I was chatting to the super fit Cargo t'other day. Congratulations on your marriage by the way.
The converstation made me realise how inadequate the new qualifying regulations are for next years Manx and TT. As it stands, to be eligible for a ride on the Mountain circuit,you have to ride in 6 short circuit meetings. There is no discretion where you ride, just six meetings.Right? So the guy that rides round Mallory, Croft, Pembury and the like, is equally qualified as the guy who has ridden 6 meetings on Irish Roads, Manx Roads, or Scarborough. What a load of nonsense. Surely there should be a two tier qualifying strategy, so that a real road race counts as TWO short circuit meetings.
I would far rather ride the Manx or TT alongside a fellow competitor who has three meetings under his belt around the Southern, the Skerries, and the Tandragee, than a rider who has ridden six meetings on English short circuits.
Mercifully,the TT will probably not be affected by this ruling,but it looks as though next year's Manx will be under severe threat unless there is some consideration given to this matter. Costs alone will take a few out of the entry list. Time off will take a few more. Damage to bikes, and limbs a few more.There will be many who (like me) simply DO NOT WANT to ride on short circuits. I find them very dangerous. Brave(?)young wannabees trying to make a name for themselves, and generally riders riding too fast for their ability. It really is quite depressing to think of a fantastic event like the Manx being under threat because of (allegedly) ill advised Insurance puppets taking a p.c. line.
Not that I condone this, but fairly recently a lad WON a race at the Manx, and it was his FIRST ever race. No names, but those in the know will know that it is true. I repeat, I don't condone this, but the new qualifying rules ARE a step too far.