BSB: Ian Hutchinson to race in Superstock class with Edwards 1902 Yamaha

Ian Hutchinson will compete in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship this season with the new Edwards 1902 Yamaha team.

Edwards 1902 Yamaha will run as a sister team to BSB’s McAMS Yamaha and will also have full support from both Raceways Motorcycles and Yamaha Motor UK. Hutchinson’s Yamaha R1 has been built by the team in Raceways Motorcycle’s purpose-built GYTR workshop.

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The 16-time Isle of Man TT race winner finished runner-up in the 2016 Superstock season, 26 points behind champion Taylor Mackenzie. Hutchinson has won multiple Superstock races, whilst his latest move sees him reunite with Yamaha. Hutchinson has four Isle of Man TT victories and wins at both the Macau and Ulster Grand Prix with the manufacturer.

“I’m really excited to be back with Yamaha for the 2021 season with the Edwards 1902 team and Raceways Motorcycles,” Hutchinson said. “I’ve had a lot of success with Yamaha in the past and especially with Steve and the team at Raceways – it’s all so familiar for me so not really a new team as such!

“I’ve not ridden the latest YZF-R1 but it’s clearly a good package, Jason [O’Halloran] finished second in BSB last year, both he and Taz [Mackenzie] won races on it. The guys know the bike like the back of their hand so I’m looking forward to trying it in Superstock trim and seeing if we can get on the podium and perhaps win some races.”

Hutchinson will get to try his new machine for the first time at the official BSB test at Silverstone on April 28-29.

The title sponsor of the new team, Edwards 1902, is a multi-award-winning Single Variety Premium vodka made exclusively from King Edward potatoes grown in the Yorkshire Wolds and distilled in Lincolnshire at the Elsham Wold distillery.

“I need to say a huge thank you to Steve, the team at Raceways and to Yamaha for putting us a package together that allows us to race with the backing of such a professional race-winning team,” team manager, Richard Arundel added.

“I also need to thank all of our team sponsors for their continued support, and we look forward to celebrating some great results with an Edwards1902 after the racing is done! We have seen the R1 in all its glory for the first time this week, it looks amazing, and we are very proud it is carrying the Edwards1902 brand.