DCLUCIE Wrote:I think there are alot more issues arising now for the public with the introduction of the new practice times. The roads closing at 4pm, just before the so called rush hour. This would mean that the Mountain shuts at 4 on the dot and the marshals and all the other hard working individuals being there for around 3.30pm. How many employers will see this as a major problem when the marshals ask for more time off work in addition to that already taken. This doesn't even take into account the promise that was made last year at the Manx GP that this will never happen again. Yes I know WE all know that there are two different organisers, but the public will not see it that way. And I think it was the Tourism Minister that said that after all the pulic row at the Manx GP.

Lets face it, without the support of the manx workers this event will not happen. You may well say thats a load of crud, but you don't realise that this is a massive issue for those employers, and with jobn security the way it is on the Island I can fully understand if Marshals say 'hang on this is just taking the mike stuff this', and not marshal at all. It is also going to be to the advantage to those that don't want the TT, and this is only giving them more nails to hammer into the coffin of the TT. Not one of us on here want to see that.

BUT I don't think that Mr Hussain see's it that way at all. All he is after is an event and a launch pad for his event, thats all, he doesn't care about the TT. Well as for me I would much rather see the proper bikes racing, the manx people being disrupted less and the races continue on the path that has shown tremendous growth in the past few years. We all thought that when Paul Phillips joined the TT crew that this would be just another sponge and that nothing will really change. We all challenged him on everything he has done. Me for one really did have a go at him on many an occasion, but it has been proved that the TT is coming back, just look at the class of the entry list this year. Was it down to just Paul, well I don't know, but one thing is for sure he has made a big possitive impact with attracting new and older talent back to the TT, and the races do seem to be going from strength to strength, not in massive leaps, but small amounts that add up each year.

But will the TT keep going like this now that the majority of people who work in Douglas can not get home on yet another day due to a race that only has one lap, that has attracted someone who can not get a TT mountain course licence but is alowed to ride anyway and the Government are even proud of that. It is a shame all the hard work over the last few years may have just all been undone by one race, which is only one lap in distance. This has not been thought through and rushed faster than anything I have ever seen.

Got your marigolds everyone by the way?

I am in total agreement, i have spoken to a couple of marshalls from England and because TT starts a week later they cant get here, so they may speak for many, so practise week may be down due to this anyway, as for shuting the roads at 4pm for 4 days well i cant see anybody putting up with that, however much you enjoy something i would want to go home first change and all the rest, and not feel stuck somewhere i wouldnt want to be
Paul Philips i think has done a brilliant job,
TT last year was the best i have seen for many a year, not to many people but the racing was brilliant
I can see they have to change some things, and times have to change, but i think that the measure they have gone to this year and all that you have stated are going to upset to many local people, and the fact they have taken all the entertainment away along the prom will have a detremental affect especially on our teenagers, like the fair or not it gave some of them jobs and to feel part of the festival, some may not like the bikes but they love the atmosphere and they feel part of TT, leave them at a loose end well.
ttxgp doesnt need to be run with TT.

I feel that we are at an "Emperors new clothes" point in this debacle
The new times proposed for closing the roads have clearly not been thought through
In my humble opinion, its time to say NO NO NO!

Have you noticed this growing clamour Paul Phillips?
May we hear your opinion?

The facts are that the 125s and 250s were ruled out because there was no room in the calendar
NOW, we not only find that a new race has been squeezed in "somehow", but suddenly SOMEBODY
thinks its a good idea to extend road closure, which I suggest was already causing friction

Its not on , is it??

If the TTXGP cannot go on without extra practice and therefore road closure, then it should not go on!

Its simple to me

WILL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A MOUNTAIN TT LICENCE BE WAIVED FOR THE RIDERS IN THIS EVENT,
ARE THE FULL EXPENCES FOR THE TEAMS IN THIS EVENT BEING PAID FOR WHILE START MONEY FOR RIDERS IN THE OTHER EVENTS IS BEING WITHDRAWN.

I still have serious issue with the TT course licence thing,and I really would like to know if ANYONE is going to be permitted to take part without one.If they are,then any MGP competitors who have fallen short of signatures for their licence,should have a good reason for being permitted to race, especially if they have sufficient experience,particularly on real roads.I also wonder if the ACU's insurance are aware of possible waivers, in view of all the recent health and safety restrictions?

