Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix - Rutter heads the rest (again)
Discussion
Rutter tops the times, business as usual. If you've not seen the Macau circuit, think of it like a much longer street circuit like Monaco but twice as fast. 
Little video clips if you want a good idea.
Part 1 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF51mbY4xmE
Part 2 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC6lD81JX38
Michael Rutter has issued a warning to his rivals by taking provisional pole in the first qualifying session for Saturday's 40th running of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix.
The 33-year old British racer came within a fraction of beating his own qualifying lap record as he topped the timesheets in the one-hour session on his Stobart Motorsports Honda 1000. Aiming to become the first man to win the Far East classic seven times, Rutter showed that the opposition will have to raise their game if they wish to beat him, lapping some 2.2secs faster than anyone else during the session. Another British racer, Ian Hutchinson, was second fastest around the 6.12km Guia circuit, also on a Stobart Motorsports Honda. Signed by the Honda factory to spearhead its road racing efforts in Britain next season, Hutchinson is making his Macau debut on a Superbike this weekend after finishing second in the Supersport 600 class last year.
Steve Plater made it three British riders at the top of the qualifying leaderboard on board the AIM Racing Yamaha 1000, while American Jeremy Toye, the 35-year old Lee's Cycles Racing Suzuki rider, pulled off a major surprise by setting fourth fastest time and grabbing a place on the provisional front row for the 15-lap race. Isle of Man TT lap record holder John McGuinness, the man thought most likely to challenge Rutter, was only fifth fastest, over three seconds slower than the provisional poleman.
Scot Steve Allan, winner of the Supersport 600 class last year, was eleventh overall and quickest in the Supersport category on his MSS Discovery Racing Kawasaki 600. Second fastest was fellow Scot Callum Ramsay, on another MSS Discovery Kawasaki, with Hong Kong racer Cheung Wai On third best on his debut ride on a privately-owned Yamaha R6.
Little video clips if you want a good idea.
Part 1 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF51mbY4xmE
Part 2 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC6lD81JX38
Crash.net said:
Michael Rutter has issued a warning to his rivals by taking provisional pole in the first qualifying session for Saturday's 40th running of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix.
The 33-year old British racer came within a fraction of beating his own qualifying lap record as he topped the timesheets in the one-hour session on his Stobart Motorsports Honda 1000. Aiming to become the first man to win the Far East classic seven times, Rutter showed that the opposition will have to raise their game if they wish to beat him, lapping some 2.2secs faster than anyone else during the session. Another British racer, Ian Hutchinson, was second fastest around the 6.12km Guia circuit, also on a Stobart Motorsports Honda. Signed by the Honda factory to spearhead its road racing efforts in Britain next season, Hutchinson is making his Macau debut on a Superbike this weekend after finishing second in the Supersport 600 class last year.
Steve Plater made it three British riders at the top of the qualifying leaderboard on board the AIM Racing Yamaha 1000, while American Jeremy Toye, the 35-year old Lee's Cycles Racing Suzuki rider, pulled off a major surprise by setting fourth fastest time and grabbing a place on the provisional front row for the 15-lap race. Isle of Man TT lap record holder John McGuinness, the man thought most likely to challenge Rutter, was only fifth fastest, over three seconds slower than the provisional poleman.
Scot Steve Allan, winner of the Supersport 600 class last year, was eleventh overall and quickest in the Supersport category on his MSS Discovery Racing Kawasaki 600. Second fastest was fellow Scot Callum Ramsay, on another MSS Discovery Kawasaki, with Hong Kong racer Cheung Wai On third best on his debut ride on a privately-owned Yamaha R6.
I'll be there tomorrow watching it at the end of the start/finish straight! It's an incredible circuit (I raced it 3 years ago in my Caterham Fireblade in the Supercar race). I should also have been participating this weekend in a parade of classic and other race-inspired bikes, but my MV wasn't ready in time for shipping - bollox! A whole bunch of racers ('Rocket' Ron, Kevin Schwanz, etc) will be riding some of these bikes - can't believe I'm going to miss being on track with them. I'll report back tomorrow after the race!
gethyn said:
I'll be there tomorrow watching it at the end of the start/finish straight! It's an incredible circuit (I raced it 3 years ago in my Caterham Fireblade in the Supercar race). I should also have been participating this weekend in a parade of classic and other race-inspired bikes, but my MV wasn't ready in time for shipping - bollox! A whole bunch of racers ('Rocket' Ron, Kevin Schwanz, etc) will be riding some of these bikes - can't believe I'm going to miss being on track with them. I'll report back tomorrow after the race!
With pictures please????
Friday qualification results and story. Click the spoiler bit to see in case by some miracle a TV station is showing qualification tonight and someone wants to watch it without knowing the result.
