maggie Wrote:I'd just like to say please think very carefully before introducing racing to the middle Saturday IF it means that they will lose a potential practise-session! Of the 7 scheduled sessions, the way things are at the moment, these are not all going to happen and every single one is absolutely vital. Incidentally, even a "controlled lap" with the travelling marshalls as they did with the Newcomers on Monday would be preferable, surely, to NO lap at all?
Sorry this is a bit of a sideways comment but I do think that the serious lack of practise these days needs to be considered also. What does everyone think?

I absolutely agree, and the lack of practice is one of the ways the event has been cut back since I started doing it. Not only does it cut down on the enjoyment of the event but I believe it is a serious safety issue. Riders are now under more pressure than ever to learn the course and qualify in fewer, more crowded, practice sessions. All it takes is a couple of sessions rained off and a mechanical problem and you can really struggle to qualify. That's why I noted above that if the middle Saturday was to be used for the first race of the card (as it used to be) that adequate time needs to be given to additional practice. You can probably remember the days of morning practice and the long Thursday afternoon session. It was great. Even if the morning sessions were untimed they gave you the chance to get extra laps in and learn the course.

In these days of increased emphasis on safety it's disgraceful that practice has been cut back. Personally I'd put the lives of riders above a wake-up call for a few idle bankers.