Snetterton BSB: Mackenzie ‘should have won the last race…’

Tarran Mackenzie was back to his best at Snetterton at the weekend with the reigning Bennetts British Superbike Champion leaving the Norfolk venue with three more podiums and seven more podium points under his belt.

It was the perfect way to bounce back after his now almost traditional lowly results at Cadwell Park and made it nine podiums from the last 12 races, which puts him right in the mix for the Showdown. Third in the standings now the points have been reset, the McAMS Yamaha rider finds himself 30 points behind series leader Bradley Ray and with every chance of retaining his crown. “I’m really happy with the weekend, I wanted to have a solid weekend and to leave third in the standings and score some more podium points is great,” said Mackenzie. “I felt like I should have won the last race if I’m honest, I was feeling really strong before the safety car came out and had a plan in my head and the first part of my plan worked and unfortunately the safety car came out the lap after I had just started to build a gap.” Indeed, after taking a brace of seconds in the first two races, Mackenzie looked on course to win the second but ran wide once racing resumed after the safety car period, handing the lead back to Ray. Crossing the line for what looked like his third runners-up spot of the weekend, he, along with Ray and Glenn Irwin, was then docked two seconds for an unsafe restart which ultimately meant he was awarded third. He was later given two penalty points as well as ‘the race leader carries the responsibility at the point of the restart’. “I messed up after the safety car, I ran wide at turn one and allowed Brad a gap and got a penalty for going too soon with the safety car so lost second place,” he explained. “It