WELCOME TO ISLAND RACER 2004

Welcome to the greatest road race meeting in the world. And welcome, if you've actually made it, to the Isle of Man. And welcome, above all, to Island Racer, the only magazine entirely dedicated to ‘the last of the great road races'.
2004 finds the races at a crossroads. The tragedy which befell David Jefferies last year focused attention on the event's shortcomings, both in terms of the racing itself, and on wider commercial factors. The Manx Government's review of the event will in all probability have made public its conclusions by the time you read this and you, in turn, will have drawn your conclusions about the directions proposed.

And whatever you may read about the opinions of racers, industry figures or observers such as myself, it is your reaction that matters most. As Yamaha UK boss Andy Smith points out in the article on page 48, it is the visitors – not the authorities, nor the supposed “guarantee” of the 20 year contract agreed with the ACU, which is nothing of the sort (see page 44) – who will make or break the TT. Without your continued enthusiasm and – yes, your money – the TT has no future.

Bernie Ecclestone might be content to see a car grand prix played out in front of a derisory live audience, but the TT is different. It is you, the event's ordinary fans, who underpin the future of the races.
Uncertain times, maybe. But what is virtually assured is that, as always, Bikers' Island will give you an experience to remember. Nothing else offers quite the same wall-to-wall sensation of biking in all its forms. If you haven't been before, or even if you have, be prepared to gorge on a two-wheeled feast. Enjoy, take care, and see you again next year.

Mac McDiarmid

End of article. The 2004 Island Racer has many articles like this, with more stunning photography and technical details.

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