Call for 'commonsense' over MotoGP date clash
A leading motorcycle journalist has called for ‘commonsense’ to prevail after it was revealed the British round of next year’s MotoGP World Championship could clash with the 2010 Isle of Man TT.
Gary Pinchin, of Motorcycle News, said he was ‘absolutely shocked’ by the potential clash and fears fans and members of the motorcycle industry will be torn between two of the most prestigious events in the British racing calendar.
He has called on the governing body the FIM to think again and invited MCN readers to have their say.
The provisional calendar for next year’s MotoGP series has the British Grand Prix, to be held at Silverstone, scheduled for June 4-6. That is the same weekend as the first races of TT 2010 are due to run – starting with the Superbike race on Saturday, June 5.
On Wednesday, the Isle of Man’s Department of Tourism and Leisure confirmed it will seek talks with MotoGP rights’ holder Dorna to discuss the potential date clash.
Tourism and Leisure Minister Martyn Quayle said the announcement followed concerns raised by fans and leading motorcycle industry insiders.
Updating his MCN online blog on Wednesday, Mr Pinchin said:
‘I was absolutely shocked when I saw the date for the 2010 Silverstone British Grand Prix. June 6? Surely that’s when the TT starts?’
‘The Silverstone Grand Prix is such an exciting new venture. There’s a whole new race track, one that looks like it’s been conceived with just one plan – to make it one of the most stunning race tracks in the world for both riders and fans. So how could any self-respecting race fan think of not being there for that momentous day on Sunday June 6?’
‘But, hang on, Saturday, June 5 is the first race of TT 2010, the Superbike TT. How could any self-respecting race fan miss that?’
‘But anyone not wanting to miss either is going to need a private aircraft to do both – and lets face it, that rules out virtually all of us mere mortals. Yeah, you could maybe even do it on a bike but then you’d miss MotoGP practice – and if the weather turned nasty you could the TT race (sic) and then get stranded on the Island and miss the MotoGP. What a mess.’
‘It’s hard to quantify how much cross-over there is in the fan base that regularly goes to the TT and the Grand Prix, but this crazy date clash is bound to have an adverse effect of crowds at both events to some extent.'
‘Obviously there’s no rider cross-over, well not unless Valentino Rossi intends to have a go at the TT – but it is going to be massively difficult for the UK-based motorcycle industry people who will be torn between the two.’
‘I’d like to think it’s simply a naive oversight on the part of the FIM and, ultimately, commonsense will prevail.’
MCN helped arrange MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi’s first trip to the TT in 2009, giving the build-up to the visit and Rossi’s historic lap of the course extensive coverage.
Read Gary Pinchin’s blog in full.