| Michael Rutter | |
|---|---|
Michael Rutter riding a Crescent Suzuki during the 2009 BSB at Snetterton |
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| Nationality | British |
| Born | 18 April 1972 Wordsley. West Midlands |
| Current team | Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati |
| Bike number | 8 |
Michael Karl Rutter (born 18 April 1972 in Wordsley) nicknamed "The Blade", is a British motorcycle racer. He has a reputation for being at his best in wet conditions and his favourite circuit is Oulton Park. He has won 27 British Superbike Championship races, most recently at Knockhill in 2010, and finished as series runner-up twice. He has also contested MotoGP and World Superbike Championship events.
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It was a case of natural progression for Michael, as he grew up with motorcycle racing. His father is Tony Rutter, a successful rider himself in the 1970s who won 7 Isle of Man TT races, and was four times world champion in the TT Formula Two series. Michael lives in Bridgnorth, Shropshire with his fiance.
Rutter raced trials in his teens and began circuit racing in 1989. His first full season in the British Superbike Championship was 1993; he finished 8th overall and also made his first four World Superbike Championship starts that year. He finished in the overall BSB top six every year from 1994 to 1998, coming in third overall in 1997. His win at Donington Park in the wet in 1995 broke the duopoly of Steve Hislop and Jamie Whitham. His first World Superbike podium came at the same circuit in 1997. He won at Oulton Park and Donington in 1998. Tellingly, each of these standout results was achieved in wet conditions.
He spent 1999 in the 500cc World Championship, scoring occasional points but not being among the front runners. He returned to the domestic series for 2000 on a Ray Stringer private Yamaha. Again, a wet race provided his only victory. Still, his road racing results dwarfed what he managed on track.
After a solid 2001, Rutter came second to Steve Hislop in 2002 with the renegade Ducati team, including eight wins and five poles. He was third for the team in 2003, this time dwarfed by Shane Byrne.
He spent 2004 and 2005 with the factory Honda team. In 2004 he was never off the front row and took 11 podiums in the first 12 races, but a midseason run of 6 non-podiums gave Suzuki's John Reynolds the title. In 2005 Honda team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari had the better of Rutter, who came 3rd overall and lost the ride for 2006.
For 2006 he rejoined his former Monstermob boss Paul Bird, now running semi-works Hondas with Eddie Stobart funding. He finished third first time out, but only repeated this feat once more throughout the season, finishing seventh overall and losing the ride after the 2006 season. For 2007, Rutter was the sole rider for the MSS Discovery Kawasaki squad, which moved up from British Supersport to contest British Superbikes for the second time (the first was with Julien da Costa in 2005). This was his least successful BSB season ever, as the Kawasaki was not a competitive bike.
Michael Rutter competed in the 2008 British Superbike Championship on a "North West 200" branded Ducati SBK RS08, a team entered to promote this famed road racing event in Ireland. He finished 6th overall with a single win, and made his 300th BSB start at the final meeting of the year.[1]
For 2009 it has been announced that Rutter will ride for Rob Mac Racing Yamaha, again sporting North West 200 colours. This means he will form a partnership with Chris Walker, making the team amongst the most experienced in he paddock. Walker, however, rode under the blue Henderson Insurance banner. The decision from NW200 to back the team means that for the first time since 1995 no front running Duactis ran in BSB.[2] The partnership was comparatively short-lived with Rutter leaving the team in May 2009.[3] Rutter raced various machines for the rest of the season, with little success.
For 2010 Rutter took his Bathams Brewery sponsorship to the Ridersmotorcycles.com team, partnering Martin Jessopp on their Ducatis. He scored the team's first win at Knockhill, in wet conditions.[4] He also led race two at Snetterton, but was stopped by a broken gear lever. He took pole at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, and was leading race one when it was stopped for rain, ultimately coming second to Alastair Seeley.[5]
Rutter is also a very accomplished road racing rider, having won 12 times at the North West 200 festival in Northern Ireland. He has one win and eight further podium finishes at the Isle of Man TT festival. He holds the record of most wins at the Macau Grand Prix.[6]
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Rutter entered the 2010 MCE British Superbike Championship with new team Ridersmotorcycles.com and new bike the awesome Ducati 1098R.
Support came from Daniel Batham's brewery, Black Horse, Rock Oil, NGK, Pro-Bolt, Hel, Snap-on tools, Rage design, Pirelli and NW200.
Rutter had last raced the big twin in anger back in 2008 and if the pre season rumours were anything to go on, their chances of success were 'slim'. Enter Brands Hatch - Round One…the Ridersmotorcycles.com team left with both their riders in the top 10.
Round two at the notoriously fast and bumpy Thruxton threw up even more surprises as under the new rules, a favourite track for the Ducati, saw ups and downs for the team. Rutter retired from the first race but achieved second place in the second.
Things were going well for the team they left round four at Cadwell with Rutter in fourth place in the Championship .
Rutter went from strength to strength including a stunning race win at Knockhill on a track that started wet but was drying rapidly. Regular, consistent finishes to take him into the 'Title Fighters' showdown - a new concept introduced by series organisers MSVR to ensure the Championship went down to the wire - and down to the wire it went.
Rutter, very much a title contender, had a tough battle at Croft but bounced back with a fantastic win at Silverstone. He closed the season with a challenging round at Oulton but achieved a very commendable fifth place in the Championship overall.
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R3 | |||||
| 2010 | Ducati | BHI 7 |
BHI 6 |
THR 5 |
THR 7 |
OUL Ret |
OUL 2 |
CAD 3 |
CAD 4 |
MAL 4 |
MAL 4 |
KNO 1 |
KNO C |
SNE 4 |
SNE Ret |
SNE 4 |
BHGP 2 |
BHGP 3 |
BHGP 3 |
CAD 5 |
CAD 5 |
CRO 23 |
CRO 5 |
SIL 1 |
SIL Ret |
OUL Ret |
OUL 4 |
OUL Ret |
5th | 5591 | [7] | |
| 2011 | BHI 6 |
BHI 7 |
OUL 11 |
OUL 6 |
CRO Ret |
CRO 8 |
THR 2 |
THR Ret |
KNO Ret |
KNO 9 |
SNE 13 |
SNE DNS |
OUL 3 |
OUL C |
BHGP 2 |
BHGP 5 |
BHGP 5 |
CAD Ret2 |
CAD Ret |
CAD DNS |
DON | DON | SIL 8 |
SIL 8 |
BHGP 7 |
BHGP Ret |
BHGP 7 |
8th | 164 | [8] | ||
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Andreas Hofmann |
Macau Motorcyle Grand Prix Winner 1998 |
Succeeded by David Jefferies |
| Preceded by David Jefferies |
Macau Motorcyle Grand Prix Winner 2000 |
Succeeded by John McGuinness |
| Preceded by John McGuinness |
Macau Motorcyle Grand Prix Winner 2002-2005 |
Succeeded by Steve Plater |
| Preceded by Stuart Easton |
Macau Motorcyle Grand Prix Winner 2011 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |