "wrong side of 50", Farquhar admits he is weighing up the future of KMR Racing.
"This could be my last year, I don't know," he said. "There is more to life than motorbike racing. I do feel I have done my bit and it's time to maybe wind it down completely."