Wayne Gardner demands immediate TT ban

[onearmedbandit]

Actually I'll do some web searching and compare over how many years of F1 fatalities equals to one week of the TT.

I think you'll find F1 fatalities are few and far between and are considered a shock to the organisation when they do occasionally happen. Not business as usual and to be expected like TT week.

Sorry you misunderstood me. I wasn't comparing the number of fatalities in F1 to the IoM. It would just be something I'd have at my own track. Although if my friends and I were driving them you'd find the fatality rate would be very high lol. That's if we could actually get them off the line.

[onearmedbandit]

Quasie - How does the Iom affect you personally?

[Quasievil]

All good guys respect and like your opinions to, Im sticking to mine tho lol. I got "a thing" about Bike deaths they freak me out based on personal experience but lets not go into that, but that I think solidifies my argument in my head anyway, but then again, Im going out for ride on the dangerous Hammy streets now so Im a hypocrite BWAAAAHHHH

[onearmedbandit]

Yes all good, no hard feelings, hugs and kisses and all that other Edgecome shit. I understand a little about your adversion to the subject of bike deaths, so respect there.

[Kickaha]

Actually I'll do some web searching and compare over how many years of F1 fatalities equals to one week of the TT.

I think you'll find F1 fatalities are few and far between and are considered a shock to the organisation when they do occasionally happen. Not business as usual and to be expected like TT week.

How many F1 races are held on a 37. something mile road circuit though?

[dipshit]

How many F1 races are held on a 37. something mile road circuit though?

None like the IoM circuit that's for sure.

Well, many decades ago when they did run on such courses and had high death rates themselves. Like 50 years ago...???

That's the whole point.

[MIXONE]

Thank fuck we all dance to beat of our OWN drums eh.
I personally would never have the balls to race at the IOM but would love to go and watch.

[Kickaha]

None like the IoM circuit that's for sure.

Well, many decades ago when they did run on such courses and had high death rates themselves. Like 50 years ago...???

That's the whole point.

I dont think it would be more than 2-3 decades ago that F1 had a higher fatality rate, probably the closest they raced on would be the old Nurburgring

[Grumph]

I'd be a lot more comfortable with Gardner's comments if he'd ever raced there. According to Honda boss Gerald Davison in a Classic Racer mag, Gardner wanted to ride there but Davison felt he was too wild so took him & Donna to have a look. Watched Joey come down Bray Hill, bottom everything out & disappear into the distance on the back wheel - Gardner changed his mind immediately about riding there...
There's no compulsion to ride there to my knowledge.
I was happy back in the day when our regs for holding National level meetings changed to make it nearly impossible for Wanganui to hold a points round - this removed the compulsion to ride on a street circuit for points and made our top level a lot safer.
If your sponsor still wants you there for exposure, up to the rider how hard he/she tries - but the pressure for points at least is not there.

[onearmedbandit]

None like the IoM circuit that's for sure.

Well, many decades ago when they did run on such courses and had high death rates themselves. Like 50 years ago...???

That's the whole point.

To use the old Nurburgring F1 track as an example, the main reason the track was dropped from F1 was because the drivers felt it was too dangerous. With the IoM situation it's not the riders who are calling for it to be banned.

[Biggles08]

Shit, better ban Paeroa and Wanganui, any hillclimb, and any racetrack with walls within 100m of the track...cock, nowhere to race in NZ now. Or pretty much ANYWHERE else.

Don't forget we had better not ride on the road - pretty spectacular death rate there dontcha think? In fact, no cars any more - you could die in one of those. Which rules out planes, trains, buses. In fact, don't leave the house. Ever. Actually, can everyone just gas themselves now so we don't have to worry about people dying??

Zee Germans tried that...

[dipshit]

To use the old Nurburgring F1 track as an example, the main reason the track was dropped from F1 was because the drivers felt it was too dangerous.

Yeah, F1 statistics show that... http://www.f1complete.com/records/f1...ths-by-circuit

Now look at all F1 deaths http://www.f1complete.com/records/f1...rmula-1-deaths and all IoM deaths... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...atal_accidents

Many years at the IoM could easily see 6 fatalities for one TT.

You need to go back 33 years in F1 to get that many.

[lostinflyz]

None like the IoM circuit that's for sure.

Well, many decades ago when they did run on such courses and had high death rates themselves. Like 50 years ago...???

That's the whole point.

theres a brillant book on f1 on old 50's racing and the dangers called "against death and time". Terrific short read that parrallels bike and car racing of the time, the last chapter is on the money about the risks people choose to take.

No one forces the IOM to run, no one forces the 100's of competitiors, sponsors, crew and organisers to do it. If you think its not ok for the IOM to run, what do you say to people that say motorcycle racing is too danegerous, even on the latest and greatest of tracks. The same arguments come down to the same basic facts, racing is dangerous (to various levels), you either accept it and live with it, or fuss and moan, act like a nana and accept that lawn bowls is the only sport safe enough worthy of existence.

[Biggles08]

This is a hard one for me. Personally I would never race there because I don't want to die doing what I love...I'd rather keep living and keep loving what I love to do....race. While I understand the 'glory' involved in this historical event and the respect it brings from your peers, it is simply put, in my opinion 'outlived its life cycle.'

Many good points have been made why its become more dangerous as machinery has become faster, and these are reasons why I suspect the fatality rate is probably only going to increase with time. While I'm definitely not one to normally call for any drastic action against those wanting to do something that puts only themselves at risk, I'm tending to agree with what Wayne is saying. Besides the prize money on offer there are other carrots like the so called 'respect' you get for entering, pressure from your sponsors to compete, self indulgence and possibly more. Like Quasi said, us racers are somewhat an arrogant bunch who don't often think of the potential consequences of our sport. Another person who was very close to the recent tragedy of Paul Dobbs losing his life there also said something to me that stuck "Its a great sport this is we are part of, but when it bites...it bites hard!" I just don't see the attraction of this event anymore...while initially I was skeptical anyway, it really now has no value to me and I could care less if it was banned to history. I would like to let it be a 'great event' of our past and not let it continue and merely ruin more peoples lives...as it surely will.

If riders want to risk killing themselves... who cares.

I find this post offensive and possibly you were not meaning it as such but considering recent events...I care; I care a lot and see you as small minded for stating this.

[CHOPPA]

I havnt bothered reading the whole thread but id agree with Waynes comments, i cant understand why the event is still allowed to run, in any other part of the world it wouldnt be aloud. Wayne does heaps of work in the interest of rider safety etc in oz plus apparently he has won a couple of races here and there so I think he is more then qualified to comment