Rutter reunites with SMT for Supersport roads campaign

Michael Rutter will reunite with Robin Croft’s SMT team for the 2015 Isle of Man TT, with the Lancashire-based team preparing a Kawasaki ZX-6R package for the Midlands rider.

Rutter, a former Junior TT race winner back in 1998, set his fastest lap in the class last year, taking the Smiths Triumph to 123.198mph en route to ninth and sixth.

He has past experience with the SMT team, too, taking their Honda Fireblade to runner-up spot in the 2013 Macau Grand prix. Team boss Croft had originally planned on running a team for the full season on the roads, but when that plan fell through made back-up plans with Rutter.

Speaking as the deal was announced, Rutter 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.”

Rutter will also line up in the Superbike, Superstock and Senior TT classes for the Penz13.com BMW team.