The next point is, that if we want to run a race meeting that attracts the manufacturers support and interest, which is what we have to do as a commercial, and not a purely enthusiast driven event, then we have to run classes that are applicable to what they are producing. I think this is a point which is lost on a lot of people. This is the IoM TT – it costs millions of pounds to run – it’s not the Southern 100 or Scarborough where commercial return is not necessarily important to the future running of the event.

Then there is the practice issue. If we had these classes back at the TT, with the current practice time we have available to us, we would have to split the sessions in half. You can’t run these smaller bikes with the Superbikes in particular, but really, with any of the 600s plus. What we don’t want to do is start robbing half the practice allocation away from the other classes for one race, and in the mean time we need to also make sure that every available second that we have, is given to practice, in particular the Superbike classes, which take so much setting up for the TT Circuit. I think this year was the first year I remember where so few riders complained of set up problems in the Superbike classes.

I am told that when the TT lost World Championship status in 1976 (I wasn’t born till ’78 so I don’t know) everyone was saying the TT was finished. Then when the F1 World Championship went, they all said it was over. Yet each time the TT recovered and moved on - yes, it is sad that the two-strokes are no more but it’s happened and the TT will move on again - this year’s racing at the TT was undoubtedly some of the most exciting ever and the future is stronger than it has been for decades.

Can you explain the process as to how you arrived at the race programme?

The race programme comes on the back of consultation with all the various groups involved. I am sure that during this process that one or two individuals might have missed out, but overall we have covered as many people as possible and managed to get a sufficient cross section of opinion. Basically the changes made from last year are based on the feedback we have received. The first sidecar race moves back to its original spot – that was a mistake which we admit to. The Thursday afternoon session moves to Thursday evening to help the Police and DoT with road traffic issues as well as giving us an extra 15 minutes practice time. Then on top of that we have the key events placed in there to help us celebrate the Centenary which is a one off opportunity for us all to celebrate this wonderful event on such a grand scale.

What will be the difference between the ‘Parade Laps’ of the Wednesday and Friday?

The lap on Wednesday is the traditional Lap of Honour, but we are working really hard to make this very special for 2007 with more personalities from TT history than ever before taking part, including countless former winners, and many who have never paraded with us in the past. The lap on Friday ties into the events on the Thursday when we hope to attract many personalities from bike sport past and present to come and join us on the Island to help finish the event with a real bang, help us raise a lot of money for charity, and significantly, help take the message of the TT further and wider than it would normally reach. Obviously this will include many iconic former TT stars, and all these personalities will be joining us on the Thursday evening for the TT Centenary Dinner at the Villa Marina which is going to be an event not to be missed, and which should hopefully raise a lot of money for the ACU Benevolent Fund and the Joey Dunlop Foundation.

Surely, only four solo races, with machines being ‘much of a muchness’ is not sufficient to sustain interest for spectators from 2008 onwards?

This is a difficult one. I think we need another race, but as I’ve already mentioned at this moment in time we can’t run the smaller machines. Superstock 600 is a possibility for 2008 onwards, and the other major International races are keen to do that too, and we will work together on that. The North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix organisers would admit that the smaller classes have a limited future at their events if they were being honest, so this is not a problem just for the TT; it’s the whole sport that has to get over this. 2008 will be a massive challenge, because we don’t want to be suffering from a 2007 hangover, but I am sure we can rise to the challenge and put on a massive TT which will attract and excite thousands of travelling fans. All I can say is that for my part, I will move heaven and earth to make sure that happens.

Lap speeds have increased – will this mean more stringent qualification times for 2007?

That’s not been considered too much so far. I think maybe the sidecar class needs to be looked at, but you have to remember that this year we had perfect weather and that might not be the case next year. 108mph for a 600 and 110mph for a Superbike is not bad considering where we have come from, and there is every possibility that TT 2007 won’t be as fast as 2006 because of the weather. They will be reviewed in the coming weeks however, as the regulations are formulated for 2007, and there is every chance that there could be changes once all the discussions have taken place.

The two American newcomers both impressed – what efforts will be made to ensure their return next year?

