Isle of Man legend Ian Hutchinson has unveiled a new team with whom he will contest the 2022 North West 200 and TT festivals.

Backed by George and Brian Boyce’s Portadown-based company, BPE, the new Northern Ireland race team is the brainchild of Alister Russell. The Glenavy man was crew chief to Keith Amor, Cameron Donald, Guy Martin and the late, William Dunlop with various teams

“I have been waiting two years to ride these bikes,” said Hutchinson “I managed to test and race one of them at Donington last season but it has been frustrating not to be able to use them for the purpose they were built.”

With international road racing wiped out by the virus in 2020 and both the NW200 and TT already cancelled for 2021, Hutchinson will ride a Raceways/Edwards Vodka Yamaha R1 in this year’s National Superstock Championship but will have to wait until next May to race the R6s between the hedges.

“I want to get back to winning at the North West and TT and these Yamahas have everything I need to do that,” the Bingley Bullet said.