Ian Hutchinson (motorcyclist)

Ian Hutchinson
Hutchinson after winning the second Supersport Junior TT race at the 2010 Isle of Man TT; a record-equalling fourth win in one TT meeting.
NationalityEnglish
Born (1979-08-12) 12 August 1979 (age 45)
Bingley, West Yorkshire, England
Current teamMilenco by Padgetts Honda
Bike number4
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Isle of Man TT career
TTs contested14 (2004-2010, 2012, 2014-present)
TT wins16
First TT win2007 Supersport Junior TT
Last TT win2017 Superstock TT
TT podiums27
Hutchinson in the 2010 Junior TT

Ian Hutchinson (born 12 August 1979[1] in Bingley, West Yorkshire) is an English professional motorcycle road racer specialising in events held on closed public roads, such as the Isle of Man TT, the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix.

Hutchinson's most successful racing year was in 2010, when he set the record of winning the most races in a single Isle of Man TT festival in June, achieving five solo wins, preceded by Supersport class at the North West 200 in Northern Ireland. At a British Supersport round in September, Hutchinson crashed in wet conditions soon after the start suffering a badly broken left leg after being hit by a following rider's machine. The leg-break needed many surgical operations and much time to recover.[2] He again fractured the leg in 2012 when riding an off-road bike practicing exhibition-riding for a motorcycle show at the Excel Arena in London.[3]

Returning to racing with modifications to his race machines involving changing the gear-lever to the right side and fitting a thumb-operated rear brake instead of a footbrake lever, in 2013 he won the Macau Grand Prix.

In 2015 he had a dramatic return to top form with three wins, a second and third places at the 2015 Isle of Man TT races riding PBM Kawasaki (1000 cc) and Team Traction Control Yamaha (600 cc) machines, which contributed to his overall points tally, winning the Joey Dunlop TT Championship Trophy for 2015.[4]

He also competed in selected rounds of the 2015 British Superbike Championship on the Kawasaki ZX-10R.

Hutchinson was placed sixth in his last race on the PBM Kawasaki at the Macau Grand Prix in November 2015.[5] For 2016, he was contracted to ride Tyco BMWs for the Superbike and Superstock classes, with a return to Keith Flint's Team Traction Control Yamahas for the Supersport class at North West 200, Isle of Man TT, and Ulster Grand Prix.[6][7]

In 2017, Hutchinson crashed during a race on the Isle of Man breaking his thighbone.[8] Subsequent races on the Isle of Man in 2018 were not successful, with three DNFs together with places at 11 and 16, and three DNFs in 2019.[9]

Hutchinson suffered from a stroke in early 2023, which sidelined him from the entire racing season.[10]

Prior to becoming a professional road-racer Hutchinson worked as a motorcycle mechanic for the late Colin Appleyard, MBE.[11][12]

  1. ^ "Island Racer - Head 2 Head". Island Racer. Mortons Motorcycle Media. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
  2. ^ Hutchinson suffers broken leg in first lap drama at Silverstone BSS Visor Down, 27 September 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2015
  3. ^ Ian Hutchinson suffers sustains broken leg at Motorcycle Show BBC Sport, 1 February 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2015
  4. ^ Joey Dunlop TT Championship 2015 Retrieved 23 November 2015
  5. ^ 2015 Macau GP: Peter Hickman blasts to maiden victory Bike Sport News, 21 November 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015
  6. ^ Team Traction Control unveils 2016 Supersport line-up Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine British Superbike.com, 3 December 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015
  7. ^ Hutchinson rejoins Flint's TTC Yamaha team for 2016 Crash.net, 3 December 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015
  8. ^ TT 2017: Ian Hutchinson sustains broken femur in Senior crash Belfast Newsletter, 10 June 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2019
  9. ^ Race results: Ian Hutchinson iomtt.com. Retrieved 18 June 2019
  10. ^ "Hutchinson licence revoked after stroke". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  11. ^ Obituary: Colin Appleyard, Motor Cycle News Retrieved 5 July 2015
  12. ^ Ian Hutchinson IoM racer Retrieved 5 July 2015