Rutter takes provisional pole in Macau

Michael Rutter, the King of Macau, and Stuart Easton, the Young Pretender, locked swords on the opening day of qualifying for Saturday’s Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 44th Edition.

Rutter, the 38-year-old British racer looking for a record-breaking seventh victory in the Far East classic, topped the 45-minute timed qualifying session, but by just a fifth of a second, ahead of Easton, the 27-year-old Scot who is aiming to win his third Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix in a row.

Both men lapped under the existing qualifying lap record of 2:25.476, set last year by Easton.

Rutter, on the Team of Paris – AXA Ducati 1098 went round the 6.2km Guia street circuit in 2:25.245 seconds, with Easton making his debut on the Kawasaki Racing Team bike a fraction slower.

Big surprise was the performance of American Jeremy Toye (Lee’s Cycles Racing BMW 1000) making his seventh appearance at the event, who qualified third fastest, but over two seconds slower than Rutter and Easton.

Simon Andrews, the 24-year-old British racer, was four quickest on his MSS Colchester Kawasaki, less than a quarter of a second slower than Toye.

John McGuinness, on the IGT/sorrymate.com Honda, winner of the race in 2001, was fifth fastest, over a second slower than Andrews.

Final qualifying session for Saturday’s 44th running of the event takes place tomorrow (Friday).