The DTL , have announced the extended practice periods to incorporate the TTXGP into the schedule , they will run on Tue Wed Thu & Fri of practice week , the real killer is the time . Roads will close on the mountain at 4pm & the rest of the circuit at 5pm , this is going to cause total chaos here on the Island , if you marshal on the mountain you will need to be there before 4pm & be there till practice finishes bearing in mind the mountain closes for longer because of the placing of the cones above creg Ny Baa , so you will be expected to give up six hours to marshal , they are going to struggle , you cant expect people to get out of work just to suit marshalling etc , i think many people are going to vote with there feet & tell the organisers to shove it .
Then of course you have the local people trying to get home from work , again you cant expect businesses to shut early or allow people to go early to marshall get home etc , this is going to turn into a nightmare , all because of this stupid race , some thought should have been given first to all the logistics before it was given the greenlight , i am sure they could have come up with a better solution for practice periods for the TTXP racers , i was under the impression that they would practice after mondays & tuesdays races which would have been better .
I can see major goodwill by the local population going down the drain this year unless this is sorted , without the goodwill & understanding of the locals i fear for the future , this is already under strain anyway with an increased anit TT lobby , all this does is add fuel to there fires , i hope the DTL see sense & have a serious re-think on this plan because if they dont i think there are going to be major problems here , not least Marshalls medics etc , very worrying situation .

You are spot on Shaun

I have made my thoughts known on an earlier thread

How on earth do we make them see sense??

Totally agree with you Shaun, do you ever remember them 2 stroke bikes? well they got rid of them and said they did not have enough practice time to let them run.

I am sure we could raise more than 24 bikes for a 2 stroke race and they could drop one of the 600 races as they did a few years ago.

I totally agree with all of the foregoing,it wasn't so very long ago that we were calling for more variety in the race programme,some suggesting bringing back the Historic TT (good idea in my book) but it was ruled out completely because there wasn't enough practice time available.!!!!!.

Today on Manx radio it was suggested extending to road closing but Mr Bruce Hannay said that was impossible as the cones had to be put out and it far to dangerous to have his men working in the dusk,what! with closed roads and absolutely nothing about.Make your own mind up,it is typical that a unilateral decision is made and publicised without any consultation thereby relying on everyones love of the TT to pull it off and make the powers that be look good.

Well maybe not this time.

Just read on Manx radios website that cheif medical officer for the TT David Stephens has expressed his conscerns about the proposed new practice times after being inundated with phone calls from various medical personnel who wont be able to be in position at the required times due to work commitments etc , no medical cover no practice simple really , these arses need to get there act together .

I have just heard that a senior MHK has told the medical staff under his control they they will not be granted any extra time off and will use the Budget restraints put on his department by the rest of Tynwald to enforce the issue. So the early roads closed will be a non starter. Further to this questions are being asked of the DOT regarding overtime costs for employees having to do extra hours on the event in a time when Government departments are being squeezed over costs.

I think that for 2009 we may have to endure the TTXP. I can't help feeling that we (the IOM) must be seen to be politically correct, and support 'green' events. After all the 'bad' publicity from the UK Gov about the IOM being a Tax Haven, this is one way of 'scoring points'. Also the IOM will get a lot of free publicity in Newspapers, and Motor Mags, the cost of the free publicity will more than ofset the cost of financing the TTXP. The place for the TTXP is possibly the Billown Circuit.

It was also stated on Manx Radio yesterday,that the extra road closure time had been "taken into consideration",or words to that effect.Now I wonder who has done that? Certainly nobody who is directly concerned has been consulted,judging by Dr David Stevens' comments.Fortunately,TT marshals are a dedicated bunch,but to ask them to leave work early,and expect employers to play ball,and to expect residents to be even more disrupted, has simply not been thought through at all.Let's face it, local marshals have to be relied upon more than visitors during practice week,so it is going to be very difficult.All this should have been organised over a year ago,when the whole thing was first though about.
Locals have plenty to contend with weeks prior to the TT,with the amount of road works all around the course,mainly patching up holes and levelling manhole covers,which should have been correctly fitted in the first place!

You should all get along to the TTMA Social night at the Sulby Glen Hotel tonight, where you can ask questions, state opinions, and... Manx Radio will be there to record views etc!

I hope the marquee is in place at "the Sulby" as there won't be room inside for everyone!

Hilary M Wrote:I hope the marquee is in place at "the Sulby" as there won't be room inside for everyone!

Just found this on Manx Radio
The Isle of Man TT Marshals Association is concerned it won't be able to man the practice sessions where roads are to close earlier.

From Tuesday, June 2 to Friday, June 6 the course will close an hour earlier than usual, at 4pm on the mountain section and 5pm for the rest of the circuit, to accommodate practices for the TTXGP event.

