Robin Miller: Time for TT Sidecar rules to be re-evaluated?

Three weeks on from TT 2022 and the debate concerning its future gains momentum as the two important bodies, the IoM Department for Enterprise and the ACU, become involved in an intensive enquiry as to what went wrong.

There is little doubt that following the extraordinary, but not surprising, amount of mainstream publicity given to the deaths of five competitors that something has to be done. But what?

There is no question of this event being abandoned. It is a) worth far too much money to the Isle of Man and b) there isn’t a single rider who would say that the desire to take on the 37.73-mile circuit, with all its risks, had changed. But there is one category which has become a big topic of conversation - sidecars.

Bikesportnews.com talked to Alan Founds, this year one of the commentators as he recovers from a crash at Brands Hatch. But a successful sidecar competitor in Europe, a champion in the UK and occupier of the podium more than once in the TT with 2016 being a highlight for the Founds family with brothers Pete and Alan finishing second and third.

BSN: Much of the discussion is around the design of modern sidecars and whether they capable of handling the TT course. As a competitor and designer would you say the TT is the place for the modern sidecar? And what is your view on the current design with very little suspension, wide tyres. Do you think there should be some change on what we have now?

Founds: I think sidecars belong at the TT. I don’t think they’re too fast for the TT and I don’t think the course has made it more dangerous. There are some things that can be done, things that have probably been overlooked. The rules and regulations are very archaic, very old fashioned. They got updated when LCR designed