Save MANX Grand Prix

Supporters of the Manx Grand Prix (MGP) have formed a Manx Grand Prix Action Group to raise awareness in the face of Isle of Man Government proposals which would shorten the duration of the Isle of Man MANX Grand Prix from one week to a long weekend.

According to the Manx Grand Prix Action Group, this will “precipitate the demise of the Manx Grand Prix and deny many the privilege and opportunity to race on undoubtedly the greatest road circuit in the world.”

A petition has been set up, along with a FaceBook Group, to show their opinion that the Isle of Man Government may have behaved naively in their dealings with the Manx Motor Cycle Club, the historical guardians of the Manx Grand Prix, when formulating their contentious proposals.

The Action Group hopes the government will reconsider their current proposals with regard to the ‘Clubman’s TT’ and Classic races in terms of the number of classes and riders, and to consider alternative proposals which would enhance and secure the Manx Grand Prix and its organising club.”

Not on the Isle of Man, not to worry, you can sign the on line version of the petition – Click Here

Links

Join the MANX Grand Prix FaceBook Group – Click Here

Fans Against The Proposed Changes To The Manx Grand Prix – Click Here

If you’re on the Isle of Man at the TT races until the 8th June look out for the petition and T Shirts are on sale!

 

MANX Grand Prix

Most supporters and the Manx Grand Prix Riders Association welcome the news that the Isle of Man Government is committed to the future of the event, and particularly its Classic programme of events.

The island’s Department of Economic Development has stated that the MGP currently incurs a shortfall of around £360,000 on the governments investment in the event, and that they had conducted a review which indicated that an event branded as a TT Classic Festival, catering for professional TT riders racing classic machines and run over a long weekend would have a greater spectator appeal than the current format? They conceded that a couple of ‘minor’ races for clubmen could be squeezed into the event, with fewer starters than at present.

The Manx Grand Prix Action Group disputes their findings on many levels and according to the Action Group, the government’s review was biased in favour of the classic element. They held focus groups which deliberately excluded riders, supporters, sponsors and fans of the event. These focus groups were aimed at businesses unaffected by their changes and ambivalent to the MGP!

Their figures, by their own admission, are based on estimates, cherry picking attendance figures from one year and the costs of another. Mainly a poor year’s attendance in 2009 and costs of 2011 when the government had apparently spent more ‘marketing’ the MGP than the TT.

Expecting attendances, which are currently at around 10,000 and growing at a rate of 10% per year, to jump to 20,000 over a weekend does not take into consideration that many people from around the world treat the event as their annual holiday, spending on average more than a week on the island contributing greatly to the islands economy by visiting attractions, pubs, restaurants, supermarkets and shops.

Four days spent watching racing does not leave much time for spending money locally!.

Worst of all, when their own formula used to analyse the MGP, is used to analyse the TT, it makes very uncomfortable reading! This gives an indication of their haste to push their ill conceived proposals through.

They appear to be basing their proposals on assumptions which are not tested nor supported by facts! For example, classic racing in the UK and the MGP is in decline as far as entries are concerned. Although we welcome the government’s interest in this element, we are concerned that without the MGP proper to support the event, the racing will be a damp squib.

Holding the event over a long weekend may seem attractive to some but doesn’t allow for weather disrupted practice or racing, does not take into consideration rider and machine fatigue or the economic factors.

There is evidence to suggest that there are insufficient top level classic machines available, or people willing to let some of the current TT riders race them. There are also question marks around the number of top flight TT riders who would be willing to race classic machines around the Mountain Circuit.

There are feelings which suggest that far from being the result of any review, however flawed, that these proposals were conceived a few years ago, and the government have engineered a situation which creates the ‘need’ for their intervention in the event. They have issued press statements without the MMCC in an attempt to win support from outside of the MGP fraternity They have made offers of free entries, payments to riders etc to try and split the riders from the supporters.

The fact is that far from seeing the MMCC as a partner in progressing the MGP, the government see them as an obstacle. They are employing as many dirty tricks as they possibly can to wrest control of the event and have seriously underestimated both the club and its supporters.

Above all the Manx Grand Prix Action Group is concerned that their government is prepared to play games with their heritage and almost ninety years of Isle of Man history, slashing classes and removing the MGP’s reason for existence. The government is backing the organisers, the Manx Motor Cycle Club into a corner which may see their demise and the end of the event forever!

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  1. You can also sign a petition to Save The MANX Grand Prix at Phil Morris Racing

  2. Charlie Lambert’s TT Blog – TT and Manx Grand Prix gossip
    MGP: Charlie Lambert’s meeting with the Government Department
    Click Here

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