2018 SES TT Zero Results

Another 2018 Isle of Man TT solo race, another record broken.

Piloting the team Mugen electric motorcycle, Michael Rutter claimed his sixth TT victory after a record-breaking one-lap SES TT Zero race.

Rutter set a new lap record of 121.824 mph (18:34.956), smashing 23-time TT winner John McGuinness’s 2015 lap record by over 20 seconds.

Joining Rutter on the 2018 SES TT Zero podium were University of Nottingham’s Daley Matheson (119.294mph / 18:58.600) and Rutter’s Mugen teammate Lee Johnston (105.566mph / 21:26.668).

“It was drummed into me all week that the team wanted to break the lap record so it’s been a hard week with only one practice lap,” Michael Rutter said.

“I had a sleepless night last night. Every time you go out on the course you pick up something new, or try something different and Mugen pulled it all out today. I wasn’t hanging around and it was quite scary in places.”

Following is from the official IOM TT report:

Rutter was away first from Glencrutchery Road and was first to Glen Helen, over five seconds ahead of his teammate Lee Johnston with the University of Nottingham’s Daley Matheson less than a second further back in third.

James Cowton (Brunel University), Ian Lougher (Team Mirai), Shaun Anderson (Brammo) and Adam Child (Moto Corsa) also made the first checkpoint to Glen Helen but there was already a gap of almost a minute from the leading three riders.

Lougher was reported as a retirement shortly after but at the front of the pack Michael Rutter was having no such problems and had extended his lead to six seconds by Ballaugh which he maintained at Ramsey.

However, behind him Lee Johnson was experiencing problems and the Northern Ireland rider was actually reported as stopped at the Bungalow with a chain issue and two helpful spectators held his bike while Johnston carried out on the spot repairs.

This left Daley Matheson to move up into second by the Bungalow and gave Rutter a dominant lead of over twenty seconds at the front of the field.

Rutter duly came home in a new lap record of 121.824 (18:34.956) breaking John McGuinness’s 2015 lap record by over twenty seconds in the process. Matheson maintained his second place in a highly credible 119.294/ 18:58.600 with Lee Johnston (105.566/ 21:26.668) taking the final podium place. James Cowton, Adam Child and Shaun Anderson also completed laps.