Tarran Mackenzie got back to winning ways on the Redline Motorcycles KTM RC 250 R by taking a very important victory at Oulton Park (August 12) for Round Seven of the 12 round championship.
The weekend couldnt have gone much better for Taz from Ashby-de-la-Zouch; the 17-year old on record pace all weekend, setting the fastest times in both qualifying sessions and taking pole by almost half a second over championship rival, Joe Francis.
Coming off the back of two strong results last month with a third place at Snetterton and a second at Brands Hatch, Tarran was confident ahead of Oulton that he could continue to reduce the points deficit in the championship chase.
When the series visited Oulton earlier in the year for Round Three, Tarran was forced to start at the back of the grid after missing qualifying due to being absent for the start of the weekend due to Red Bull Rookies commitments. Despite the penalty, Taz made an incredible fight to the front and narrowly missed out on the win.
When the lights went out this time, the no.95 orange bike led the chasing pack, but it was the familiar yellow and blue machine of Francis right behind him.
The Motostar races are establishing themselves as the most closely fought races in the British Superbike series this season and this race more than lived up to the reputation. The 12 laps on the 2.7mile Cheshire tarmac rollercoaster were hard fought, with each rider passing each other back as soon as they put on a move. Though Francis led for the majority of the race, it was Tarran who came out on top with the victory by a slender 0.087 seconds after a clever final lap, making the pass at the right moment and using the backmarkers to his advantage.
The win not only brought the biggest trophy but also reduced the points gap by another five points, with Tarran only 11 points off the championship lead that he originally held for the first three rounds of the season until he wasnt able to start at Round Four in Knockhill.
Tarran Mackenzie said: Last time we were here I got beaten on the final lap, despite starting from last, so I was keen to not let it happen again! I couldnt have done much more this weekend, with pole position and the win. More importantly, weve reeled Joe Francis in by another five points and thats all we need to keep doing for the rest of the season.
Mackenzies KTM RC 250 R, the production version of the KTM Factory Moto3 race machine, is run by Loughborough KTM dealer, Redline Motorcycles.
British Motorstar Championship resultsRound 7, Oulton Park1. Tarran Mackenzie (KTM)2. Joe Francis3. Jordan Weaving (KTM)
British Motorstar Championship after 7 of 12 rounds1. Joe Francis 1422. Tarran Mackenzie 131 (KTM)3. Joe Irving 110 (KTM)
