Twelve-time North West 200 winner Michael Rutter could miss th🔯e event in May due to a sponsorship shortfall.

Rutter, who will ride for the MSS Colchester Kawasaki team in the Briꦇtish Superbike Championship this season, will compete at the Isle of Man TT in June, although the Midlands rider's annual trip to Northern Ir♌eland for the North West is in doubt.

On Tuesday, it was confirmed that Rutter will ride in the Supertwins 650 Lightweight TT on a Kaꦆwasaki ER6 machine for Ryan Farquhar's KMR team.

The veteran racer, who rates the famous Ulste🌺r road race as one of his favourite meetings of the year, is also u𓆉nderstood to have secured a Honda machine for the Superbike and Senior races at the TT.

However, he is finding it tough to secure financial backing for the North West, although Rutter has not yet given up hope making the starting grid on Saturday, May 19 and has yet to meet potential bac𓂃kers over the coming weekꦅs in an effort to attract additional sponsorship to fund his roads commitments.

H♕is last victory ♛at the NW200 was achieved in the Superbike class in 2008.

Rutter, who wꦛon the Macau Grand Prix in Novembe🎃r for a record seventh time, is one of the most famous riders in the history of the North West.

He became the🥀 first rider to break the 200mph barr🔴ier in 2004 when he was clocked at 201.1mph on the HM Plant Honda Fireblade.