Manx GP “a Challenge” But Organisers Want to Keep the Event Alive
Organises of the Manx GP have confirmed they intend to keep the event alive despite road racing struggling of late
Both the Manx GP and Isle of Man TT were impacted by unprecedented weather conditions, causing a raft of cancelled races across the two events in 2024.
The Isle of Man TT saw some of its worst weather in 20 years, while the Manx GP didn’t fare much better. Speaking on Manx Radio, Minister for Enterprise, Tim Johnston said: “What we all want to see is a long-term sustainable plan for motorsport, and the Grand Prix is a part of that.
“We are happy to work with the Manx Motorcycle Club. We had meetings before the Grand Prix, and since. We are happy to sit down and talk about the future, and the challenges.
“We recognise that this type of event is struggling elsewhere. It is a challenge, there are costs involved. We want to make sure it can work in the future. We’re happy to sit down and help where we can.”
This comes after Michael Dunlop questioned the state of national road racing due to the international road racing scene being impacted by more and more racers from championships such as British Superbike, rather than traditional road racers.
Mark Lewin, chief executive of the Isle of Man Department for Enterprise, also had this to say about the Manx GP: “There has been a lot of feedback, a lot of emotion and criticism.
“There are a lot of decisions made by various elements of organisations with the best of intention, with complexity that is sometimes difficult to appreciate from the outside. This year looking back, and feedback from previous years, there is a commitment from all parties to take it on board. To look at what can be done.
“But it’s complex and there are a lot of considerations. There is a real desire to say ‘let’s listen and look at it’. Let’s see if there are things that can change.
“This is absolutely not our event, it’s not a government event. But we are a stakeholder, a supportive partner, and we’ll do what we can to make sure it’s a successful event for many years to come.”
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
