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Michael Rutter will line up in all six solo races at the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, having secured a deal with SMT/Carbridge Racing for the two Monster Energy Supersport races.
Rutter, winner of the 1998 Junior 600cc TT race, will campaign a ZX-6R Kawasaki in the two four-lap races for the team run by Lancashire-based Robin Croft. The 42-year old has posted a best lap in the class of 123.198mph, set last year when riding the Smiths Racing Triumph.
The popular Midlands based rider made his TT races debut in 1994, following in the illustrious footsteps of his father Tony who himself won 7 TT Races. After a seven year break when he competed in the British Championship, he returned to competition on the Mountain Course in the Centenary year in 2007 and has three TT Zero electric bike race wins to his name. His other TT Race victory came in the 1998 Junior TT.
Croft and Rutter are no strangers having contested the Macau Grand Prix three times, winning the event in 2012, as well as a number of British Superbike Championship races in 2009.
Mainstays in the British Championship for a number of seasons, Croft has run Dan Stewart and Tim Reeves at the TT in recent years and had been trying to put together a deal all winter for a full assault on the roads. Although that failed to come to fruition, the chance to be involved in some capacity was one he jumped at and running Rutter will give them an extremely strong presence on the Supersport grid.
Commenting on his TT campaign Michael said:
"I feel that I've got a good set of bikes this year and that I can challenge in all of the races. Robin and I go back a long way and he knows how to prepare race winning bikes so I'm really looking forward to this year's Supersport races. I finished in the top ten in the first Supersport Race last year and I think I can build on that with the Kawasaki."
