AberdeenBikers

Michael Rutter will be back on the grid in next season's British Superbike Championship after signing for the Rob Mac Racing team, backed by the North West 200.

Rutter said: "I am delighted to be able to continue my association with the North West 200 and I am confident that we will be able to work very well with Rob Mac Racing. The news on the R1 coming out of World Superbike testing is very positive, and I am looking forward to throwing my leg over the bike in February."

Last year, Rob McElnea ran a one-man team, but for 2009 the Scunthorpe-based squad have doubled their efforts in a bid to fight for the championship crown. Alistair Kennedy and Mervyn Whyte MBE of the International North West 200 today (Tuesday) confirmed they were joining forces with the team, which will now be known as North West 200 Yamaha.

Alistair Kennedy said: "It is all about getting the best positioning for the North West brand on the grid and we believe that in pairing up with Rob Mac racing we will be giving Michael the best chance to win on the roads as well as the short circuits."

Mervyn Whyte MBE added: "The British Superbike Championship proved to be an excellent marketing tool for the North West 200 during the 2008 season and we are very excited to be entering the 2009 series with a new partner. We are sure that Rob McElnea will develop a bike that is equally competitive on the roads as well as in the BSB championship."

Lucky to be top 10 in BSB.

meepmeep wrote:Lucky to be top 10 in BSB.

Agree but still good to see him compete just to wait and see if he's going to be at the TT with Ducati pulling out of BSB not sure if they will be doing the NW200 or not as not seen anything yet

don't think too much of the choice of riders for Rob Macs bikes though.

Both Walker and Rutter excellent, but past their best.

Would have thought it better to have an experienced rider and a young up and comer in the team. Maybe Rob Mac thinks theres no decent future riders out there, or they both take sponsorship money with them in these hard times.

Coddy wrote:don't think too much of the choice of riders for Rob Macs bikes though.

Both Walker and Rutter excellent, but past their best.

Would have thought it better to have an experienced rider and a young up and comer in the team. Maybe Rob Mac thinks theres no decent future riders out there, or they both take sponsorship money with them in these hard times.

That would get my vote.

Poor show if you ask me. Although the bike won't be anywhere near factory spec i'm sure a young laddie would have given it a right good go and maybe Rob would have groomed another young star.
Such is racing....££££££'s


(enough of your tomfoolery )

IMHO Yamaha should bin Rob Mac as a team manager !!! oh yeah all the talk of what team he will be runnin every year may look good but why does he always fail to deliver come race day ??? what did Karl Harris do last year (apart from fall off alot) ???

the only decent thing he has done in recent years in my opinion is the YZFR6/R1 cups

a wee while back he signed Guy Martin but that all fell apart an now he would apppear to hav signed 2 of the oldest guys in the paddock , what does that tell u ???

he cant even build a bike for his riders to win on the track so what chance does he hav of buildin a bike to win on the road circuits like the TT an North West ???

it will be interestin to see what Colin Wright an his GSE team can do with thier R1s next season with Leon Camier an James Elison

i think Michael Rutter is still a great racer , jus look at the first superbike race at this years North West for proof of that , the way he beat the worlds top road racers was amazing an great to watch , i think he is gonna need all the luck in the world next season in Rob Macs team , i do hope im wrong tho

JT52 wrote:
i think Michael Rutter is still a great racer , jus look at the first superbike race at this years North West for proof of that , the way he beat the worlds top road racers was amazing an great to watch ,

He is one the worlds top Road Racers.