A senior marshal says the proposed early practice sessions for TT 2009 have stretched the goodwill of the public, and made it a very worrying time for the large number of volunteers who man the course, and enable practice sessions and racing to go ahead.

Assistant chairman of the Isle of Man Marshals Association Terry Holmes says his colleagues are concerned about the early start and he can't see how they will be able to provide the minimum 506 marshals required for each session.

The sessions are to be brought forward an hour on four consecutive days from the Tuesday of practice week, to allow more time on the course for competitors in the TTXGP clean emissions race.

Organisers have made it clear the innovative new event couldn't happen without the earlier start, but speaking live on Manx Radio from a marshals' meeting last night, Mr Holmes said:

"We're very concerned, as we say, we don't know numbers as yet, but we've got to reach that magic number (506), which is very difficult to reach with a 6pm start.

"Now, with this early road closure, [and] people having to sort of beg their employers to finish work early to get to the circuit etcetera, it's a very worrying time for us.

"A number of marshals would have to be up on the mountain to close the roads for 3.30pm, so that means they would probably be asking to finish work at half past two."

Roads around the mountain will close at 4pm and the rest of the course an hour later.