Michael Rutter's bid to enter the record books by becoming the first person to win the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix seven times has taken on an added urgency after a shadow was cast over the 45-year-old race yesterday.
Mike Trimby, the man who has brought the international field of riders to Macau for the past 33 years, dropped the bombshell that this would be the last time he would be involved.
'This is my last year,' Trimby said. 'I don't want to go into details as to why I have taken this decision.'
Trimby's contract with Macau Grand Prix organisers has not been extended. For the past three decades, his company has been responsible for co-ordinating the international field of world-class riders, all of whom are invited to take part in the only motorcycle race in this grand prix weekend.
'Yes, this is his last year. We will look at next year's event after the successful running of [today's] race,' a spokeswoman for the organising committee said.
Organisers were tight-lipped but the feeling in the biking fraternity is that, without Trimby, it would be difficult to run a motorcycle race in Macau. 'He will leave a big hole. There are fears this could be the last time the motorcycle grand prix is held,' a person close to the racers said.
Trimby downplayed his importance, saying: 'The graveyard is full of people who thought they were indispensable.'