Michael Rutter to ride BMW S 1000 RR at IOM TT
Evergreen Michael Rutter, a four time TT Race winner, has signed with Team Penz13.com BMW Racing for the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races.
Rutter will be equipped with a full spec superbike and a superstock, both based on the 2015 BMW S1000RR. To complete the team Penzkofer has resigned Stephen Thompson and Dan Kruger to represent the Penz13.com Bathams by BMW Motorrad outfit at the TT Races as well as the other international road races. Both have already raced for the team at the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix in November 2014.
The popular midlands based rider caught up with his new team in a recent test at Almeira in Spain, where they tested the latest BMW machinery BMW S1000RR superbikes for the upcoming season. Rutter tested alongside the team’s FIM World Endurance riders Markus Reiterberger, Bastien Mackels and Pedro Vallcaneras.
Team boss Rico Penzkofer commented: “It’s great to have such a legend as Michael is on board for this exciting season. I always had tremendous passion for real road racing, having raced at various meetings during my own professional career. We have only for meetings in the WEC that fortunately does not clash with any of the big road racing meetings. So we thought it would be good to level up on the roads too.
“Michael is obviously a very experienced rider with an incredible race record – 4 TT wins, 17 NW200 Wins and 8 Macau GP victories – I had to get him signed. We are now preparing his personal bikes in our work shop and can’t wait to get going in May“
Michael Rutter commented:Â “I am very happy to ride for the team even though it looked a bit like a long shot as the team is based in Germany. Obviously they have the best bikes available for this job and I am pretty confident that we can put the things together the way I need them and being competitive. I am not finished yet – especially not with the North West and Macau where I would like to add on another win even though the competition isn’t getting any easier.
“The TT is a bit of different story but I am looking forward to go around the Mountain course with the bikes I will have and the team behind me – I am targeting Top 6 finishes. There is still a lot of work to do at all ends for the team and myself. But I can fully focus on the job now after everything has been sorted.”
Ian Hutchinson to ride factory backed MV Agusta at 2015 IOM TT
Tsingtao Racing /Hampshire MV Agusta has confirmed that eight time TT Race winner Ian Hutchinson will race their factory backed MV Agusta in the Monster Energy Supersport TT Races in 2015. The Bingley Bullet returned to the TT last year after missing the 2013 meeting through injury.
The team will campaign the iconic Italian marque’s F3 675 machine. It has a unique three cylinder engine with a counter rotating crankshaft – a ground breaking solution previously only seen on MotoGP bikes.
MV Agusta is one of most widely revered manufacturers at the TT. MV Agustas have won 34 TT races and taken 61 podiums between 1952 and 1972.The first race win came in the 1952 Ultra-Lightweight race, won by Cecil Sandford, while the last was the 1972 Senior won by Giacomo Agostini. Â
While Agostini is the most successful MV Agusta rider at the TT with 10 wins to his name, some of the greatest names in the event’s history have also raced on MVs including John Surtees (6 wins), Carlo Ubbiali (5 wins), Mike Hailwood (4 wins) and Tarquinio Provini (3 wins). Other race winners have included Gary Hocking (2 wins) while John Hartle, Bill Lomas, Cecil Sandford and Les Graham have also stood on the top step.
MV Agusta President Giovanni Castiglioni commented: “MV Agustas are indelibly associated with the Isle of Man TT Races and we are looking forward to adding the next chapter in our long and successful history of racing on the Isle of Man. Ian Hutchinson is a legend around the Mountain Course and it is fitting that he is following in some of the great names that have raced MV’s at the TT.”
Dave Tyson, Team Manager, Hampshire MV Agusta Tsingtao Racing commented: “I’m really pleased with the signing of Hutchy for this year’s IOM TT as well as the North-West 200. It gives us a great opportunity to challenge at the front and as we all know he is a TT winner.”
He continued:Â “MV Agusta has a winning tradition at the TT and we are going to do everything we can to do that. I know that Giovanni and all the staff at the Italian factory are supporting us and it means we can have a real shot at it.”
He concluded: “The 2015 F3 is better than every and results in WSS have proven the bikes competitive so we now need to make that happen on the 36 ž mile circuit. It is the third time we have been at the TT, in 2013 the team was the first to bring a Chinese bike and this year we hope to bring a trophy back to Hampshire MV Agusta.”
Dan Kneen joins Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles for the 2015 Isle of Man TT
After finding himself without a ride just over a month ago, Manxman Daniel Kneen now finds himself with his best chance of getting onto the podium having signed for the Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles team for the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.
Kneen, who took his maiden International Road Race victory in last year’s Ulster Grand Prix Superstock Race, will contest the RST Superbike, PokerStars Senior, RL360 Superstock and Monster Energy Supersport Races and with Bruce Anstey and Cameron Donald as his team-mates. The Batley based outfit have a superb chance of adding considerably to their numerous tally of race wins and podiums.
The talented 27-year old, who dominated the Irish Road Race Superbike Championship in 2014, was due to line up for another team at this year’s event but when they unexpectedly pulled the plug in January it left the Braddan rider on the sidelines.
However, his fervent work since has paid off and he will now line up for one of the TT’s greatest ever teams, headed up by the enthusiastic Clive Padgett and his hard working crew, further strengthening their position as one of the leading team’s at this year’s event.
Since taking an unprecedented hat-trick at the 2008 Manx Grand Prix, Kneen has been a regular top ten finisher at the TT with his best finish coming in the opening Supersport Race in 2010, when he placed fifth. He now has nine top ten finishes to his name and an impressive collection of 18 silver and 4 bronze replicas from his 28 starts.
Last year saw him finish all five races inside the top fifteen with three of those finishes – the Senior, Superstock and second Supersport Race – all being inside the top eight. The meeting also saw him record his best ever lap of the Mountain Course, 129.360mph, to move up to 17th on the all-time fastest list of riders.
In addition to his outings at the TT, Kneen will also contest the North West 200 and Ulster GP for the team along with selected outings in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship.
Speaking after signing with the Padgetts Motorcycles squad, Dan Kneen said:Â “I’ve gone from having nothing to, to securing a ride with one of the best teams in the paddock in a short space of time. I can’t thank Clive enough for giving me this opportunity and I am really excited about getting the chance to work with him and his crew. It’s one of those teams that you always look at when you are coming through the ranks, hoping that one day you might get the chance to ride for them, and my chance has come and I intend to take it with both hands.”
Team Manager, Clive Padgett added:Â “We are delighted to be working with Dan Kneen in 2015. He is a rider we have long admired and who we feel has shown great potential, often without the chance to really show what he is capable of. We see this as the start of what will hopefully turn into a long relationship and we want to be part of Dan realising his potential over the next few years.”
