Hutch has a hat-trick
IAN HUTCHINSON proved untouchable as he charged to a third Isle of Man TT victory in as many days.
‘The Bingley Bullet’ dominated yesterday’s four-lap Supersport race, heading off Kiwi Bruce Anstey by 14.8 seconds with Guy Martin a distant third.
Hutchinson had signalled he was back to form after a five-year recovery from injury by winning Monday’s first Supersport TT followed by yesterday’s Superstock race.
Both those successes were overshadowed by yesterday’s performance that took his winning tally to 11 around the 37.73 mile Mountain Course.
Riding Prodigy frontman Keith Flint’s Team Traction Control Yamaha, Hutchinson took the lead on the opening dash into Ramsey and pulled clear by the mile, giving the rest no hope of catching him.
Hutchinson said: “I really enjoyed the race. In fact it didn’t feel like a race, more like a four-lap practice. I was loving it.
“I did my usual race at the start, keeping in touch, not doing anything stupid. In fact I can’t remember too much about it.”
His team had fitted a new engine, which was a concern.
Hutchinson said: “I tried to keep it a bit calm, not to stress, but dropped a couple of seconds on the third lap and then went for it again. It was perfect, I need not have worried.
“It was amazing to have Keith Flint here and so involved – he is so passionate and such a massive supporter of the TT and he pulled this together for me in a matter of weeks.”
Flint was thrilled, saying: “Hats off to him, we all know what he has come through. Some say it is a fairy tale, but it is not – it is all about true grit.”
Anstey, the only rider to beat Hutchinson so far, in the opening Superbike race, said: “I couldn’t do anything about it. He absolutely smoked us.”
John McGuinness increased his victory tally on the Island to 22, winning the single lap TT Zero race on a Mugen electric bike for the second successive year. The Birchall brothers, Ben and Tom, completed the double in the Sidecar TT races.