I think here is a really good debate about the pro's and also the cons about bringing top names to an event. Not only riders but also machines. There are the stalwarts of the Manx who believe that the Manx is a pure road race untainted by the professionals and only there for the real true amateur of the racing world. It is their chance of glory pitting themselves and their machines against the greatest (in my opinion) road race in the world.

But I remember the vans and tents being there a few years ago when the thoughts of getting separate tent things that come from the side of your van was just a dream and the only people to have them was the professional teams. Now you can walk round the paddock and nearly everyone has one. It is not only the vans and tents that change, it is the people that come here and the people that ride here. Not only this but the machinery also has changed. It might be for the better it might be for the worse, but change happens.

Whether you think you should be put in a separate class because someone turns up on a machine that you think shouldn't qualify is really neither here or there, the fact is it has turned up and has been accepted.

You could, instead of having classes based on the machinery, have classes based on how much you have spent... would this be fairer? I don't think alot of people would agree with that. As for the times, well if you increase the % of the winners times then would the rep be worth having? I think not. But then if you get someone like Ollie who stormed it and ran away with the race is that fair on the people who came outside the times for the reps? I think not also. Maye its time to look at reps based on the % time over the last few years. You could set maybe Silver for the top ten and bronze for the next 10. But this would have problems in entry sizes.

This is difficult and will be for many many years ahead, but I do believe that a professional rider can get more out of a machine than a non professional rider, so maybe the classes should be based on the riders and machines. Maybe this would help?

It is going to go on for years but I love this debate, and it is happening with the greatest of respect for everyones views. Well done ...........