BSB champion Tarran Mackenzie completes test ahead of Donington racing return

THE British Superbike Championship returns this weekend after missing two weekends with the North West 200 fitting between the Oulton Park and Donington rounds. Tarran Mackenzie is also set to return, after completing a successful test at Donington last week.

 

The test took place at Mackenzie’s local track last Thursday as he rode the YZF-R1 for the first time since he broke his ankle in the Silverstone preseason test just before round one. 

Mackenzie was forced to miss the opening two rounds of the season as a result of the injury, although he did try to return to racing at Oulton Park. On that occasion, the BSB medical team decided that it would have been unsafe for Mackenzie to ride in Oulton Park, but following the Donington test, Mackenzie will seek their clearance to ride once again this weekend.

It will be the third round of the series, and after Glenn Irwin’s dominance of Silverstone, and the impressive performances of Bradley Ray, Kyle Ryde and Lee Jackson over the first races of the year, Mackenzie will come back to a championship which looks surprisingly changed compared to the end of his championship-winning season in 2021. 

Additionally, there were reports in Oulton Park that Mackenzie’s McAMS Yamaha teammate, Jason O’Halloran, had reverted to more of a 2021-style setup on his YZF-R1 after struggles in the early part of the season, and the Australian is still without a podium in 2022. 

Whether Mackenzie will be passed fit by the BSB medical team is still uncertain, as is the condition with which he will return to the bike.