Top ten qualifying results for Saturday's 40th edition of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix:
1. Michael Rutter
2. Steve Plater
3. John McGuinness
4. Ian Hutchinson
5. Guy Martin
6. Stuart Easton
7. Jeremy Toye
8. Thomas Hinterreiter
9. Les Shand
10.Stephen Thompson
Despite failing to improve on his earlier time, British Superbike front-runner Michael Rutter did enough in second qualifying to retain pole position for Saturday's 40th running of the prestigious Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, as he attempts to set a new record of seven victories on the event. Although the competition may have closed the gap after the West Midlands ace was a staggering 2.2secs quicker than any of his rivals in the opening session, they could not unseat the 33-year-old from the top of the timesheets, as his Stobart Motorsports outfit came close to locking out the top three places on the starting grid.
"We decided to keep old race tyres and have a full tank of gas just to see how the bike would go in race trim rather than try to improve on the quick lap I did on race tyres yesterday," said a delighted Rutter. !I hope it is dry weather and we have a good clean race. There is a lot of competition with these two (John McGuinness and Steve Plater), and there are a couple of young up-and-coming guys who are nutters!"
Plater, making his first ever Superbike appearance in the Far East classic, ultimately split the Stobart boys in joining Rutter on the front row on his AIM Racing Yamaha, eight tenths adrift of the pole. The Luton ace has raced both a 500cc V-twin Honda and 600 Supersport machine on the Guia circuit before, and is now aiming to taste success around Macau's streets on a Superbike too. "There are four green Stobart bikes to beat and I've beaten three of them, so there is one to go!" he quipped in trademark cheeky fashion. Plater's lap was enough to push Stobart star McGuinness, who sliced an incredible two seconds off his Thursday time, down to third. The Morecambe-born road racer and past Macau victor has finished runner-up in the race for the last four years and will doubtless be aiming to rediscover his winning form tomorrow.
"I struggled a little bit, but I was trying," the 11-time TT winner said afterwards. "The level of competition this year is very high and the bar has moved up. It is all fairly close except for Mr Boring Rutter here at the front! I got held up a bit but I'm in the ball park and on the front row so I should have a good race."
The third Stobart Motorsports rider, Honda new boy Ian Hutchinson, was looking on for a front row starting spot until he ran off-piste at the Melco Hairpin, ramming the track barrier and performing a spectacular handstand over the handlebars. The Yorkshireman was unhurt in the gymnastic display, but unable to go any quicker following a visit to the pits which allowed Plater and McGuinness to demote him down to fourth place in the final reckoning. "The bike is fantastic and it is a real eye-opener on a Superbike round here" he admitted.
Guy Martin, Plater's team mate, was fifth-quickest and Scot Stuart Easton, the fourth and final member of the Stobart Motorsports squad, sixth. American Jeremy Toye was seventh on his Lee's Cycle Racing Suzuki 1000, even though he was feeling unwell with a heavy cold. Thomas Hinterreiter will start eighth, with 2005 rostrum finisher Les Shand and Irishman Stephen Thompson rounding out the top ten.
Spoiler
Michael Rutter stormed to pole position for Saturday's 40th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, as his Stobart Motorsports team all-but locked out the front row of the grid. The British Superbike ace is bidding to claim a record seventh victory in the prestigious race, and only AIM Racing star Steve Plater spoiled the Stobart party by stealing second place, eight tenths of a second adrift.Top ten qualifying results for Saturday's 40th edition of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix:
1. Michael Rutter
2. Steve Plater
3. John McGuinness
4. Ian Hutchinson
5. Guy Martin
6. Stuart Easton
7. Jeremy Toye
8. Thomas Hinterreiter
9. Les Shand
10.Stephen Thompson
Despite failing to improve on his earlier time, British Superbike front-runner Michael Rutter did enough in second qualifying to retain pole position for Saturday's 40th running of the prestigious Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, as he attempts to set a new record of seven victories on the event. Although the competition may have closed the gap after the West Midlands ace was a staggering 2.2secs quicker than any of his rivals in the opening session, they could not unseat the 33-year-old from the top of the timesheets, as his Stobart Motorsports outfit came close to locking out the top three places on the starting grid.
"We decided to keep old race tyres and have a full tank of gas just to see how the bike would go in race trim rather than try to improve on the quick lap I did on race tyres yesterday," said a delighted Rutter. !I hope it is dry weather and we have a good clean race. There is a lot of competition with these two (John McGuinness and Steve Plater), and there are a couple of young up-and-coming guys who are nutters!"
Plater, making his first ever Superbike appearance in the Far East classic, ultimately split the Stobart boys in joining Rutter on the front row on his AIM Racing Yamaha, eight tenths adrift of the pole. The Luton ace has raced both a 500cc V-twin Honda and 600 Supersport machine on the Guia circuit before, and is now aiming to taste success around Macau's streets on a Superbike too. "There are four green Stobart bikes to beat and I've beaten three of them, so there is one to go!" he quipped in trademark cheeky fashion. Plater's lap was enough to push Stobart star McGuinness, who sliced an incredible two seconds off his Thursday time, down to third. The Morecambe-born road racer and past Macau victor has finished runner-up in the race for the last four years and will doubtless be aiming to rediscover his winning form tomorrow.
