Was speaking to Dick Linton about this recently. He was concerned less about the new qualifying system (as I guess he would be!) but more about the single rider start that is being introduced, the concern being that it could lead to a worsening of safety standards. A few moments work with a calculator shows why this would be.

90 riders setting off at 10s intervals means the last one would be heading off 15 minutes after the first. Lapping at just over the ton the leader would be coming round in about 22 minutes, and would then be passing the first of the tail-enders around Glen Helen. Likewise more of the faster riders would be catching more of the slower men than if they had been sent away in pairs. More passing equals more risk, as we have seen in the past.

No doubt this change was made with the best of intentions of curing perceived problems but you have to ask, will the cure be worse than the disease?