Sports editor Tim Glover reports (text, below, from attached audio file):

The association makes it clear it supports TTXGP and has provided a trophy for the first machine in each class to cross the line.

However, it says closing roads an hour earlier will cause 'serious problems' achieving minimum manning levels, with no fewer than 506 marshals needed for every race and practice session to go ahead.

Practice week is already heavily reliant on Isle of Man based marshals as numbers from across are not usually available to take up duties until race week.

Other points made - many marshals will still be at work at the suggested earlier times and will be unable to travel around the course to get in position, there may not be a marshal in place when roads close to erect any road barrier or rope, and the association is concerned medics and race officials will also not be able get to their stations on time.

What would we do without Manx radio ? I was also listening in and defo heard that any rider not competeing in the TT would have to do the requisite 5 laps of practice,the thing is there are only 4 sessions and as these things reputedly can only do 1 lap without a 2 hour pit stop to recharge how can anyone qualify who ain't in the TT,and I gather there are a few,Mick Grant included.

Following on from my previous reply, In the Manx paper today the DTL have placed an advert for tenders to erect the prohibited signs and also for a company to man the ropes and road closing points a job previously done by DOT staff. This hits the nail on the head http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/...001606.stm

George Wrote:Following on from my previous reply, In the Manx paper today the DTL have placed an advert for tenders to erect the prohibited signs and also for a company to man the ropes and road closing points a job previously done by DOT staff. This hits the nail on the head http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/...001606.stm

That will be expensive, goverment must have loads of money,
Not to good for DOT staff who rely on the overtime
Could this be another downer

hilary R Wrote:

George Wrote:Following on from my previous reply, In the Manx paper today the DTL have placed an advert for tenders to erect the prohibited signs and also for a company to man the ropes and road closing points a job previously done by DOT staff. This hits the nail on the head http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/...001606.stm

That will be expensive, goverment must have loads of money,
Not to good for DOT staff who rely on the overtime
Could this be another downer

It wont be expensive financially as it will more than likely be given to a company that will employ cheap foreign labour but will be expensive in terms of safety.

George Wrote:

hilary R Wrote:

George Wrote:Following on from my previous reply, In the Manx paper today the DTL have placed an advert for tenders to erect the prohibited signs and also for a company to man the ropes and road closing points a job previously done by DOT staff. This hits the nail on the head http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/...001606.stm

That will be expensive, goverment must have loads of money,
Not to good for DOT staff who rely on the overtime
Could this be another downer

It wont be expensive financially as it will more than likely be given to a company that will employ cheap foreign labour but will be expensive in terms of safety.

Hey the list goes on then, work permit office has cut most permits for unskilled labour, its all not looking to good this TT

The Witch wrote :-

Quote:You should all get along to the TTMA Social night at the Sulby Glen Hotel tonight, where you can ask questions, state opinions, and... Manx Radio will be there to record views etc!

Did anyone go ! And more to the point were there any questions answered !

shaun hogg Wrote:The DTL , have announced the extended practice periods to incorporate the TTXGP into the schedule , they will run on Tue Wed Thu & Fri of practice week , the real killer is the time . Roads will close on the mountain at 4pm & the rest of the circuit at 5pm , this is going to cause total chaos here on the Island , if you marshal on the mountain you will need to be there before 4pm & be there till practice finishes bearing in mind the mountain closes for longer because of the placing of the cones above creg Ny Baa , so you will be expected to give up six hours to marshal , they are going to struggle , you cant expect people to get out of work just to suit marshalling etc , i think many people are going to vote with there feet & tell the organisers to shove it .
Then of course you have the local people trying to get home from work , again you cant expect businesses to shut early or allow people to go early to marshall get home etc , this is going to turn into a nightmare , all because of this stupid race , some thought should have been given first to all the logistics before it was given the greenlight , i am sure they could have come up with a better solution for practice periods for the TTXP racers , i was under the impression that they would practice after mondays & tuesdays races which would have been better .
I can see major goodwill by the local population going down the drain this year unless this is sorted , without the goodwill & understanding of the locals i fear for the future , this is already under strain anyway with an increased anit TT lobby , all this does is add fuel to there fires , i hope the DTL see sense & have a serious re-think on this plan because if they dont i think there are going to be major problems here , not least Marshalls medics etc , very worrying situation .

They've taken the gentle hints and decided to drop the extra hour's practice idea. 8 MGP riders have had to be dropped from the race as they will no longer have the opportunity to qualify. Entries have re-opened in order to let the teams find replacement riders from those already racing in the TT.

I think it is about time somebody in the TT comittee saw sense and pulled the plug on the TTxgp. lol

Greeba#94