Superbike Champion McKenzie Aiming for World Domination in 2023
One of Scotland’s finest motorcycle racers is hoping to swap domestic success for global glory in 2023.
Tarran McKenzie won the 2021 British Superbikes championship in outstanding fashion, triumphing in ten individual races including three on the spin at the season’s finale at Brands Hatch.
His 2022 season was decimated by injuries – a source of great frustration given that he was making his debut in World Superbikes, but business is picking up for the Stirling man as he embarks on a new chapter in the Supersport World Championship.
New Horizons
There’s no doubt that British Superbikes is poorer for the absence of McKenzie and Bradley Ray, the 2022 BSB champion who has since made the switch to World Superbikes.
However, there’s still plenty of talent competing on the British circuit, with Ducati pair Tommy Bridewell and Josh Brookes most expected to contest the championship – they lead the way in the betting on BSB at odds of 13/5 and 3/1 respectively, with Leon Haslam, who finished eleventh during the 2022 campaign, next best at 13/2.
British Superbikes is by definition a ‘feeder’ championship for worldwide racing, and it’s a testament to the quality of the competition that riders of the quality of McKenzie and Ray are still cutting their teeth on the domestic scene.
It’s amazing that McKenzie finished seventh in the points standings in the 2022 BSB season given that he missed half of the races, but that is a reflection of his talent – which the 27-year-old will now have a global platform to display it upon.
Superbike Champion McKenzie Aiming for World Domination in 2023
One of Scotland’s finest motorcycle racers is hoping to swap domestic success for global glory in 2023.
Tarran McKenzie won the 2021 British Superbikes championship in outstanding fashion, triumphing in ten individual races including three on the spin at the season’s finale at Brands Hatch.
His 2022 season was decimated by injuries – a source of great frustration given that he was making his debut in World Superbikes, but business is picking up for the Stirling man as he embarks on a new chapter in the Supersport World Championship.
And all riders will have a job on their hands to overcome Nicolo Bulega, the extraordinary Italian who won five of the opening eight races of the season. He and countrymen Stefano Manzi and Federico Caricasulo have been the standout figures of the campaign so far alongside Marcel Schrötter.
So it’s a steep learning curve for McKenzie, although the early signs are that he is up to the challenge of world championship status.