In short, every effort will be made. I have made good friends with both Jeremy and Mark and their performances were exceptional, considering what a culture shock it must have been for them both. The level they ride at in AMA is really high, and it will be difficult to eclipse them as far as newcomer recruitment goes in the future I feel. Man for man they were probably among the four or five most talented motor cycle riders in the entire race this year, and with more circuit knowledge, they will win TT’s if they so choose to keep on returning. They brought a lot of colour to the event, and they were tremendously professional in everything they did both before and during the TT. I do hope that they both return, and at this moment in time that looks highly likely.

What about potential newcomers for 2007 – can you name any at this stage? How do you go about recruiting top class riders, particularly those from overseas?

I felt that 2007 would be harder, because sooner or later, you are going to max out, but at this moment in time we are in talks with around seven riders from the BSB paddock, two from European Superstock, one from World Supersport, one from the Suzuki GSXR European Cup plus several real road racers. I don’t think it’s fair to name names yet, because those riders in question may still be talking to their families and sponsors about it all, but as soon as we firm some of them up we will be letting people know, and I am sure we can continue the trend of the last few years set by the likes of Cameron Donald, Les Shand, Conor Cummins, Jeremy Toye and all the rest. We also hope to see Michael Weynand and Christer Miinin back in 2007 as well as Michael Rutter, who we talk to quite a lot. I am sure that there will be a few more that come out of the woodwork over the winter, too. With regards to recruiting from overseas etc, the internet is a really good tool first and foremost
for finding contact information, then we do well from referrals from other competitors and event organisers. We also do a bit of visiting, and before the end of the season Milky and I will attend the final BSB round and the Bol D’Or World Endurance Championship event in France, which hopefully will be successful.

The sidecar entry has been on the decline with respect to numbers – how can this trend be reversed?

First of all, let me say that the Sidecars are a very important part of the TT’s future. This year the numbers were down, and I set myself what I thought would be an unachievable target of recruiting ten new quality crews for 2007. Thanks to the help offered to me from the FSRA and individuals like Dave Molyneux, Roy Hanks, Mark Halliday and Dick Hawes we should easily eclipse that for 2007 with some real quality as well, plus a couple of good young crews. Amongst the people we are talking to are three of the best drivers from Superside, so if we can make that work, it will be fantastic and a real shot in the arm for the class going forward. With LCR now building F2 outfits, there is a real interest in the class, and a lot of new kit available all of a sudden, making my job a lot easier. We are looking at putting on some sort of sidecar weekend in the New Year for new crews as well, which should speed up the process of getting people to commit to the event, thus helping them make strong debuts once they get here next May.

How does the Hailwood Foundation fit into the recruitment process?

The Hailwood Foundation is an integral part of the recruitment process. Really, they let us take the lead on the actual recruitment, then we present some names and they make decisions as a committee as to whom they would like to afford financial assistance. Realistically without their support we would struggle to make the impact in this area that we have done. We enjoy working together with all the committee and hope that this relationship continues for a long time to come.

At this stage are you able to give any indications as to the non-racing entertainment during the Centenary Festival?

Well we have the Day of Champions on the Thursday of Race Week which I hope will be a massive event also raising a lot of money. We’ll have a stage at the rear of the Grandstand where we will be holding chat shows and auctions, utilising some really top drawer motor cycle racing personalities. There will be live music and that kind of thing, all the while raising money for charity and entertaining everyone with a real party atmosphere. That will be followed by the Centenary Dinner which I think will be very special, but I can’t tell you any more about that just yet I’m afraid. We will be restaging the very first TT on May the 28th in St Johns, and again that is going to be a really special occasion. The plans are just being finalised for that, so we will make some announcements soon. There are countless other events being planned, and I think from now until around Easter time, it is going to be announcement after announcement - it’s very exciting. In particular the Promenade entertainment could change quite dramatically with some of the manufacturers getting involved
quite heavily.

What progress is being made with respect to securing more commercial sponsorship?

