Sad day at IOMTT

[Bubba]

On Saturday, rider and Journo, Gus Scott was killed on the TT. Would appear that a marshall, who also died in the accident was crossing the road to attend another crash when she was hit by Gus. RIP guys.

I have to ask, and I dont want to be a kill joy with this but how long can this continue? Two riders killed in the compition this year and a marshall. That makes 203 killed in the 98 year history of the TT. As I have said, I have no wish to been seen as a killjoy for it and I am against banning the TT, (I love seeing it), but surly something could be done to stop the amount of talent that is going to waste on the walls and bridges on the Isle of Man.

 

[chuck]

Sad

Tis sad but half the reason the RIDERS love the course is the danger. When it was compulsory (ie when it was British GP venue) because of contracts I did not agree but now it is voluntary I think it is justified. Doesn't make it any easier when you hear about or see the deaths though. Marshal particularly tragic.

PS Thoiught it was 3 riders + marshal?

 

[Bubba]

Only read of two but it could be three. The locals arnt pleased with the fact that one of the unlucky riders was zipped up in a bodybag and left on someons driveway till they could get an ambulance out there to collect him!

 

[martin]

That is very bad news. Gus was a top bike tester and along with his mate Ronnie Smith (no longer with us) they made an awsome team. It is also very sad to here of the death of a marshal. Without these people no motorsport would happening.

Deepest sympathay to all the families

Martin

 

[Samster]

As I heard it, the female marshall 'walked' across the track to speak to a rider who had broken down.........walking into the path of Ian Scott (Gus) as he exited Kirk Michael.

Now I don't mean to sound harsh and I know that the left hand bend is very fast and blind, but surely the marshall could hear the bike accelerating out of the village?????? The last thing any rider expects to encounter is somebody wandering across the track, especially a marshall..........

 

[Wolfie]

RIP Gus :bow: :bow:


bubba live and let live i think, they choose to do it so i would let them, the risks are great but so is riding down to the next town.

Real racing IS road racing, long may it continue.

 

[Bubba]

Dont think I managed to get what I wanted to say, the way I wanted to say it. I love road racing and I have the greatest respect for these guys that do it. What I was trying to say poorly was, and putting it bluntly, when will some offical body take notice and try to ban it? I pray to which ever gods are in the running at the moment that they dont but there will be a time when they will and thats going to be the last bastion of the working mans sport out the window. It does just seem a shame that so many good racers have met their maker on the circuit, but they have been doing what they love most.

 

[Honeymonster]

RIP Old Sackface (as Performance Bikes nicknamed him) :bow: :bow:

 

[mal 97]

i reckon

for what its worth, 2007 (100 years of the TT) will be the last which is why i will be there that year. this is just my hunch, my guess my load of shit but i think they will ban it and it may well be that year. :violin:

 

[Allan]

How about if they restrict the top end speed of the bikes so its down to rider skills?.

Bit like whats going to happen to the GP

Buzz

 

[Cruser]

How about if they restrict the top end speed of the bikes so its down to rider skills?.

Bit like whats going to happen to the GP

Buzz

I don't think reducing top speeds will change anything, either in MotoGP or the TT.

For example, this years Catalunya GP was 47 seconds faster than last years (run in similar conditions) yet the top speed this year was 11km/h slower than Biaggi's top speed last year. So, the increase in speeds has come mainly from higher corner speeds (including better tyres/brakes/traction etc) rather than pure top speed.

How often are fatalities caused on the straights? Genuine question as I don't know, but I'd guess not many. I'd guess most fatalities are caused by riders coming off at corners and hitting something hard. So, unless all gravel traps are hugely increased and barriers are moved back, people will still fall off at corners at go on to hit things :dunno:

In F1, steps were taken to reduce corner speeds - i.e. by banning slicks and having cut tyres to reduce grip. I'd agree with those that say this is a more realistic approach rather than just focusing on top speeds.

 

[Allan]

the top speed is effectively restricted by the specifications they are allowed to build the engines to. If they all do 140 for instance the times will be nearly all the same as all the racers can ride at 8/10ths round the circuit. It is a dangerous place, more so than most circuits.

You dont have to tell me how dangerous its, I've done the course on a mad sunday, fortunately I was one of those at the front and didnt get caught up in the mayhem.

Being on the Bird and being allowed to do warp factor 9 on public roads was quite scary, yet a buzz at the same time. On the open road with a good view, the throttle stop was the limit, and you know how mad that is.

I agree it would be impossible to limit speed or even reducing it would save lives, slip and hit a tree at 30 mph and youre a gonner, and that only takes a moments lack of concentration.

so what is the answer?.

Buzz

 

[Samster]

My answer is to give the marshalls better training and impove the way that they communicate incidents to other marshalls back down the course. With over 300 corners over 37 miles they can't rely on sight like they do at purpose built race venues.

The island could do with some technology. What about bunging a post every 200 metres with a stobe light on top during race week, and implement a wireless system whereby a marshall can hit a button as soon as there's an incident that activates the strobes for a kilometre before their location??

Who was it last year who came round a bend to find a telegraph pole down and nearly took his head off as he braked into the phone wire? A system like this may have given him some advance warning.........

 

[Tazz]

Having seen the incident, it would appear that there was a lack of flag marshalls at the end of Kirk Michael village, the first the riders knew of any trouble was by Jo Public madly waving his arms in order to attract a marshalls attention further downin the village.
He then porceeded to stand in a blind spot holding a static yellow flag, not waving it, eventually he got the mesage something serious had happened and started to wave his flag, by this time unfortunately it was all too late.
After the race we asked him what he had been thinking, he said he had no idead what had gone on, as his radio was in his back pocket, and he couldn't hear it.