Newsflash, 12 March 2007 - KRT rider Billy Mackenzie gained results of 2nd and 3rd to claim third place overall in his Maxxis MX1 British Championship debut at a bright and sunny Canada Heights on Sunday. The 22 year old guided his works KX450F-SR towards two top three appearances in front of a good crowd at the Kent venue that yielded a reversed track and new course to the majority of the MX1 and MX2 classes. Despite the reasonably positive outing, the Scot left Sunday afternoon disappointed not to have savoured his first win in green colours.
The first moto of 30 minutes and 2 laps saw the British rider showing his peers the fastest route around the Canada Heights layout until a near-crash resulted in a painful blow to the stomach and Gordon Crockard moved through to win the race. An excellent start in the second sprint saw Mackenzie jostling briefly with Ken de Dycker, although a small crash cost him a position and relegated the double Japanese Grand Prix winner to third spot.
‘Mac’ finished just three points away from the top step in a close overall podium.
‘I’m not really that happy as I expected to win,’ he confessed. ‘I had done a lot of riding the week before and felt ready for this race; there was a good atmosphere and it was cool to be starting the Championship again.’
‘The bike was unbelievable,’ Mackenzie said. ‘In the first moto I did not time the jump behind the gate that well but the Kawasaki is so fast that I made up a lot of ground and was second into the first corner. I was soon in the lead and was pulling away. I was about six or seven seconds in front but I started to relax a little too much. I wasn’t hitting the ruts as hard as I should have been late into the moto. Crockard started to get near and then I had a massive ‘moment’ and smashed my stomach. I was winded for a few laps and struggled to breathe. He went past and I decided to look towards a safe second; even though we found some backmarkers near the end and I had a charge and got really close by the flag.’
‘In the second moto I think I had the biggest holeshot ever! I learned from the first race and gave the bike more revs on the concrete start. It was incredible,’ he continued. ‘I was already looking behind me half way up the straight! I braked just a little bit too late which allowed De Dycker to come through by the first turn and we both made a run for it. I mistakenly thought second place would give me the win overall but I stalled the bike on a downhill – even though it re-started on the third kick, which was great – and then hit a neutral which caused me to crash and drop to third position later on. I had to hold Crockard off in the last couple of laps but dug deep and was even catching Anderson for second.
‘Overall I was disappointed because I could have won both races,’ KRT’s new rider evaluated. ‘I have had some more time on the bike now and it is really nice to ride and so quick. I think we will be heading for some tests into the sand soon and I will continue to work next week before we have to go to Landrake.’
After four meetings in four weeks Mackenzie will now have a free weekend before heading down to the Landrake circuit in Cornwall for the second round of eight in the British series. The FIM World Championship then commences seven days later with the initial Grand Prix of fifteen taking place at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands.
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