(15-12-2014, 10:45 PM)Patf Wrote: Slightly off topic, but does any part of the course now stand out at where improvements would decrease lap times ? I suppose I'm thinking of Ginger Hall to Ramsey being smoothed out. Though never having raced there how much time could be gained ?

The problem with that stretch is twofold;

Firstly as already pointed out, there are numerous tree roots etc. These are continually moving as they grow and die and this means that any surface is inherently unstable.

Secondly, look at the geography. On your right you have hills and on your left (if you ever explore it in any detail) is the flood plain of the Sulby River. This is a very swampy area as it provides a route for water to run of the hills and into the river. The road has been built on the edge of the swamp which means that under the surface the ground is soft. The passage of lorries and busses over the top just adds to the problems the tree roots create.

There's a similar swampiness (is that a word?) on the roads from Sulby Bridge to St Judes and Sulby Crossroads to Sandygate. Both have been resurfaced comparatively recently and both are now as bumpy as they ever were. The Sandygate Road (Clanagh Road) is a shocker. I remember riding a Suzuki GP100 down it as a teenager and being bounced off the seat by the road surface.