Rutter to miss out on 2015 BSB season

Veteran campaigner Michael Rutter is set to miss his first MCE British Superbike season in over a decade, after the former multiple times championship podium finisher failed to secure a top level bike for the season.

Rutter, who parted ways with his Bathams IWR BMW team part way through the season in 2014, will instead concentrate on the roads, taking personal sponsor Bathams Prizewinning Ale with him to the Penz13.com team.

Rutter has raced in the top level of domestic racing since 1996, has taken come 28 race victories from his nearly 500 starts in the class.

However, despite not having secured a full time ride, he says he still hopes to make wildcard appearances in the series, as he did after failing to secure a bike in 2009, enduing up deputising for an injured Sylvain Guintoli on the Crescent Suzuki.

Speaking at this week’s TT press conference, the Midlands rider jokingly admitted his plans for the season: “Unfortunately, I’ve had to resort to buying myself a deckchair, a big umbrella, and a couple of crates of Bathams, and I’m going to sit outside the medical centre in the BSB paddock and if anyone crashes I’ll dive onto their bike!”