Hi Tomcat, totally agree again with some of your points.

You said 'The problem we face is that today it is becoming ever harder to accept fatalities in motorsport. Those of us who have been around the TT/MGP for some time know that sh*t happens and we all know the score (I raced the Manx many times over a period of 20 years). However the mainstream press, health & safety, ambulance chasing lawyers and the Financial Sector who would love to see us consigned to history all have an ever louder voice. Thus I believe we need to take some major steps forward before someone grabs us and forces us to take even more, unpalatable ones.'

I kind of disagree with some of the points. Yes we all know the risks, well those of us who have competed, but sometime I don't think that the vast majority of those around us actually do. They may try to understand why we do it but will never fully understand until they do it themselves. Some may even resent the fact that we do it. This then leads to a feeling of hurt, distrust, and even anger when something does actually happen. As for the ambulance chasing lawyers, all the relatives who are left need to do is say no to their approaches. Maybe this brings up the need for more support after such a tragic event.

As for the financial sector not appreciating the TT, I can only say that one of the major financial companies is a large supporter of the TT, LloydsTSB, even providing finance for a race team. My experience of alot of the finance companies, I used to work for one, is that they use the TT to their advantage, they use various place for hospitality, like the Creg. They even use the TT as a selling point for some. As happens the majority of the time here on the Island, the voices of the minority of the TT haters are heard loud and clear, and those of us who love the TT are very rarely listened to. This I think has to change.

The press will always make out the worst of the TT no matter what happens, and you will always have accidents and fatalities on the course no matter what you do, no matter how many course inspections you are going to have, and no matter the class of rider. The thing is to try to reduce the numbers, but you can not make it totally safe, this I agree with you on. We just have to handle the press better and in a more positive manner, of course not directly after a fatality, but all the time through out the year and across all media.

The amount of cash spent on safety over the last few years is immense, but we need more and we just don't have the cash available to make every single part of the course as safe as people are now expecting. Yes a fatality has happened, yes there are issues with the way the course inspection was carried out, and there are issues with the understanding of what is required from the Clerk of the Course to the marshals out on the track and the problem lays with communication. But we all hope that this is going to change and that things are now going to be put in place. To give you some idea of the cost, the air fence costs a vast amount of cash. For example I think that the Southern club looked at air fence and to do just a few areas around the 4.25 miles were quoted in excess of £10,000 to cover just a few places, so trying to cover all the spots on the TT course, which Paul is doing really well on, and must be congratulated on, would cost millions. Yes I know how much can you put on a life, but the money has to come from somewhere.

As for the restriction of riders to race in the TT, I agree with you that something may have to be done, but making riders do the Manx GP many detract from what the Manx has always been about, a great meeting where anyone in the top twenty riders could win it. To stick i well qualified riders that would be 'automatic' winners I think would destroy the Manx. To use it just the one and only 'qualifier' for the TT is I believe unreasonable. There could be other races included in this qualifying for the TT. What about the Southern, Scarb or many of the Irish races. The problem of new comers is not isolated to the TT alone, it happens at a vast majority of the road races here, in Ireland and also on the big rock. What do they do at Macau? If there is a place for justification of increased safety then there is a beauty, but all the riders and spectators love it.

There is also another problem with forcing people to do the Manx before the TT and that is one of liscencing. The Manx is a National event, this would have to change to make it a qualification for the TT would mean it would have to change to an international event to allow foreign riders to compete, thus increasing costs, insurance, and also entry fees for the races, which I would suggest is another nail in the coffin of the Manx. So you would risk loosing both races and not just the TT if this were to happen? The implications are vast but there is an answer, use other races as a means of qualifying.

I think the organisers spend hour after hour going through the rhemes ans rhemes of application forms to see who is good enough to enter, and past qualification is no guarantee of entry. They look at entries for races all over the world, they look at past results in these races and also in some circumstances ask the clubs and governing bodies of the riders what they think. It is not a simple thing to put an entry in and automatically be accepted. I don't know if I should be saying this but the timekeepers report to the clerk of the course after each session, anyone who looks erratic or times are too slow will be monitored during the sessions to see if they are jumping in too deep or are taking risks. Reports from marshals and sector marshals are also recorded. Anyone found to be riding dangerously or erratic would be talked too and if the Clerk of the Course deems them to be dangerous they will be withdrawn from the meeting.

Even after all of this, the likes of Marc Ramsbotham and Joakim Karlsson, I think would be more than accepted under these grounds. Their times were good and consistent, gradually getting better lap by lap. I personally believe that the accident was just that, an accident. No matter what you do you would not have been able to stop the unfortunate death of the rider. As for the spectators well that is a different matter which I think has already been fully covered in this thread. I totally agree with you on the lack of practice during the week. There must be more....

Please don't get me wrong I am all for making things safer and I think you have some great ideas that should be looked into, but there are problems with making the Manx a qualifyer.