TT 2017: Rutter records glory with Lightweight win

Michael Rutter has once again demonstrated age is no boundary by winning his fifth Isle of Man TT race with a dominant performance in the Lightweight race on the Italian Paton.

The National Superstock 1000 rider, who won the Supertwins race at last month’s North West 200, claimed victory by a healthy 8.8 seconds in the four lap race over Martin Jessopp while Peter Hickman continued his rostrum run in 2017 with a fourth podium from four races with third place for KMR Kawasaki.

Having bolted into the lead from Paton team-mate Stefano Bonetti at Glen Helen on the opening lap, Rutter rarely looked troubled with a useful ten second advantage over Jessopp ahead of the pit stop. Bonetti was cruelly confirmed a retirement while in second place at Creg-ny-Baa.

Despite losing almost his entire lead to a slow pit stop the veteran slowly extended his lead once more and without further issue eased off to win in style ahead of Jessopp. Last year’s Lightweight winner Ivan Lintin unluckily missed out on the rostrum when he stopped with a helmet issue which allowed Hickman to sprint past and seal the final podium place.

Lintin, the winner of the race for the past two years, recovered to take fourth place on the Dafabet Devitt Kawasaki, albeit 32 seconds off Hickman, with Dan Cooper fifth and Josh Brookes sealing his best career finish at the Isle of Man TT in sixth.