Quote:
Originally Posted by spiceyxi
I have been lucky enough to go about 3 times. What is worse/more insane than the people willing to die for the race is the people that are willing to die trying to prove they are as good as the racers. I would have to look up the stats, but I bet the civilian fatalities equal or exceed the racer ones. As someone above mentioned the track is simply the roads and I believe the speed limits are fairly lax on such a small island.
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Yes, the track is all public road -- part of the reason I made the Monte Carlo GP comparison. And the 'semi-backward' aspect I mentioned is part and parcel of IoM status as a Crown dependency -- not part of Great Britain, the United Kingdom or Ireland -- and with the power to pass its own laws with its own legislature (with royal consent). What that means to vehicle operators is that the vast majority the UK's road and racing regulations do not apply. That political status is the entire reason the TT still exists -- leadership on the island is fully aware that the race -- and Manx cats -- are the two most valuable claims to fame the island has.
(Another reason I made the Monte Carlo GP comparison: the tax rate on the Isle of Man is among the lowest in Europe).