Segway Racing MotoCzysz continues to set pace in SES TT Zero practice
Segway Racing Motoczysz remain the team to beat in the 2011 Isle of Man SES TT Zero race with both of their riders – Mark Miller and Michael Rutter – sitting on top of the qualifying session. Conditions were perfect for the second practice as all nine of the bikes for Wednesday’s Race lined up on the grid on Glencrutchery Road.
2010 TT Zero Race winner Mark Miller was first away followed by all Manx effort of Dan Kneen riding for the ManTTx. John Burrows was next away for American Outfit Lighting Motorcycles followed by the ION Horse outfit of perennial electric bike competitors Ecotricity Kingston University, the first of the four University outfits.
Another University outfit, prestigious American based Massachusetts Institute of Technology were next off the startline with Allan Brew and all Japanese outfit Team Prozza and Yoshinari Matsushita followed them away. Roy Richardson and Russ Mountford, both competing on behalf of university outfits Imperial and Brunel respectively were the final University outfits and all eyes will be on the competition within the competition for the fastest University team in Wednesday’s SES TT Zero race that comes with a £5k prize fund.
Last away was Michael Rutter, riding the second Sedgeway Racing Motoczysz outfit and he was quickly into his stride, leading on corrected time at Glen Helen with 5.45.46 (101.081mph). John Burrows split the Motoczysz pair with a 10 second lead over Mark Miller who was third at the first checkpoint in 6.52.85.
George Spence (7.11.56), Allan Brew (7.21.69), Russ Mountford (7.38.52) and Joshinari Matsushita (8.32.11) were the only other outfits to remain on the course as Dan Kneen and Roy Richardson retired on Bray Hill and at Crosby respectively.
Rutter continued to set the pace and after extending his lead to over a minute from Burrows by Ballaugh with an average speed of 106.647mph he posted an impressive 138.4 through the Sulby speed trap. With Burrows dropping out at Whitegates and Mountford retiring at Alpine, Rutter was left with only his team-mate Miller (81.133mph), Kingston’s Spence (80.442) and fellow University competitor Brew (78.536) in close proximity and finished with a lap of 24.15 at an average speed of 93.353mph for the 37 ¾ mile course. Yoshinari Matsushita also brought the Team Prozza bike home in 35:59.22 (62.906mph).
The teams will now prepare for Wednesday’s SES TT Zero Race and the prospect of the first 100mph lap, which comes with a £10k prize fund from the Isle of Man Government remains a possibility.
SES TT Zero machines get first taste of action in 2011
http://www.iomtt.com/News/2011/06/04/SES-TT-Zero-machines-get-first-taste-of-action-in-2011.aspx
Six of the nine teams participating in the 2011 TT Zero electric bike race, part of the Isle of Man TT Races, grabbed the opportunity for some early practices on the famous mountain course.
First away from the startline on Glencrutchery Road was experienced electric campaigner George Spence riding for Kingston University...
Ramsey based Allan Brew was next on the starting grid, riding for TT Zero newcomers MIT. The prestigious American University are expected to challenge Kingston and all eyes were on their debut effort.
Another newcomer, the Japanese outfit Team Prozza from Tokyo were also making their electric bike debut with Japanese rider Yoshinari Matsushita and he tucked in behind Michael Rutter, who was riding the second Motoczysz bike with last year’s winner Mark Miller not going out for this session.
Rutter was first to Glen Helen in 6.25 followed by Matsushita (06.39) Spence (7.16.87) and Allan Brew (7.34.95). Rutter increased his average lap speed to 95.752mph by Ballaugh with the remaining three machines out on the course all keeping pace at over 80mph.
The Sulby Speed trap threw up some interesting times with Rutter (142.8) easily topping the board and demonstrating the potential of the 2011 E1PC. Spence (96.1), Brew (91.2) and Matsushita (90.1) all also clocked impressive speeds through Sulby.
The Motoczysz outfit continued its impressive performance over the mountain section of the course, a true test for the electric machines and he eventually brought the Motoczysz machine home in 24.23.99 (92.779), outside Mark Miller’s TT Zero winning time in 2010 but enough to suggest that the Californian won’t have Wednesday’s race all his own way. Spence (81.823), Brew (75.702) and Matsushita (66.113) all got the important qualifying lap under their belts.
Michael Rutter confirmed for 2011 SES TT Zero electric race
TT veteran Michael Rutter is looking forward to his first taste of electric bike racing during the 2011 Isle of Man TT fuelled by Monster Energy.
The reigning TT Zero champions are returning to the Isle of Man in 2011 to contest the 2011 SES TT Zero clean emissions race. The team will run two bikes, one for Rutter and the other for last year’s winner, American Mark Miller.
Rutter will pilot the all-new 2011 MotoCzysz E1pc for the Oregon-based outfit. He is an accomplished and experienced rider, with 27 BSB race wins, 12 victories at the North West 200 and nine podium finishes at the TT, including victory in the 1998 Junior.
Rutter, Kneen, Hillier and Burrows join TT Zero for 2011 TT
http://www.iomtt.com/News/2011/05/09/Rutter-Kneen-Hillier-and-Burrows-join-TT-Zero-for-2011-TT.aspx
TT stars Michael Rutter, John Burrows, Dan Kneen and James Hillier will join the electric bike revolution at the 2011 Isle of Man TT fuelled by Monster Energy.
Also due to compete are last year’s winner Mark Miller and rob Barber, who won the 2009 TTXGP.
Teams from the UK, Isle of Man, America, Belgium, Spain, Japan and Italy have submitted entries - there are already four teams from America on the starting grid in 2011 and it is hoped that further teams from around the world will enter before the 2011 TT begins.
