'Tom was a unique person. Very funny, affectionate, a perfectionist, a very hard worker and a great friend for anyone to have.'
Andrea Coleman
Fresh from a first ever North West 200 victory, where he was involved in a titanic tussle with Tommy Robb in the 350cc race, a young Ulsterman competed in the Isle of Man TT races for the first time in 1970 and, following a 13th place in the Lightweight 250 TT, was then injured in a 110mph crash at Ballacraine in the Junior TT which put him out for the rest of that season.
The following year a crash at a wet North West 200 resulted in a broken elbow, a paralysed arm and a bent pin in his leg, a legacy from the aforementioned TT crash. But this intrepid Son of Mourne was to bounce back to become one of the world's top riders, his name - Tom Herron.
Following a 350cc Irish Championship win in 1973, Tom decided that his future lay on the Grand Prix circuits of Europe. In his own words, he was 'on a mission'
That mission was to see Tom firmly establishing himself on the continental grand prix scene, indeed he and his wife Andrea, herself a former racer, ran one of the most successful privateer teams of that era with Team Castrol Herron becoming Britain' s leading non-works set-up and a real force to be reckoned with in the 250/350cc World Championships. During this period Tom had also returned to the Isle of Man TT, with two thirds and two fourths between 1974 and 1975 being proof that he was starting to get a real feel for the place. He had always made no secret of the fact that one of his ambitions was to win a TT and in 1976 he made that ambition a reality.
He began by winning the prestigious Senior TT by 3.4 seconds from Ian Richards and at the end of the week took a record breaking win in the Lightweight 250 at 103.55 mph. Earlier in the week Tom had pushed in from Hillberry to finish 26th in the Junior, it was a race he felt he could have won as he was lying second but a troublesome chain was to frustrate his efforts. However, the 1976 double TT win, coupled with fourth and equal fourth place finishes in the 350cc and 250cc World Championships respectively, really heralded Tom's arrival on the world stage.
That same year Andrea gave birth to two daughters Kim and Zoe, of whom today Tom would be very proud.
Two further TT podium places were achieved in 1977, a third in the Junior 250 and an excellent second in the Senior TT on his 348cc Yamaha. That year also saw Tom finish runner-up in the 350cc World Championship to factory rider Takazumi Katayama and fifth in the 250cc championship. In August that year he had a double at the Ulster Grand Prix in the same classes.
But back to the Isle of Man, a place that figures prominently in Tom's story. It was there that he and Andrea first met, and it was here that he was to have one of his most spectacular wins. Tom arrived on the Island in 1978 on the back of a double at the North-West 200 where he won the 750cc event from Tony Rutter and the 250cc race from Ray McCullough with a lap record of 113.81mph.
The 1978 TT is of course remembered for the comeback of Mike Hailwood. The Formula One race that year was being billed as a battle between Mike and his old rival Phil Read and certainly no-one, with the exception of his own camp, had expected Tom on the Mocheck Honda to be lying second at the halfway stage. He had the bit between his teeth and was closing on race leader Hailwood when the shock absorber mountings on his Honda let go to force a premature retirement.
Tom felt that he could have caught the great man but would later say, in a typical display of unselfishness, that it was 'good for the island (the TT) that I didn't win'. Knowledgeable observers at the time knew exactly what he meant.
But later in the week Tom wasn't to be denied another TT win. The build up to Tom's third win on the island amply demonstrated his technical expertise and pre race preparation. He knew the race was going to be quick, Pat Hennen had lapped in practice in under 20 minutes, and he was also aware that the Suzuki GB team were only planning one fuel stop and therefore he could only afford to stop once. Undaunted, Tom decided to weld a few extra inches on to the fuel tank of his bike and also borrowed fellow racer John Newbold's seat tank.
Although acutely aware of its dangers, Tom loved the TT course with his favourite section being Rhencullen. On Monday June 5th 1978 and armed with faithful sponsor Jim Finlay's 500cc Suzuki, he set off over St Ninian's Crossroads and down Bray Hill for a date with the top step of the Senior TT podium. For most of the race Tom and his good friend John Williams raced together with Hennen a further ten seconds back on the road and thirty seconds on corrected time. Then on lap five Williams retired leaving Tom to battle it out with Texaco Heron Suzuki teamster Hennen, currently lying second in the 500cc World Championship and on his second visit to the island. Although together on the road, Tom was actually twenty seconds up on corrected time when Hennen lost control on the fast Bishopscourt section and crashed out, sustaining career ending injuries. Tom took the win with a race record of 111.74 mph and two days later he finished an excellent third in the Junior TT on his 250cc Yamaha behind race winner Chas Mortimer and runner-up Charlie Williams with a race average of 99.34mph.