Tony Rutter (24 September 1941 – 24 March 2020) was a

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professional motorcycle road racer. He was a

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specialist, who won seven

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...

Races between 1973 and 1985.

Racing career

Rutter competed in the

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motorcycle world championships from

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. He was the British road racing national champion in the 350cc class in 1971, on a

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, and the 250cc class in 1973 again on a Yamaha. Rutter won seven

races: the

Junior TT The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. Engine c ...

in 1973 and 1974, the Formula 2 TT in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1985, and the Senior 350 TT in 1982. He also finished second at the 1979

Senior TT The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...

, second at the 1985 Formula 1 TT, and third at the 1984 Formula 1 TT. Rutter completed the first-ever 110 mph lap of the

North West 200 The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...

circuit in 1973. He was inducted into the North West 200 Hall of Fame after winning the event nine times. Rutter also won four consecutive

Formula Two Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name retur ...

World Championships from 1981 to 1984. His career was effectively ended by a very bad accident at the

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, in 1985 – however even after this incident he recovered and continued to ride in the TT until 1991.

Personal life and death

Rutter's son,

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, followed in the footsteps of his father and became a professional motorcycle racer. Tony Rutter died on 24 March 2020, at the age of 78 following a short illness.

References

1941 births 2020 deaths British motorcycle racers English motorcycle racers 500cc World Championship riders 350cc World Championship riders 250cc World Championship riders Isle of Man TT riders {{England-motorcycle-racing-bio-stub