Last year if you had put everyone on exactly the same bike the results would have been the same - it is the rider that makes the difference. The classic Manx is not and never will be a solely amateur event - it is the premier classic race in the world. The last couple of years at CRMC Lee Gourlay has ridden a paton in the IHRO races as well as his Manx in the club races. The lap times are comparable - on most occasions he goes faster on the Manx. Look it up. Alan Oversby lapped at 108 mph on his Manx - should we ban him? As for "holiday racers" having no chance - if you think my dad is a professional rider you should see the trouble me and Olie have just to get him out for a race that isn't the Manx!

I stand by what I said - everyone is there to be beaten. The rules should not be changed because some people can not win a replica - that would diminish the achievement in winning one. This wouldn't happen in any other sporting event at any level and I don't see why the Manx is any different. We would get to a point where everyone won a replica and they would simply become a finishers medal.

Entries were decreasing anyway - simply due to the people who raced these bikes in the day are getting older and retiring. If you banned the top runners no-one else would rush in to take their place - you would just decrease the field by another 5 or so. A way to up entries would to be to let in all of the group two machines or establish a 750cc class. A rider I race with was turned down a ride on his Honda 4 cylinder machine that he rides in CRMC group two. The same bike that he rode in the 1981 newcomers. They said it had 'no classic interest'. Letting people like this in would be a way to up the entries.

David Linsdell