Champion Nutt pens new deal to contest Ducati title

Marty Nutt finished second in the Ducati Trioptions 848 Challenge race.
Picture Gavan Caldwell — Marty Nutt finished second in the Ducati Trioptions 848 Challenge race. Picture Gavan Caldwell

The Castlerock man won the Ducati 848 Challenge title this season to become a British champion for the first time and will now switch to the new 899 Panigale in 2014 to contest the revamped one-make series.

Nutt said: “I’m really looking forward to getting out on the 899 Panigale.

“Obviously I’ve only ridden the bike for a few parade laps in the rain at Brands Hatch, but the bike feels really good.

“There’s a lot more room on the new bike and seeing it in race trim has made me excited to get going.

“Also it will be good to go out there and not have a championship title in the back of your head,” he added.

“[In] some of the races towards the end of last season I was settling for the position I had which is not something I like doing. It will be good to get out there again and push for wins and scrap it out.”

Darren Fry will join Nutt on the 899 Panigale, while Luke Quigley will ride the 1199 Panigale in the National Superstock 1000 class.

Ducati Coventry/JHP’s Rick Hackett said: “Darren gets on well with Marty and has known Luke for a long time, as a three rider line-up it’s going to be fantastic. It won’t take him long to get used to the Panigale.”

The team confirmed its line-up at the Motorcycle Live Show at the NEC in Birmingham.