Ian Hutchinson and the Tyco BMW team are hoping for further road racing success, as practice for the 2017 Isle of Man TT gets underway this weekend. Record-breaker ‘Hutchy’ is determined to build on his previous achievements in his second year on the Tyco BMW S1000RR, following an impressive season in 2016 which saw the Irish based TAS Racing team back on the top step and the Bingley rider crowned as the fourth most successful TT rider of all time - equalling the late, great Mike Hailwood’s record of 14 race wins.
2016 proved to be a year of lap and race records being annihilated aboard BMW Machinery with Ian setting a staggering pace from a standing start to become the fastest rider ever on a Superstock 1000 machine with average speed of 133.098mph around the gruelling 37.73-mile mountain course.
2007 saw Hutchy take the chequered flag on the Island for the first time in his racing career and no doubt both the ‘Bingley Bullet’ and the Tyco BMW team will be looking to celebrate this 10 year milestone with further victories and ultimately aiming to secure the prestigious Senior TT win.
Team Manager Philip Neill:
“We have had a good build up to the TT so far, whilst we had a good base setting for the bike from last year we have gone through various positive test options during pre-season in Spain some of which we were still fine tuning during the NW200.
Ian has had a change of tyre to Dunlops for this season which has left us with a little work to do around last year’s set up, however we left the NW200 on a positive note and feel we are arriving at the TT comfortable with the position we are in.
My father Hector and I always very much look forward to the Isle of Man TT races and are hopeful for another successful year for the dedicated and hard working Tyco BMW team with the support of BMW Motorrad.”
Discussing his aims for this year’s TT Ian Hutchinson said:
“We had a good year at TT in 2016 - the pace was incredible throughout the whole week and being able to get TAS Racing on the podium again was a really good feeling.
I’m really pleased to be staying with the Tyco BMW team for a second year. I’ve always been happy on the Tyco BMW S1000RR, even from pre-season testing I felt comfortable and was on the pace from the off. Obviously we have been through various options with introducing new parts and tyres but I feel we are in a good place to put us in contention for race wins at this year’s TT.
I don’t like to tally up wins or focus too much on lap times - my aim is simple - to go out and race as fast as I can and hopefully that’s faster than everyone else out there on the circuit!”
