Dan Kneen Killed

[Dave....]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/44311030
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Honda Africa Twin

[Tracey Suntan-King]

Its so tragic.

Dan Kneen was such a popular and talented rider. We all know the riders do it because they love it but sometimes the price they are forced to pay is unfairly high

What is unfathomable is what was going on last night with both the Dan Kneen crash and the other incident in which Steve Mercer (allegedly) hit a course car. He's been airlifted off the island for treatment to his, as yet, unspecified injuries.

No doubt an inquiry is underway but how a car and bike can meet on the course means something, somewhere, went badly wrong.

Speculation is futile but surely a big, big cloud will now hang over this years TT.
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Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right

[Kris]

[Tracey Suntan-King]

Local chatter is that all the riders had been turned round to return to the paddock (which is not unusual when there is a red flag) because of the Dan Kneen incident.

In any case, there should not have been a course car on the course if riders were still out there.

No doubt the full facts will be known eventually, until then none of us know.

Steve Mercer is critical, but stable.

The car driver must be feeling pretty terrible, injured or not.
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Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right

[Dave70]

[RedPanda]

[Tracey Suntan-King]

UPDATE: A statement issued by Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson reads:

Following the collision which involved the Course Inspection Car and a rider during Wednesday evening’s Superbike Qualifying session, the following procedure will now take place with immediate effect:

A Red Flag instruction will apply to the entire TT Mountain Course irrespective of where that incident has occurred. There will be no movement on the TT Mountain Course by any rider until the incident has been cleared, regardless of how long that incident may take to clear.

The riders will only be permitted to move in Course direction under the control of Travelling Marshals at the front and rear. There will no longer be any movement of riders in the wrong Course direction.
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Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right

[Triton Thrasher]

[Suntan Sid]

Got to say I've never felt good about the "course cars".

Anyone who's been to the TT in the last few years can't have failed to notice the convey of six Imprezas, hooning round the course, all with two or more passengers. What exactly do they claim to be doing that the, bike mounted, travelling marshals aren't?
The cynic in me thinks it's a nice little earner, where anyone with enough dosh can book a fast lap of the course on closed roads!
I know for a fact Stavros has been round in one, I'd like to know what his excuse was, he's raced there, it's not like he doesn't know the course, so he can hardly claim it was for research.
If they're simply course cars why are they hooning round at such high speeds, prior to the racing, surely they should be inspecting the course, which in itself is pointless as the travelling marshals are doing that already!

Sooner or later at least one of those cars is going crash, with catastrophic consequences. The fact they are travelling so fast in such a close convoy, if one of 'em bins it I can't believe there wouldn't be a massive pile up!

As for the, fake, car lap, you know the one where it gets a flying start on new slicks, AV gas, (things that the bikes never get), and claims to be nearly as fast as a Superstock bike, I hope they tell them to stick their money and remove the car from the island, pronto.
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[Ste]

[Ste]

Isle of Man TT rider Steve Mercer's condition has been described as "stable" as he continues his recovery from injuries sustained in a collision with a course car on Wednesday evening.

https://www.autosport.com/tt/news/136487/tt-rider-mercer-table-after-surgery

[kerr]