Rutter headlines Macau Grand Prix line-up.

Michael Rutter leads the entry list for the 42nd Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, to be held on the famous south-China street circuit on Saturday November 15.

Rutter, a six-time winner, returns to Macau's Guia Circuit in an attempt to finally break the record he shares with motorcycle legend Ron Haslam.

200. Michael Rutter North West 200 Ducati, Ducati 1098R
200. Michael Rutter North West 200 Ducati, Ducati 1098R
© Richard Harbron

Michael Rutter leads the entry list for the 42nd Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, to be held on the famous south-China street circuit on Saturday November 15.

Rutter, a six-time winner, returns to Macau's Guia Circuit in an attempt to finally break the record he shares with motorcycle legend Ron Haslam.

Rutter last won the Motorcycle Grand Prix in 2005, and has twice been prevented from going one better than 'Rocket Ron'. In 2006 he finished second, while last year, despite starting from pole, he finished down in eleventh place after being forced down the slip road three laps from the flag. But Macau still rates among his best circuits and Rutter must be considered amongst the favourites.

This year, Rutter will be on board a 1200cc Ducati run by the North West 200 squad. It is the first time a Ducati has run at Macau since 2004.

Whilst Steve Plater - winner at Macau for the past two seasons - will not be present to defend his crown, there will still be plenty of riders from across the globe ready and able to deny Rutter his seventh win.

Fellow Briton John McGuinness, the 2001 Macau winner and last year's runner-up, won his fourteenth Isle of Man TT this year, taking victory in June's Senior TT Race. McGuinness, having set a new lap record last year, will be making his eleventh visit to Macau, this time with Ventaxia VK Honda, and must be considered a hot favourite for victory.

Joining McGuinness in Paul Bird's squad is an American newcomer, Mike Barnes, one of the most versatile and talented from the USA. He has the skill, machinery and the pedigree to do well once he has learnt the unforgiving circuit.

Another member of the twelve-strong British contingent is Stuart Easton, Supersport winner at Macau in 2002, and second overall in 2004. The 25-year-old was forced to miss the event last year after breaking his left heel in a test-day in France.

Easton, racing this year in the British Superbike Championship for Kawasaki, finished fifth at Oulton Park when he returned to action after breaking his wrist. Easton will race with Hydrex-Bike Animal Honda Superbike for Macau.

Partnering Easton will be Guy Martin. Although the 27-year-old qualified fifth for Macau last year, he was unable to start the race due to injury, but he has been in impressive form on pure-road circuits this season, including the Isle of Man TT races, the NW200 and Oliver's Mount, Scarborough, where he created history winning the International Steve Henshaw Gold Cup for a record-breaking sixth time, the first rider ever to achieve such a feat.

Martin dominated proceedings to win by over 13 seconds, claiming the circuit outright lap record along the way, whilst he also won both Superbike races to crown a highly successful weekend.

Winner of the 600cc Supersport class three times in a row, Steve Allan is back this year on an AVIVA Kawasaki superbike. The likeable Scot races in the British Superstock Championship and at Macau will be joined on the team by Briton Ian Hutchinson, a TT winner and strong road racer who is making his fourth visit to Macau.

Another strong contender is Thomas Hinterreiter back with Macau.com Yart. The 41-year old Austrian finished on the podium at Macau last year, his third place a career best at Macau. The highly-experienced endurance rider has finished as high as second in the World Endurance Championships.

Conor Cummins from the Isle of Man is back to compete in his second grand prix after the young rider impressed with a fifth-place finish in his debut last year. In 2007, Cummins was crowned Irish Superbike Road Race Champion, Irish Supersport Road Race Champion and Duke Road Race Rankings Champion.

The 22-year old had success this year at the Isle of Man TT and North West 200 and races in the British Superstock Championship. Cummins also took part in a one-off race at Croft in the British Supersport Championship.

Cummins will be competing at Macau with Team Of Paris A.I.M. Racing on a Yamaha. Also with Team Of Paris this year are Frenchmen Gerald Muteau, Amaury Baratin, Fabrice Miguet and Pierre Chapuis. Muteau and Chapuis have been racing together in the World Endurance Championship, where they finished 13th in the Le Mans 24 hours. The pair has partnered for several French endurance races and while both have raced at Macau before, Baratin and Miguet will be making their Macau debuts.

Amongst the four-rider American entry for the Far East Classic is Mark 'Thriller' Miller, sixth last year. The licensed pilot, who finished on the podium in 2000, is back with Corona Extra Honda Racing. Team-mate for Macau is fellow American Jeremy Toye, who just missed out on a podium finish at Macau last year. Toye recorded two finishes in the WSMC 200 in the US this season.

From the Pacific comes the duo of New Zealander Bruce Anstey, making a return to Macau after a five-year absence, and popular Australian Cameron Donald. The pair will be racing with Relentless Suzuki by TAS. 39-year-old Anstey will make his superbike debut at Macau this year, having finished second in the 600cc Supersport class in his last appearance here in 2003.

Anstey has recorded several successes, including a triple win at the 2004 Ulster Grand Prix. This year's results included a win in the Supersport 2, and a second place in the Superbike race, at the Isle of Man TT.

For Donald, who won the Supersport Class in 2001 and 2003, this will be only his second time on a superbike in seven Macau appearances. This year, Donald won both the Superstock and the Superbike races at the Isle of Man TT and at the North West 200, he was third in the Superstock race and second in the Superbike race.

Representing Portugal are Luis Carreira, Rui Reigoto and Jose Leite. Carreira and Leite both competed last year, with each rider achieving their best result to date. Reigoto, who last competed at Macau in 2005, will race with Vodafone/Kawasaki/KMS.

Amongst the seven exciting newcomers making their Macau debuts this year is professional AMA American road racer Scott Jensen, who has competed in the AMA Superbike category since 2002. The 46-year old is entered on a Moto Garage Racing Suzuki.

British newcomers include James Storrar and Steve Mercer on DMR Racing Yamahas, and Gary Johnson on a BTS Racing Honda. Storrar, 21, has raced in the British Superstock Cup, finishing fifth overall in 2006. This year, Johnson raced at the Isle of Man TT and the North West 200.

Also new is Belgian Marc Fissette, with IXO-Churrascao Racing. This year Fissette has been racing in the Belgian Endurance Championship and the 34-year old has won the Belgian Supersport Championship and the Belgian Superstock Championship.

In the 600cc Supersport category are Rico Penzkofer, runner-up in the class at Macau last year and racing in 2008 with the IGT-Yamaha Austria Racing Team, Briton Keith Amor on an A.I.M. Racing Yamaha, Frenchman Gerald Muteau of Team Of Paris on the only Triumph in the field, and Macau's Joao Fernandes on a Macau Racing Team Yamaha. In June, Fernandes won two races at the Zhuhai International Circuit in the ZIC superbike event.

Making his Macau debut will be Briton Dan Linfoot, a 20-year-old star of the future who has previously raced in 250cc grand prix and won the recent Magny Cours round of the European Superstock 600 Championship.

The Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix will be Linfoot's first 'real' road race, and the young rider says he is looking forward to enjoying the experience of racing on the highly-regarded Guia Circuit. He will be run by Rob Mac Racing on a 600cc Yamaha.

Two Macau riders will compete in the 600cc Supersport category. Sou Sio Hong and Leong Iok Choi will each ride Yamahas, while the sole Hong Kong entrant is Cheung Wai On, sixth in the category last year.

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