Brands BSB: Mackenzie wins last-lap thriller

Tarran Mackenzie took his second Bennetts British Superbike Championship win of the day at Brands Hatch on Sunday afternoon after a thrilling battle with McAMS Yamaha team-mate Jason O’Halloran.

The duo overhauled long time leader Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) on the 13th of 20 laps and then went head-to-head for the remainder of the race, Mackenzie eventually getting the win by 0.037s. Irwin claimed a good third. Mackenzie led the field into Paddock Hill Bend and he maintained his lead all the way until the end of the lap with Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha), Irwin, O’Halloran, Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) and Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Ducati) in hot pursuit. Rory Skinner held seventh but a mistake next time around dropped him back to 12th and the two MCE Ducati’s of Josh Brookes and Tom Sykes were already out, Brookes crashing out at Westfield and Sykes failing to start after mechanical trouble on the sighting lap. Irwin was soon on the move and after taking second on lap two, he then took the lead from Mackenzie on lap three with the running order behind them now Ray, O’Halloran, Bridewell and Haslam. Danny Kent was again going well in seventh on the Buildbase Suzuki. Lap four saw Ray get back up into second at the expense of Mackenzie and a lap later only three quarters of a second covered the top six. The next change came on lap six when O’Halloran pushed team-mate Mackenzie back down to fourth. Ray then briefly took the lead but immediately ran wide at Paddock Hill Bend so Irwin reclaimed the number one position and after seven laps it was Irwin, Ray, O’Halloran, Mackenzie, Bridewell and Haslam. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) and Kyle Ryde on the second OMG machine were leading the charge