"I struggled a little bit, but I was trying," the 11-time TT winner said afterwards. "The level of competition this year is very high and the bar has moved up. It is all fairly close except for Mr Boring Rutter here at the front! I got held up a bit but I'm in the ball park and on the front row so I should have a good race."
The third Stobart Motorsports rider, Honda new boy Ian Hutchinson, was looking on for a front row starting spot until he ran off-piste at the Melco Hairpin, ramming the track barrier and performing a spectacular handstand over the handlebars. The Yorkshireman was unhurt in the gymnastic display, but unable to go any quicker following a visit to the pits which allowed Plater and McGuinness to demote him down to fourth place in the final reckoning. "The bike is fantastic and it is a real eye-opener on a Superbike round here" he admitted.
Guy Martin, Plater's team mate, was fifth-quickest and Scot Stuart Easton, the fourth and final member of the Stobart Motorsports squad, sixth. American Jeremy Toye was seventh on his Lee's Cycle Racing Suzuki 1000, even though he was feeling unwell with a heavy cold. Thomas Hinterreiter will start eighth, with 2005 rostrum finisher Les Shand and Irishman Stephen Thompson rounding out the top ten.
Results below for the first 15 in the race.
2. Michael Rutter GBR (Stobart Honda) +0.962secs
3. Ian Hutchinson GBR (Stobart Honda) +27.192secs
4. Stuart Easton GBR (Stobart Honda) +32.294secs
5. Guy Martin GBR (AIM Yamaha) +32.385secs
6. John McGuinness GBR (Stobart Honda) +39.787secs
7. Thomas Hinterreiter AUT (Yamaha Austraia) +40.292secs
8. Les Shand GBR (BTS Honda) +41.500secs
9. Franky Heidger GER (bwin Germany Suzuki) +1min 30.280secs
10. Michael Weynand BEL (Stefan Kuehn Kawasaki) +1min 33.282secs
11. Gerald Muteau FRA (Paris Suzuki) +1min 33.673secs
12. Rui Reigoto POR (Vodafone Yamaha) +1min 35.836secs
13. Steve Allan (MSS Kawasaki) +1min 55.061secs*
14. Luis Carreira POR (Repsol Honda) +2min 31.454secs
15. Martin Finnegan IRL (Solent Scientific Honda) +1lap
Looks like it was a good battle between Plater & Rutter,
Spoiler
1. Steve Plater GBR (AIM Yamaha) 37min 19.879secs2. Michael Rutter GBR (Stobart Honda) +0.962secs
3. Ian Hutchinson GBR (Stobart Honda) +27.192secs
4. Stuart Easton GBR (Stobart Honda) +32.294secs
5. Guy Martin GBR (AIM Yamaha) +32.385secs
6. John McGuinness GBR (Stobart Honda) +39.787secs
7. Thomas Hinterreiter AUT (Yamaha Austraia) +40.292secs
8. Les Shand GBR (BTS Honda) +41.500secs
9. Franky Heidger GER (bwin Germany Suzuki) +1min 30.280secs
10. Michael Weynand BEL (Stefan Kuehn Kawasaki) +1min 33.282secs
11. Gerald Muteau FRA (Paris Suzuki) +1min 33.673secs
12. Rui Reigoto POR (Vodafone Yamaha) +1min 35.836secs
13. Steve Allan (MSS Kawasaki) +1min 55.061secs*
14. Luis Carreira POR (Repsol Honda) +2min 31.454secs
15. Martin Finnegan IRL (Solent Scientific Honda) +1lap
Looks like it was a good battle between Plater & Rutter,
Edited by FourWheelDrift on Saturday 18th November 10:11
wassy said:
Check out the qualifying times :-
Rutter 2m30.595 Pole.
Priaulx 2m33.318 Pole. World touring cars
That's some commitment from the Superbike guys !
Rutter 2m30.595 Pole.
Priaulx 2m33.318 Pole. World touring cars
That's some commitment from the Superbike guys !
Also a reflection of how lame the cars are. Their corner speed must be much higher than the bikes but obviously really slow on the straight bits.
Steve Plator takes the win...complete with scuffed helmet & leathers...Rutter 2nd....Rutter was tied with Haslam as the most successful rider at the circuit..He`s now still looking for another win to beat the record til next year...video clips here..
www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo/mgpc/public_html/en/main.php?cat=review&item=miscel&file=video.php&year=2006&cid=153
www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo/mgpc/public_html/en/main.php?cat=review&item=miscel&file=video.php&year=2006&cid=153
Edited by F.M on Monday 20th November 23:35
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