The Place

Your correct Howard Neil ran the Ducati in 93,not 91 and he didnt return to the TT after that.

Hi Bob, I can tell you the real reason why 1000cc twins were banned from the original F2 class, it certainly wasn't because of Neil's Ducati outfit.

ianw wrote:Hi Bob, I can tell you the real reason why 1000cc twins were banned from the original F2 class, it certainly wasn't because of Neil's Ducati outfit.

Come on then Ian, let's hear the conspiracy theory.

Again? (Sorry Woffa )

Steve - don't be an old grouch C'mon Ian, spill the beans for those that do not know - please!

Hi Bob, I'm not going there again ( that will make Steve happy LOL ) it's well documented on here from my previous posts on the banning of the 1000cc twins & who it was behind it.
Suggestions were put forward at the F2 AGM's like, you could have fuel injection if the engine wasn't overhead cam, & you could have overhead cam but not fuel injection etc etc. It all fell on deaf ears, the people behind the ban had made up their minds that they were determined to ban them because they didn't want 1000cc's racing at the Isle of man. Myself & others only found out about the ban when the following years ACU handbook came out.
I'd just had a new chassis built by Colin Jacobs & I asked one of the instigators of the ban where I was supposed to race & he said "Looks like you'll have to go Classic racing then". If I'd been a violent person I would have decked him there & then.
The guy still races sidecars & is still dictating the future of Sidecar racing.
One of the people behind the ban is no longer with us so it would be inappropriate to name names.
Going off subject, I notice in the Sidecar Paddock section that the TT next year will allow tuned engines. The TT Sidecar races cant be called F2 because it looks like they are only allowing 600cc 4 strokes thus banning the 350cc 2 strokes, I know you dont get many 350's out in F2 now but its the underhanded way that the ACU operates & with the knowledge of the fore mentioned sidecar rider. Nothing changes down in Rugby!
I don't like the Isle of Man & never have done,that is my personal feeling having lost so many friends there but I would never de cry any one who wanted to race there. But lets face it, F2 sidecar racing has been geared solely to one race meeting in the year & that is the TT!
Hopefully, over & out.

Ian - thanks for raking it over again but I'm getting a lot of enquiries why the ban. Hopefully a number of folk will now be better informed

Hi Bob, the reason was pure & simple, the ACU, ( read Road Race Committee, well known sidecar racers have been on that commitee!!!! ) wanted to restrict the races to 350cc 2 strokes & 600cc 4 strokes as the 600's had just been let into the class. I think this was 1991??? So the writing was on the wall for the big Twins.
Ironic really as it was the Twin Cylinder 4 stroke class, mostly Auto66, that let the 2 strokes race in the class 1982-3??.
There was only a few of us racing 350's back then & the F2 club was started by the husband & wife team, the Lathams.
I decided to go 4 stroke twin because of the reliability issues with the 2 strokes & also I'd always preferred 4 strokes.
By now there was an F2 committee & the ACU got involved with the class & the rest is history.

PS. CR is on it's way to you.

Sounds like the same old same old Ian

Thanks for CR, look forward to it as always )