Any news from yesterday

He wasn't there unfortunately. I spoke to Andy Smith the other day and he did say it wasn't certain they'd be there. They were down to ride the F1 outfit as the F2 isn't ready yet.

Results for those who were on http://www.steveenglish.com

It is with disappointment that I must inform everyone that I will not be racing with Dave Molyneux at the 2008 Isle Of Man TT races.

Dave does not have enough time to assist me in getting the amount of signatures I require for the mountain course licence. It was decided that Dave has far too much work on in preparing his F1 and F2 sidecars for the coming (very busy) season. This would mean little track time together before the TT
Dave's commitment to his racing is second to none. He puts in 100% and deserves our greatest respect.

I wish Dave all the best for the 2008 TT and to everyone else taking part. An official announcement of Dave's passenger for the 2008 TT will be forthcoming very soon, once negotiations are finalised.


Andy 'Bludge' Smith

Andy knows my feelings about this but I can't post them here because the Anti....sorry Auto Cycle Union may look and The Witch or Cargo would have to edit me heavily.

I'm gutted, and Andy must be devastated.

thewitch Wrote:I'm gutted, and Andy must be devastated.

This really, REALLY sucks. I spoke to Andy just after the team was announced in January and I've never known anyone so pumped up about a season. In fact I had an article published in the local paper about it only on Saturday

Can someone from the ACU possibly tell me how a few laps round Mallory or Darley can POSSIBLY make a passenger as competent as Andy Smith any better/safer on the IOM?

I feel really bad for Andy - God knows how he must be feeling...

Dan is not confirmed as yet I have to add to this, that was from Andy as he posted on my site as he knew it at the time.
Team Molyneux will be updating with news as soon as negotiations are completed.

Obviously the usual rules about personal attacks, language etc apply, but please register your opinions here.
I will still edit or zap if it gets too wild.
Andy Smith is a highly experienced TT passenger, and was chosen by Moly to ride with him this year.
Because he has missed a couple of years, he needed to re-qualify for the farcical mountain licence, by doing a few pointless races on car park circuits (you can tell I'm annoyed, can't you!)
Due to pressure of work, Dave can't manage to traipse across for a race a week for the next few weeks, at vast, unnecessary expense, so they have given up.
See how restrained I am, and I am, as they say in Edinburgh "beelin"
See Andy's record here. All he wants is a win, and it was within his grasp.
http://www.iomtt.com/TT-Database/Events/...de_id=9376

thewitch Wrote:Obviously the usual rules about personal attacks, language etc apply, but please register your opinions here.
I will still edit or zap if it gets too wild.
Andy Smith is a highly experienced TT passenger, and was chosen by Moly to ride with him this year.
Because he has missed a couple of years, he needed to re-qualify for the farcical mountain licence, by doing a few pointless races on car park circuits (you can tell I'm annoyed, can't you!)
Due to pressure of work, Dave can't manage to traipse across for a race a week for the next few weeks, at vast, unnecessary expense, so they have given up.
See how restrained I am, and I am, as they say in Edinburgh "beelin"
See Andy's record here. All he wants is a win, and it was within his grasp.
http://www.iomtt.com/TT-Database/Events/...de_id=9376

It's not even as though Andy hasn't been competing as he's done some classic races on the side of Rob Cameron. I say again, will someone from the ACU please tell us where the sense is in this?

I won't pretend to understand the rationale or indeed the qualifying process to obtain a Mountain Course Licence but it does strike me as a rediculous situation that Andy Smith finds himself in.

Surely there must be a way to circumnavigate these regulations. The ACU must offer some system of appeal, do they?

Does Andy need to compete with Moly on every occasion to qualify? Could he enter with another team and complete the qualification process? Do different classes, as sticky says, such as classics count towards the Mountain Course Licence?

Is the licensing system fair, the TT is relatively early in the season, does it give entrants sufficient time to qualify in the current season?

Come on ACU, sort this out.

So everyone is working flat out to make the TT better and better; top teams, top riders and passengers, quality fields, new image - and now this rubbish raises its head again.
Have there been serious submissions put in by the rider’s representatives, the DTL (i.e. the Manx Government) to withdraw this little piece of bureaucratic nonsense?
Is everyone going tug their forelock to the ACU and allow them to insidiously devalue the TT by robbing it of name riders, remember the Shaun Harris affair, and now Andy Smith?
If the ACU are not confronted on this issue by people in positions of responsibility on the IOM now the men from Rugby are going to walk all over them for evermore.
It really beggars the imagination that a sovereign state can tolerate such outside interference in something so closely integrated with the heritage of the country as the TT races.

"Does Andy need to compete with Moly on every occasion to qualify? Could he enter with another team and complete the qualification process? Do different classes, as sticky says, such as classics count towards the Mountain Course Licence?"

Where do you think Steve Linsdell gets his from! Racing with the CRMC.

Rusty

I have set my 7 year old son a project to select the riders for the TT and their start numbers.

I reckon he will do a better job.

I can't think of many more qualified passengers to race the TT than Andy, although the top 10 are in the same playing field I suppose.

The ACU clearly know nothing about who the riders/passengers are and nor do they care. When a passenger of Andy's cilibre cannot ride having competed at the very highest level for numerous years there is something wrong.

Granted he may have had a break from the TT and so have I but neither of us has forgotten how to passenger or where the course goes.

Safety aspect my

It has been announced that the ACU is currently involved in a monologue with the NAG (National Association of Grandmothers). The ACU is seeking opportunities to apply stringent qualification regulations for all Grannies wishing to take part in the annual ES Championships on the Isle of Man.

An ACU spokesman explained, "We're not interested in the event. Our scheme will not teach them anything, apart from the fact that they will all have to shell out for the privilege of taking part in it."

http://www.manxradio.com/readNEwsItem.aspx?id=16387

There is no reason why Andy can't beg steal or borrow a solo and do the required number of meetings.

How many more does he need theres at least 3 meetings here before the cut off date

A hill climb in Timbucktoo is enough