I would have to say excellent progress to be honest. In the past I was very critical of the Department when it came to selling the TT, and I was right really. But what they never had was a package to sell, because the commercial contracts were very disjointed, and it has taken some considerable time to put this situation right. Thanks to our Sponsorship agent, Signature, we are now just about there, so we can look forward to significant commercial input into the event for 2007 and beyond. We are trying to engage people for three years at a time, which goes a long way to ensure the future of the event past 2007 and all the contracts we hold link together in some way to give real synergy for the sponsor. This gives you the opportunity to work with bigger companies with more sponsorship funds available to invest. I think in 2007, the biggest change people will see is the overall professionalism and commercial input, which might not sit well with the ‘dyed in the wool’ traditionalist, but means that we can build for the future. Cost is the biggest threat to the TT, and road racing in particular, and without addition revenue opportunities being realised, we don’t have a future. We will launch a new brand identity at the Birmingham Bike Show as well, which is key to the future earning potential of the event as a franchise. We are really happy with how this is all progressing, although it has been very laborious at times

You are involved in the long term planning of the event – what proposals are in the pipeline for the [improvement of facilities at the] Grandstand?

We actually have £500,000 to invest in the Grandstand in time for TT 2007, and I have written a 10 page paper on how this money should be invested. We have a much better relationship with the Douglas Corporation now than before, and for 2007, we will have the full use of Nobles Park for hospitality and car parking. They are also working with us, by sharing the cost, to resurface all the hard standing areas around the Grandstand. We also hope to have more toilet facilities in place, as well as developing the storage bays under the Grandstand for retail. This will all be backed up by a brand and brightness campaign for the Centenary event, so the facility looks the best it possibly can whilst the eyes of the world are on it. In addition to this we are also going to invest in a lot more removable hardware like the plastic road way we used this year, and there will be significant work on some of the race related areas like the Control Room and the Race Office. All this work is being left open ended so to speak, so we can apply for additional funding for more redevelopment going forward through 2008 and beyond.

To what extent do you think the press facility has improved? The Centre had restricted opening times this year, particularly during practice; will this be addressed? What plans are there for further developments re the Press Office?

With regards to the opening times, this has already been noted and will be addressed. In terms of improvements, as you will know, we engaged the services of the PR Agency, TMF this year; the account manager is Simon Crellin who ran the Press Office and controlled the media; this will continue in the future. This is a massive step forward for the event, with Simon bringing a lot of expertise that the TT has never had. He can take the TT story into lifestyle media and international titles that simply couldn’t be achieved in house; this is essential for maximising our sponsorship opportunities. He is also an expert in disaster management, which is essential for an event like the TT. The Press Office was very professional this year, as were the post race conferences and the feedback was all good. This year the equivalent advertising revenue for the TT in the written media stands at around £1,000,000 which is a tremendous achievement. We now have the opportunity
with the Centenary and by having a trained professional working with us, to maximise the event to its full potential in this important year, and of course, for the future too. On a slightly different note, we have just installed a wireless network in the Grandstand area which will service the competitors for free in 2007, with a second one in place just for press, which gives us a lot more flexibility for our colleagues in the media.

Presumably you are working in conjunction with other interested parties, such as the Marshals’ Association, to improve safety – what measures are planned for the future?

We are all working together as a unit on the safety aspect and I feel that significant improvements are being and will continue to be made. If you look at where the TTMA have come from and the professional way they currently operate, despite the enormous pressure they are under, it is quite staggering. The work they do and the time they give up, and I must say this is the Directors and the Sector Marshals in particular, they deserve massive credit. The same goes for Dr Stephens and the medical crews who set the standard for motor sport medical care around the world. For our part, we will do all we can to help them continue in this vein, and the biggest improvement for want of a better word, is the increase in the budget our Department has secured for both marshalling and medical cover. As for circuit safety, last year we entered a deal with the Recticel group to provide their market leading safety bales and pole protectors and we were able to acquire £30,000 of their product in time for TT 2006. Another £10,000 worth was brought in for the Manx GP, but for TT 2007 we have a further £100,000 to invest in the product, which is great news for the event and will make a massive
difference to the safety record I am sure.

Thanks to Paul for giving us such detailed and frank answers.