A second competitor has died during qualifying for the 2026 Manx Grand Prix on the Isle of Man, in what has become a deadly week for the road racing event. Sam Naughton, 37, from Castletown, was killed in a crash at Doran's Bend on Wednesday afternoon, just a day after fellow rider Mauro Poncini died in a separate incident at Cruickshanks in Ramsey.

Naughton was competing in the Manx Grand Prix for only the second time, having made his debut on the 37.7-mile Mountain Course in 2025, though he had raced regularly in other road racing events since 2020. He leaves a wife, Charlotte, and four children, Bonnie, Liam, Jesse and Parker. Organisers, Manx Grand Prix Races, said they were "deeply saddened" and passed on their condolences to his family. Qualifying, which runs alongside the Classic TT, was set to continue on Thursday, with the meeting due to conclude on 28 August.