Save MANX Grand Prix

Updated 20th November 2012 – MAX GP Saved!

I can assure you that the Manx Grand Prix is alive, well and flourishing. The entire 90th Anniversary 2013 event will be organised and run by the Manx Motor Cycle Club and will feature races for both modern and classic machines, with the Dept of Economic Development promoting both elements. Practice will start for all machines on 17th August 2013.

Harvey [Garton] Chairman MMCC

Chairmans Blog – Click Here

www.manxgrandprix.org

Save MANX Grand Prix

30th May 2012

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. MESSAGE Received today 3rd August 2012
    MGP petition due to close on August 3rd 2012, thank you for your support.
    Overall we are very close to 10,000 signatures including the paper version which has been circulated.
    Please make sure that anyone you know who supports the MGP and hasn’t signed does so in the next couple of days.
    The Island’s Department of Economic Development are now speaking to the Manx Motorcycle Club with a view to resolving their differences. This is due in no small part to you and everyone who has signed this petition. It has shown that the great groundswell of opinion is in support of the races continuing as the Manx Grand Prix and retaining a strong programme of events for the elite clubman motorcycle racer.
    We will be closely monitoring progress between the two parties, join the Manx Grand Prix Facebook Group to keep up to date with things. I am sure that with the support which we have shown that we will achieve a favourable outcome.
    John McBride
    Chairman Manx Grand Prix Riders Association

    Statement issued by Department of Economic Development and Manx Motor Cycle Club
    Following discussions between the Manx Motor Cycle Club and the Department of Economic Development regarding the future direction of the Manx Grand Prix Festival, a provisional proposal and schedule has been agreed for 2013.
    The newly developed Festival will retain elements of the existing Manx Grand Prix Races, while also leveraging the TT brand in a new ‘Classic TT’, which will form part of a three-day classic meeting.
    The Festival will consist of the ‘Classic TT Races’, ‘The Manx Grand Prix Races’, the ‘Manx Classic’ and ‘Manx Two Day’ Trials and the ‘VMCC Manx Rally’, which will include the Festival of Jurby. The festival will remain as a two-week event including a week of practice and qualifying. A title for the Festival will be confirmed shortly.
    Four Classic TT Races will now take over the traditional middle weekend of racing and August Bank Holiday Monday, which will also feature the VMCC’s popular Festival of Jurby meeting on the Sunday, with Manx Grand Prix races scheduled to run on the following Wednesday and Friday.
    The Department of Economic Development will promote the Classic TT and will contract the Manx Motor Cycle Club to deliver the races. Regulations for these races will be confirmed shortly. The Manx Motor Cycle Club will assume responsibility for the role of promoter and organiser of the Manx Grand Prix races, with financial assistance being provided by the Department.
    Hon John Shimmin, MHK, Minister, Department of Economic Development commented:
    “We are very pleased to announce progress with our ongoing discussions with the Manx Motor Cycle Club on the future direction of the event. We are confident that we have a clearly segmented and focused festival that can generate additional visitors to the Island and the team will look to further develop the Classic TT and Festival.”
    Harvey Garton, Chairman, Manx Motor Cycle Club commented:
    “We have a clear way forward for the Manx Grand Prix Races as part of the Festival and will be working closely with the Department of Economic Development to build and grow the event. We are now focusing all of our efforts on delivering a successful 2012 event.”
    Statement on my gov.im – Click Here

  2. Big Mistake. I know it will still go ahead and there will be some rumblings and complaints. Its being thinned down and encompased in another festival completely different from its original form.
    There must be some political or financial reasoning behind it, but it still stinks all the same.
    Apart from everything else the change of date from early June to late August is not a good one weather wise and for foreign travellers and their August holidays, its going to be something of a stretch for them to get there. Its also the begining of the last week for family holidays and getting back to school organisations when families should be working together. so I may be wrong but I wait and see if its going to be a debacle or not.
    One will be mixing families with a load of young people and babies at the festival and adding an overwhelming number of leather clad [or similar clad] bikers. I am not saying that the bikers will misbehave but there could be a clash of cultures. There aint nothing wrong with bikers but to me but that clash could be a recipe for disaster.
    I wish it every success to the continuance of the racing which lets face it, is what its all about. but I wish also that it need not have had to come to this in the first place.

  3. MANX Goes Ahead
    Manx Motor Cycle Club – Chairman’s Blog November 2012
    Welcome to what is intended to be a regular series which I hope that our competitors and Manx Grand Prix supporters around the world will find interesting.
    This first Blog will concentrate on confirming what is happening in 2013 – irrespective of any rumours which you may have heard!
    I can assure you that the Manx Grand Prix is alive, well and flourishing. The entire 90th Anniversary 2013 event will be organised and run by the Manx Motor Cycle Club and will feature races for both modern and classic machines, with the Dept of Economic Development promoting both elements. Practice will start for all machines on 17th August 2013.
    The modern classes will be run under the Manx Grand Prix banner on 28th and 30th August. The opening race on Wednesday 28TH August will be the Newcomers MGP, followed by the Junior MGP. The penultimate race on Friday 30th August will be the SuperTwin/Lightweight MGP, with the Senior MGP as the grand finale of the fortnight. All MGP races will be over 4 laps.
    The Classic Races will be under the TT banner on 24th and 26th August and will have classes for both GP and Privateer Riders. All Classic TT races will be also be run over 4 laps.
    The Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT races will form part of a newly titled “Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling”. The Festival will also include the Manx National Two Day Trial, the Classic Trial, and the Vintage Club’s Jurby Day.
    Please watch out for regular updates and Press Releases relating to the Manx Grand Prix on http://www.manxgrandprix.org
    Yours in Sport
    Harvey [Garton]
    Chairman MMCC

  4. Dear Manx Grand Prix Supporter,
    Just a few lines to let you know that due to your support the 90th Anniversary Manx Grand Prix will now go ahead as part of the Isle of Man Festival of Motor Cycling over the two weeks of the 17th August to 30th August 2013. The event has also now been granted full international status by the FIM and is attracting entries from around the world.
    Log on to http://www.manxgrandprix.org for further details.
    If you want to become more involved in the Manx Grand Prix you can join the Facebook group “Manx Grand Prix 2013 and Beyond” or e-mail: mgpactiongroup@yahoo.co,uk if you feel that you can assist in spreading the word about this unique and historic event.
    Once again, many thanks for all of your support, it really made all the difference and secured the future of the Manx Grand Prix for years to come.
    I hope to see you all on the Isle of Man next August!
    Best Regards
    John McBride
    Chairman Manx Grand Prix Riders Associaton

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