Mick Grant is mentioned and i am unsure as to how he qualifys for a Mountain Licence. He hasn't raced, and according to the ACU regs an entrant for ANY event held over the TT mountain course needs the licence. So unless the ACU has been told he is riding without any consultation with the ACU then I guess what can they do? Well they can tell him he can not ride for a start. They can NOT be seen to go back on a licence they have made every other rider get in the first place. No doubt about it folks this is very dangerous ground the ACU are treading, just look what happened to Sammy Miller last year, and that could have ended a heck of a lot worse than it did. In fact he was lucky to get away with it. Imagine if Mick Grant did the same and ended up at the very bottom. The inquest would ask why was a person not qualified to be on the course alowed out there. The ACU would have no answer and that would be that. The very excuse that all the anti-TT people will be looking for.

This FARCE should be STOPPED now before it does more damage to the TT than it can survive. It should be better organised and should be better thought out than already has been.

There, apparently, is also Health and Safety issues with Hydrogen cells, as appartently under current legislation they are not alowed in the island.

If you want to see how bad its getting have a look,

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/Traveller...5167247.jp

Wow!

That is SOME opposition!
I guess that knowing some of the MHKs, no notice will be taken of these valid complaints and the event will go on without consideration for anyone
Very sad

Theirs a way out of this i for one would be willing to Marshal for a morning practice. Dont forget these machines will make little or no noise. So noise will not be an issue. Just 2 early morning sessions should be enough. Start at about 20 mins to 6 and end at about 7.40
Like the old days. They should be abel to get at least 2laps in. Just a thought Ive spoke to a few other Marshals who said they would also come forward if needed. Dosent affect the traffic as much as an early evening start all the best Irish Ago......

irishago Wrote:Theirs a way out of this i for one would be willing to Marshal for a morning practice. Dont forget these machines will make little or no noise. So noise will not be an issue. Just 2 early morning sessions should be enough. Start at about 20 mins to 6 and end at about 7.40
Like the old days. They should be abel to get at least 2laps in. Just a thought Ive spoke to a few other Marshals who said they would also come forward if needed. Dosent affect the traffic as much as an early evening start all the best Irish Ago......

Dont forget though theses machines have not been tested on a mountain section or anywhere, they are only having a prototype race on short circuit, so i think the only time they will be actually ridden is when they arrive here so 2hrs ish might not be enough and lets hope they dont need a recharge
Other than that its a fantastic idea, just the chattering of a chain ive heard

irishago Wrote:Theirs a way out of this i for one would be willing to Marshal for a morning practice. Dont forget these machines will make little or no noise. So noise will not be an issue. Just 2 early morning sessions should be enough. Start at about 20 mins to 6 and end at about 7.40
Like the old days. They should be abel to get at least 2laps in. Just a thought Ive spoke to a few other Marshals who said they would also come forward if needed. Dosent affect the traffic as much as an early evening start all the best Irish Ago......

Sorry Ago but it won't work. The battery powered entries will just about do one lap per charge.

I've copied this next bit across from a post I put on a similar thread going on tt.com:

My brother is a logistics analyst. I've just been speaking to him about this and he's had a simple and workable idea about how to avoid this whole fiasco. You simply send the TTxGP riders out at the tail end of the rookie lap on the first saturday of practice, again after the sidecar rookie lap on the same evening and there's usually a few stragglers requiring a third rookie lap on the monday evening.

Now, two things have to happen in order to make this work:

1) The rookie laps have to be conducted in under 50 minutes, which I'm quite sure wouldn't be a problem

2) The battery powered entries will need to be able to swap batteries during the course of solo practice

This way the three extra qualifying laps needed can be fitted into the existing schedule with the minimum of disruption and most certainly without the need to close the roads an hour earlier. Can anyone see any problem in doing this 'cos I'm damned if I can...

By the way, he's not suggesting this out of a burning desire to see TTxGP succeed - he hates it as much as I do - but he IS concerned about the negative impact this poorly conceived event is beginning to have on the TT & MGP in general.

