Sam P'

Quote:"But why European when the TT can't survive without big 4 support ????????"

My suggestion was to have one race for a European TT class, not excluded the Japanese factories from the TT altogether.

If there was a guarantee that the class had at least three - five years at the TT; riders would be prepared to make the investment and the factories would be far more prepared to back a longer term plan.

It's the same with 125/250 two strokes if there was a guarantee that the class will run for a minimum number of years riders/teams would invest in new machines.

The 'new' Dunlop backed GP250 British Championship has proved beyond doubt that the interest is there from teams and riders and there will be lots of new 250's on the grid at the first round in April....and, with a good prize fund, there will be even more next season in 2008.

Wouldn't it be great to see new KTM and Aprilia, Derbi and Gilera (I know its the same bike) and Italjet 250's on British grids, battling it out with the Japanese factories. I'm sure the Italians, Austrians and Spaniards, would relish the opportunity to build more machines to sell on the open market, which would offset some of the cost of running their multi million Euro GP teams.

There is no reason why it should be any different for the TT; other than a thirty-seven and three quarter mile circuit would, by neccessity, demand a minimum starting grid of eighty riders. So that would require an entry of at least ninety.