TT champ Hutchinson returns

Ian Hutchinson won an unprecedented five races in last year’s IOMTT.

Ian Hutchinson is a brave racer, and not just because he specializes in pure road racing – the Isle of Man TT for example, where he unbelievably swept the board in 2010 on his Padgetts-sponsored Hondas, winning all five feature races.

Racing in a British Supersport race at Silverstone last fall, he was involved in a horrific accident that fractured a leg so badly doctors feared they’d have to amputate.

Now, four months later he says his rehab has progressed to the point that he’s working out as hard as he ever did, and has just announced he’ll be returning to the Island in 2011, as well as the fearsome Macau street race, and in Ireland in the Ulster Grand Prix and the North West 200.

He’s swapping brands this year, riding a Yamaha R1 under the Swan banner, managed by the experienced Shawn Muir. Appearances in the British Supersport series are also planned.

Hutchy’s unprecedented five victories on the Island in 2010 – it’s never been done before (Philip McCallen won four in 1996) – bring his total IOM wins to eight. That puts him in the top 20 of winners at the TT, although he’s got a way to go to catch the all-time leader, the fabled Joey Dunlop who had 26 victories before his racing death in Estonia in 2000.