THE END OF ANOTHER SEASON
Well, what's to be done? I fear for the future of the sport, especially in the light of the recent tragedy at Carrowdore. Eddie Sinton was a good lad, and I can't but feel that if the race organisers and the MCUI had followed the lead of the southern centre, he would still be here today.
Are they so blind to the crisis our sport is going through, that they cannot say "yes we agree, the meeting should be scrapped for this year". Is it the "no" culture showing its teeth? May God forgive them if there was any ulterior motive in running that event. Maybe I'm overstepping the mark, but that's how I feel since that Saturday.
The death knell may now have sounded for a sport which is already on its knees. The recent article in the Daily Mirror, quoted Jeremy McWilliams as saying he believed that the smaller narrower circuits should be stopped, but as Dundrod, the TT and the Northwest 200 have also had their share of accidents, where is the line to be drawn.
Could we start by introducing staggered start times for each rider? This would alleviate one problem in particular, that of first lap pile-ups. The old races were held using a handicap system, and it didn't seem to stop the spectators enjoying themselves. In fact the chase aspect of road racing is probably the most exciting aspect of it.
Could we have a shared safety fund, between all clubs involved in road racing. I know that some clubs are famous for scrounging fire extinguishers etc, and forgetting to return them, but it has come to my attention that there is much more money in some clubs than people would imagine. This money is not being used for the safety of riders. Unless I'm gone totally blind, there were no air bags at Skerries, a club who I believe have the resources to provide much better safety facilities than they currently do. If Monaghan can provide air bags then Skerries can do it too. A shared fund would create a shared wealth of safety devices and facilities.
Can we police the maximum HP rules more thoroughly than we do at present. There is known abuse of the engine tuning rules, especially in the 600 class, and nobody is doing anything about it. I know who is doing it and I'm sure you do also. It doesn't help racing to have people cheating openly. It only forces others to cheat in order to keep up. Where's the sense in that? People like Pat Bradley and Brian Coogan for instance, could be right up there with the top men, if the tuning rules were adhered to.
Can we stop the big bikes altogether. A 600 is the most popular class, and is well quick enough for anyone. The introduction of the Yamaha R1 and the Honda Fireblade has caused a resurgence of interest in the big bike class, but although the bikes are safer and better handling than ever, the dangers are greater than ever due to the incredible speeds they can achieve.