Mike Trimby was the founder and CEO of IRTA, who sadly passed away in 2023. The first MotoGP™ Legend inducted into the Hall of Fame wholly due to their work off-track, Trimby is one of the most important figures in the history of motorcycle Grand Prix racing and played a pivotal role in shaping the sport MotoGP™ has become. Trimby did begin his career as a rider and mechanic in the 1960s, but soon started to emerge as a key figure off-track and had established himself as such by the late 1970s. In 1982, the riders then officially requested Trimby to act as their representative, something further formalised with the founding of the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA) in 1986, with Trimby at the helm. Advocating for riders and teams, IRTA has remained a pivotal part of the sport. The huge progress in safety made since the organisation was founded is thanks in large part to the work undertaken by Trimby, his wife Irene, and IRTA. 1992 also marked the beginning of the great collaboration between the FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports, which likewise owes much to the foundations laid by IRTA over the decade before, giving riders and teams a voice at the table.