Three rides for Rutter in Classic TT
Michael Rutter has secured three rides at this year's Classic TT after a final bike was supplied late this week.
The Bridgnorth-based rider will compete in the opening classic 500cc race on a G50 Matchless a week tomorrow before turning his attention to the 350cc and superbike classes on Bank Holiday Monday.
Rutter, aged 44, will be defending the 350cc title after riding his a Ripley Land Seeley to victory last year.
For the 500cc race his bike will be less powerful because fuel consumption will not be as much as the quicker machines, meaning he will not have to pit and will aim to complete four laps of the notorious 37.73-mile course flat out.
Rutter said: "I've got a good chance defending the race I won last year because even then we suffered a misfire but we were lucky a lot of other riders had to drop out. It comes down to who can keep these things going for the longest and we just about made it back last year.
"I'll also be on the grid for the superbike race but I only got a phone call about that on Wednesday so all I know is I'm riding a 12000cc Yamaha for that race."
The two-week long Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling now combines the Classic TT and traditional Manx GP races, which both use the same course as the main Isle of Man TT.
