WorldSBK Phillip Island: ‘I just want it to rain now ‘ - Mackenzie

Tarran Mackenzie scored an impressive yet unexpected fifth place finish at Phillip Island on his debut in WorldSSP with Petronas MIE MS Honda.

To say that the build-up to his first ever WorldSSP race as a full time competitor was tough for Mackenzie is an understatement. A nearly stock CBR600RR, only allowed to compete by special dispensation and awarded only provisional points until the paperwork and parts are all checked properly, was hardly the weapon to be on in a Supersport World Championship field that features potential winners all over.

Losing time in the pits in testing, and then crashing in the sighting lap come the race weekend practice sessions, saw Mackenzie enter almost as a no hoper. He was 19th on the grid but come the rain, come the man, and the recent BSB Champion made up for his slow engine with the ability to pass three riders into the first two corners at one stage…

It is safe to say that never in his wildest dreams, after his practice and qualifying nightmares, would Tarran be looking at himself as a top five rider, rain or no rain. “Not at all,” Mackenzie said with mum Jan standing next to him and dad Niall off to get the coffees, “I think we thought if someone said you’d score 11 points, you’d think maybe over four races if we’re lucky. So to get it in one race is mega!

“To even get some points like that and a top five - which was one of my boxes to be ticked off - so to do that in the first race is amazing. Really pleased.

“Obviously, it was a bit more level playing field with the rain. I could ride my bike a little bit harder. The speed didn’t matter so much because I could make it up in the corners so it was a lot of fun to have because in the dry, I was probably not having as much fun because