2013 Macau Motorcycle GP entry list

Road racing and endurance riders from 11 countries and territories will take to the 6.2km Guia street circuit for the 47th Star River-Windsor Arch Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix from November 14-16.

The entry includes a combination of nine exciting newcomers and a host of successful Macau experts, such as eight-time winner Michael Rutter, who returns on an SMT Racing Honda. Few would rule out win number nine for Rutter, not even his likeliest rival John McGuinness, but the two most experienced Macau campaigners head up an entry list that's rich with possible winners.

Ian Lougher makes his last-ever racing appearance at Macau, bringing down the curtain on a long and illustrious career that he seems determined to end as competitively as it began, if his race-winning performance at the Scarborough Gold Cup is any kind of guide.

Lougher will certainly have thought about adding the Macau Grand Prix to his CV for the first time on his final race outing as a rider, which will be on an IRL/Barnes Racing Honda. Martin Jessopp, runner-up at Macau for the last two years running, is back with Riders Motorcycles this time aboard a BMW, and should be a strong contender.

Elsewhere on the entry list are a host of names who have been showing enormous potential during this season.

Include among them riders who are Macau and road-race regulars like Gary Johnson and Stephen Thompson (T&R Motorsport Suzuki), as well as Americans Mark Miller (Splitlath Redmond Racing Honda) and Jeremy Toye - time-served riders who know enough about the Guia Circuit to be quick from the outset, and that might be vital if wet weather makes a return visit as well.

The same is true of regulars such as Horst Saiger of Austria (Saiger-Racing.com Kawasaki), but the European element of the entry list is packed with names which are relatively new to the streets of Macau though not to road-racing in general, starting with the new International Road Racing Championship (IRRC) winner Didier Grams of Germany, making only his third visit on a Heidger-Motorsport.de BMW, while Miller's team mate Brandon Cretu returns for a second time, adding a Romanian name to the entry list again, though he was born in the USA.

Other likely candidates for a surprise performance could well include the likes of Dean Harrison, after another strong year on the roads, the irrepressible Lee Johnston, and the Supertwin star Jamie Hamilton, Irish Road Racing Champion this year and hopefully fully fit after a fall just before he claimed his second title of the year, this time in Supersport.

In addition to Harrison, fellow Britons making their debuts this year are: Dan Cooper, part of a two-rider DMR Racing entry with Scotsman James Storrar, 8th at Macau last year; Graham English (BMW TIVA Engineering Ltd - Fix Auto Collision); and Ben Wylie who teams up with Paul Shoesmith at ICE VALLEY by Motorsave Trade. Irishman Brian McCormack debuts at Macau on a TAG Racing Honda.

Other newcomers are Roman Stamm of Switzerland with Team Bolliger and fellow countryman Herv? Gantner, who partners Toye at Penz13.Com BMW Racing Team, while from Portugal comes Andr? Pires on a SBK/INCORTCAR Suzuki.

South African newcomer Allann-Jon Venter makes his debut as part of a four-rider entry from Quattro Plant Motorsport.

Fourth place finisher last year Gary Johnson leads the charge on a Honda after an impressive season of racing which has included podium finishes at the Isle of Man TT, North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix. Steve Heneghan, who made his Macau debut last year, will be aboard a Kawasaki, as will seasoned road racer Sandor Bitter of Hungary and Venter, who made his first appearance at the Isle of Man TT this year.

1Michael RutterGBR SMT Racing (Honda)
2John McguinnessGBR Honda TT Legends (Honda)
5Gary JohnsonGBR Quattro Plant Motorsports (Honda)
7Dean HarrisonGBR RC Express Racing by MSS Performance (Kawasaki)
8Roman StammSUI Team Bolliger Switzerland (Kawasaki)
10Mark MillerUSA Splitlath Redmond Racing (Honda)
11Stephen ThompsonGBR T&R Motorsport (Suzuki)
12Ian LougherGBR ILR / Barnes Racing (Honda)
15James StorrarGBR DMR Racing (BMW)
17Nuno CaetanoPOR KD Team of Portugal (Kawasaki)
18Lee JohnstonGBR East Coast Racing (Honda)
19Marc FissetteBEL Heidger-Motorsport.de (Suzuki)
20Dan CooperGBR DMR Racing (BMW)
22Horst SaigerAUT Saiger-Racing.com (Kawasaki)
26Didier GramsGER Heidger-Motorsport.de (BMW)
39Allann-Jon VenterRSA Quattro Plant Motorsports (Kawasaki)
40Martin JessoppGBR Riders Motorcycles BMW (BMW)
44Jamie HamiltonGBR KMR Kawasaki (Kawasaki)
47Brandon CretuUSA Splitlath Redmond Racing (EBR)
48Herv? GantnerSUI Penz13.Com BMW Racing Team (BMW)
54Steve HeneghanIRL Quattro Plant Motorsports (Kawasaki)
55Dan KneenIOM Marks Bloom Racing (Suzuki)
57Jeremy ToyeUSA Penz13.Com BMW Racing Team (BMW)
60Ben WylieGBR Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade (BMW)
68David JohnsonAUS PR Racing (Kawasaki)
69Paul ShoesmithGBR Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade (BMW)
71Davy MorganGBR CSC Racing (Suzuki)
77Sandor BitterHUN Quattro Plant Motorsports (Kawasaki)
83Graham EnglishGBR TIVA Engineering Ltd - Fix Auto Collision (BMW)
111Brian MccormackIRL TAG Racing (Honda)
114Andre PiresPOR SBK / Incortcar (Suzuki)
115Steve MercerGBR TTC 115 (Suzuki)