Michael Rutter and Segway Racing MotoCzysz made Isle of Man TT history on Wednesday by becoming the first team to top 100mph on an electric-powered motorcycle on his way to victory in the SES TT Zero race.
Rutter won last year's inaugural zero-emissions race but narrowly missed out on three figures. This year, there would be no such disappointment for the 40 year old who claimed the £10,000 prize from the Isle of Man Government for reaching the milestone.
Brandishing the number one plate, Rutter dominated the race, pulling out a 30 second lead over John McGuinness by the time the riders had reached Glen Helen. At Ballaugh Bridge, Rutter was averaging 118.730mph and led by over a minute but 'the ton' was far from certain with slower sections still to be completed. The crowd waited nervously but they needn't have worried as Rutter completed the lap in 24m45.33s, an average speed of 104.056mph.
2012 Isle of Man TT | ||
---|---|---|
SES TT Zero Race (Result: 1 Lap) | ||
1 | Michael Rutter | 21:45.33 |
2 | John McGuinness | +23.52 |
3 | Mark Miller | +38.64 |
4 | Rob Barber | +7:11.12 |
Although Rutter would take the £10,000 prize, it was fitting that second placed McGuinness and third placed Mark Miller would also top 100mph, completing one of the most historic races in the storied history of the event.
Tyre suppliers Pirelli offered their congratulations to Rutter, with Racing Manager Jason Griffiths voicing his delight.
“This has been a really interesting competition this year with two very professional efforts and two old rivals wanting to be the first to hit the 100mph. Congratulations to Michael for winning the race and taking the record in this real 'pioneer' event.”