Racing driver and businessman took his own life

A British racing driver who was struggling with his mental health after the liquidation of one of his businesses took his own life, an inquest heard.

Dan Kirby, 37, finished third in the UK Touring Car Championship in 2021 with team Power Maxed Racing.

The father-of-two, from Wickford in Essex, died in September last year.

Speaking at Chelmsford coroner’s court, Kevin Kirby said his son did “more in 37 years than I would ever do”.

“It’s only since this has happened that we learnt so much more about him; he was a businessman, a family man, but he was a generous person, a very generous person,” he added.

“If you were in trouble with anything he would help financially, or with anything.”

Dan Kirby ran several businesses including Trade Price Cars in Brentwood and he sponsored ventures in the motorsport world.

In 2019, he set up a spin-off track team – Trade Price Cars Racing – which competed in the British Touring Car Championship in 2019 and 2020 with two Audi S3s.

His drivers included former Formula 1 driver Mark Blundell and Jake Hill, who is still competing.

Mr Kirby also got behind the wheel himself, and finished third for Power Maxed Racing in the UK Touring Car Championship in 2021.

‘Amazing person’

The inquest heard he had struggled with addiction in the past and was receiving private psychiatric and mental health support.

Coroner Michelle Brown told the hearing one of his businesses had been recently liquidated.

“He was struggling with that, I think it’s fair to say,” she said.

He was found unconscious by his brother Chris in the grounds of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hyde Hall gardens, at Rettendon near Wickford, at about 11:50 BST on 18 September, and died the following day in hospital at 06:50.

Kevin Kirby described Chris as a “hero”, and also praised the work of the attending air ambulance, because it gave the family time with him in hospital while he was on a ventilator.

“[Dan] was helping other people right up to the very end, he was still going and doing things for people,” added the dead man’s father.

“And yet the one person who needed that [help] was sadly himself.”

After the inquest, Kevin Kirby told the BBC: “He was just an amazing person who would just do anything for anybody.”

The coroner concluded that Mr Kirby died by suicide. Essex Police decided there were no suspicious circumstances.

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