RUTTER AND NEVE BACK WITH BATHAMS
The newly titled Bathams AJN Racing team will again field a two-man line up at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races with team manager Michael Rutter joined by Craig Neve, the third consecutive year the duo have been together.
There’ll be change for seven-time TT winner Rutter though as, for the first time, he opts out of the 1000cc races, focusing instead on his R7 Yamaha and the three-lap Metzeler/Entire Cover Insurance Supertwin TT races.
Last year saw Rutter, who now has 91 TT starts under his belt, take three more top ten finishes with seventh in the opening Supertwin TT his best result. He also took a brace of ninths in the RST Superbike TT and Milwaukee Senior TT, posting a best lap of 129.415mph to prove he’s continuing to ride as well as ever.
However, he admits the decision was made immediately after last year’s TT to drop the 1000cc races from his schedule despite those top ten results.
“Sitting on the grid for a Superbike race at the TT is the ultimate and there’s simply no better feeling than doing six laps around the Mountain Course. But whilst I was over the moon with a couple of top ten finishes last year, I knew it was the right time to stop riding a Superbike at the TT and look at the bigger picture”, the bigger picture being team goals.
“It’s difficult running a team at the top level and you have to give it 100% time and effort otherwise you won’t succeed. Me racing in all the classes at the TT means that an element of that has been taken away and that’s not fair on Craig.
“My BMW last year was capable of winning but I’m not getting any younger and I’m not getting any faster so it’s the right time to give my place on the grid to another rider and give Craig the full support he should be receiving.”
Lincolnshire’s Neve, meanwhile, will continue to ride his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP in the RST Superbike TT, Milwaukee Senior TT and RL360/PE Superstock TT races, for which Rutter has bought in a new team-member, his ‘former BSB rival’ Ray Stringer:
“He knows the Hondas inside out. That will be a huge help to everyone. He’s got years of experience both with the electronics and chassis set up and it’s all with the idea of giving Craig the best chance possible at this year’s TT.”
Neve will be looking to get his TT career back on track after injury ruined his 2024 campaign. The 34-year old came into last year’s TT on a high having finished eighth and tenth in the second Supersport and Senior TT races of 2023, setting a new personal best lap of 130.863mph in the latter.
His plans were dashed though when he crashed heavily at Greeba Castle during qualifying, a severe knee injury limiting him to just one race, the second Supersport encounter, where a gritty 15th place was the outcome.
Rutter continued: “His TT career is on the up and after what he achieved in 2023, we want to get him back to those levels and hopefully beyond them.”
Craig Neve feels the same: “After the breakthrough I’d made in 2023, I was looking to really push on last year and crack the top six, but it obviously turned out to be major disappointment after the practice crash so the aim for 2025 is to get back to where we were two years ago.
"I’d like to better the results and speeds from then and staying with the same team for the third consecutive year is a huge boost.”
Bathams AJN Racing will also field Neve in the two Monster Energy Supersport TT races, aboard the Triumph Street Triple 765RS.
“Continuity is key so with the same Honda and a brand-new Triumph, we’re in a good place. Michael’s brought Ray into the team as well so we’ll be looking to tap into his wealth of knowledge and experience with set-up.
“He spent last year working for Hawk Racing in BSB so knows the Honda well so if we can make improvements here and there, I’m confident of getting back into the top ten.”
