Yes Don, we italian had the marvellous Targa Florio. It was raced on the "Madonia circuit" in Sicilia, on public roads, and one lap was 45 miles (72 km). It was abolished in 1977. It was much less fast than the Mountain circuit, but in some shots you can see the people at the side of the village roads and a Ferrari or a Porsche on the middle!!. Few people know that also motorcycles raced in the '20s and '30s on the circuit of the "Targa Florio". In some editions of the '20s and '30s it was used a longer circuit: it was 67 miles long. (108 km)

You are right. I would never have visited the isle of Man without the TT races. But this speech involves the economical protection (tourism) of the TT races. We can not refuse to understand that the TT races as we know them now contradict essentially the "modern" concept of risk. To have saved the TT races will mean to have saved that very special concept of risk. You british and manxman who looked at the TT races since many times can not understand which is the first impression for a continental visitor. I had been many times at the F1 car Gp, and I spectated at the Italian Gp from the Lesmo corner (it was a flat out bend, 270 km/h in 5th gear) and at the Imola GP from the Tamburello and Villeneueve corners (they were more than 300 km/h flat out bends), but when last year I was on the last day of practices at bottom Bray Hill and the next day on the descent for the F1 bike race...oh, it was really a VERY different thing: I was with out words (the greatest experience in my motor sport life!). It needs a very special concept of risk, not only in the riders but also in the organisers.

Sincerely,

Marco