The Southern 100 M.C.R.C has been approached by the Isle of Man Department of Tourism & Leisure to run 2 TT races at the 2008 Steam Packet Races on the 9th June 2008. At a recent meeting if the directors of the club it was unanimously agreed to take this on board. The races will be for 125cc machines and 250cc machines and will carry full TT status with the winners being presented with the respective TT trophy for that particular class, together with the other benefits a TT win can bring. There will be full TV and press coverage of the races and hopefully with our course restriction of 32 machines we hope to have full grids.

Whilst the agreement is in principle further meetings are required between both parties and details will be posted on this site when they become available

I think this is excellent news, and going in the right direction to get some classes back into the TT Festival :wink:

It's a start anyway, and provides a base to work from

Kev

Interesting news. However I'm a little confused by the proposed date, 9th June, the Monday after the TT? Whilst any new road races that are added to the calendar are welcome as far as I'm concerned, won't this date add to the problems for riders, marshals and fans? Extending the festival into a third week may not have the desired effect of filling the grid.

Should the Thursday afternoon TT practice be re-introduced thus freeing up Thurs evening for the 125 and 250 TT at Billown? Practice for these events could be shoe-horned into the Pre-TT Classic schedule. I think that makes more sense.

Also, most importantly, I'll be able to see it (LOL) and not be listening at work on the radio. Selfish? Moi?

alf

Hang on - the Steam Packet races in 2008 are to be held on Saturday June 7th, not the 9th!!

Secondly, I note that the S100 Club has been asked by the IOM DTL to run these 125/250 "genuine TT" races.

What is likely to be the reaction of the Manx Motorcycle Club to this??

:?

I agree with both of you. This has got to be good news!!
Now I have something to do to fill in the long, boring next 7 months until the new season starts ..... planning my first ever trip to the TT.

See here :wink: http://www.ttwebsite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6063

Kev

It would be good to see some proper racers again, but IMHO if the TT course is "dangerous", then the Billown circuit is lethal - especially with massed-start races. It would be interesting to see comparative statistics for the two circuits, especially in recent times. My cynical mind says that rather than de-tune the power of bikes racing the Mountain course and spend some money installing some electronics - cctv, roadside warning screens - to reduce the number of human marshalls needed, the powers-that-be will move the races to the Billown circuit in stages, then when there is a tragedy, stop them altogether. Or am I way off beam?

I think it would be slightly cynical to think that way Peter but I do like your suggestion of electronics to reduce the need for human marshals, this is the first time I have heard that suggestion and I think with a bit of investment and thought it could prove to be a good move.
As I've mentioned on another site I do not see how winning on the S100 course can gain 'full TT status'? surely winning a 10 lap dash there is like winning the badminton horse trials and being given the Grand National trophy? No dis respect to the S100 but it is different to the TT isn't it?
Russ

http://www.paddockgossip.com/phpbb2/view...8&start=20