I see that the TT licence is gradually being accepted by some (DCLucie?) as having some value. Does an international racing licence not exist any more, or even a National licence?
As for this stupid event, I hardly think on current news of performance that even a helmet is necessary, and that the chances of anyone going fast enough to have a damaging crash are at the very least, remote!
I will stick to Whitehall farces - at least one can grin when Brian Rix loses his trousers!
Perhaps for next year, I should organise a race, pretending to be some anonymous entrepeneur from an ethnic minority, thus preventing criticism due to political correctness, for clockwork-powered machines, the only rule being that they must not be wound up on the move. The only noise would be that of Mike Hailwood, Rem Fowler and many others, spinning in their graves.

Hi Peter, two things really.

1) I think the TT course licence has merrits. In the case of Mick Grant i think this is a perfect example of why it should be in and also enforced. He shouldn't be out there.

2) I think that the idea of getting the laps in after the 'rookie' laps is a great idea.

Aparently the TTxGP lot are having a practice day at, I think its Oulton or Cadwell Park, so we can all judge what happens then. But I think the problem here is not the TTxGP lap itself. Its all the practice and the road closure thats causing the problems.

Has anyone actually analysed if any of the unfortunate injured or killed riders of recent years were not current active racers?
The whole licence thing seems to me to have been a knee-jerk reaction to bad publicity, and brought in because those in control had to be seen to be doing something, no matter how ineffectual.
I would suggest anyone who has competed in, say, more then ten TT races, no matter when, or gained five or more silver replicas, is going to be knowledgable, experienced, and sensible enough to dial themselves in through the practice period, provided they pass the usual racing licence medical. The idea of Mick Grant being a danger is insulting to a great champion, and ludicrous!

PeterCourtney Wrote:Has anyone actually analysed if any of the unfortunate injured or killed riders of recent years were not current active racers?
The whole licence thing seems to me to have been a knee-jerk reaction to bad publicity, and brought in because those in control had to be seen to be doing something, no matter how ineffectual.
I would suggest anyone who has competed in, say, more then ten TT races, no matter when, or gained five or more silver replicas, is going to be knowledgable, experienced, and sensible enough to dial themselves in through the practice period, provided they pass the usual racing licence medical. The idea of Mick Grant being a danger is insulting to a great champion, and ludicrous!

I personally dont think he will race, i think his name just works well with the promotors,and so it should.

PeterCourtney Wrote:The whole licence thing seems to me to have been a knee-jerk reaction to bad publicity, and brought in because those in control had to be seen to be doing something, no matter how ineffectual.

I heard it suggested that the TT Licence was brought in to promote larger entries on the short circuits in England. Allegedly a number of these circuits were in the ownership of, or are closely associated with members of the ACU.

John Foster Wrote:

PeterCourtney Wrote:The whole licence thing seems to me to have been a knee-jerk reaction to bad publicity, and brought in because those in control had to be seen to be doing something, no matter how ineffectual.

I heard it suggested that the TT Licence was brought in to promote larger entries on the short circuits in England. Allegedly a number of these circuits were in the ownership of, or are closely associated with members of the ACU.

Warning to older fans post, i was just wandering how much monies IOM gov is making from the TT in xgp

Er

Isnt there an eye sight problem with Mick Grant?

To put this in "TTxGP Speak", Mick Grant recently suffered an eyeball/thorn bush interface problem while competing in a trial.

It may need a fair bit of work to put right too. Perhaps they'll fit a pillion seat so he can have a passenger tell him where to go...

I think he is blind in one eye so maybe its that one that has suffered this unfortuante incident. If not then he is really in trouble...... or maybe there is going to be a guide dog there for him.... if he attaches the bike to the dog he may even win it......

I obviously knew nothing about Mick's accident - hope he appreciates the "humour" being displayed by some posters...
This disability apart (which would be covered by the medical that I mentioned previously) isn't it ridiculous that any other past master would arbitrarily be ruled out of riding by some political know-nowt?
As for Sammy Miller's accident, does anyone seriously think that things would have been different if he has done the required Mickey Mouse circuit races and got a TT licence?

PeterCourtney Wrote:I obviously knew nothing about Mick's accident - hope he appreciates the "humour" being displayed by some posters...
This disability apart (which would be covered by the medical that I mentioned previously) isn't it ridiculous that any other past master would arbitrarily be ruled out of riding by some political know-nowt?
As for Sammy Miller's accident, does anyone seriously think that things would have been different if he has done the required Mickey Mouse circuit races and got a TT licence?

I hope he enjoyes the humour and takes all as humorous, but when i read he was racing my first thought was (hope he doesnt do a Sammy Miller )