The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team takes on Motorland Aragón with Tarran Mackenzie, P21 on Friday after suffering a crash, while Adam Norrodin is deemed unfit to continue after taking part in FP1.

During the morning’s first free practice, Mackenzie started to make changes based on where he had left off on Sunday at the Cremona Circuit. Working with his team to set up his CBR1000RR-R to suit the requirements of the Aragón track, the British rider made some progress but with work still to do. Norrodin took a more cautious approach, still recovering from a toe injury. Trying to understand his physical condition while working to adapt his bike, the Malaysian made several short exits during the course of the 45-minute session. A best of 1’52.307 for Tarran saw him place twenty-first, while Adam set a time of 1’55.309 to finish twenty-third.

Norrodin was reassessed by doctors following FP1 and was deemed unfit to continue riding this weekend, the rider still struggling after fracturing his big toe during an August test at Estoril Circuit.

A little later in the day, Mackenzie was on track for the second practice, which ran in dry but very windy conditions. Tarran almost immediately improved on his best of FP1, putting in a 1’51.965, but unfortunately then suffered a nasty crash at turn 17. Tarran was examined at the circuit medical centre and deemed fit to continue. Able to return to the track and complete the last ten minutes of the session, Mackenzie was able to improve on his best of FP1 by almost half a second. A fastest time of 1’51.879 meant that he finished Friday in overall twenty-first position.

Tarran Mackenzie

“We changed the bike quite a lot from Cremona to here, and I had good feeling in FP1, but there were a few things we still wanted to fine tune. I had a few moments in FP1 with the rear of the bike and then again in FP2, and a crash too, but luckily, I’m more or less OK, just a bit battered and bruised. I was able to go back out at the end of the second session and went faster, but because the bike’s a bit different now it’s just a case of me getting used to it. So probably a positive day overall, despite the crash, and we’ll try to build on that tomorrow and get a good qualifying position.” 

Adam Norrodin

“I made some laps during FP1 and then went to be reassessed by the doctors but unfortunately, they decided that I’m not fit to continue with the weekend. I’m a little frustrated because I wanted to at least try; even if the races would have been tough, I was hoping to make the most of the track time. All I can do now is head home to Malaysia and continue to work on my recovery. A big thank you to the whole team and I’m sorry because they’ve been working so hard. Not an easy time for us, but hopefully I can be back on track at Estoril.”

The sole representative for the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team at Motorland Aragón, Mackenzie completed SBK race 1 in 18th position.

With Adam Norrodin having been ruled unfit to continue with the Aragón weekend, Tarran Mackenzie was the only PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda rider to take to the track for this morning’s third and final free practice. A little sore after crashing during Friday’s FP2, he and his technicians made some final changes to the setup of their CBR1000RR-R ahead of qualifying. Having further improved on his fastest time (1’51.295), Mackenzie readied himself for Superpole, which ran at 11am CET. Setting a 1’51.424 during his first exit, the Brit then returned to the garage to make a tyre change. His second exit brought improvement, with Tarran able to take off almost another second (1’50.591) to qualify twenty-first for the weekend’s first SBK race.

Lining up on row seven of the grid for the afternoon’s 18-lap race, Mackenzie got away well when the lights went out, but the race was brought to an almost immediate halt with a red flag after an incident for another rider left dirt on track. The race was restarted a short time later and shortened to 17 laps. Tarran again made a strong start and was lying nineteenth one lap in. Despite striving to stick with those immediately ahead through the initial stages, he gradually lost contact with his closest rivals but was nevertheless able to run a relatively consistent race. Gaining a position mid-race, the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda rider continued to push, closing in on the group ahead again before crossing the line eighteenth.

The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team will be back on track on Sunday for the Superpole race and the second 18-lap Superbike race.

Tarran Mackenzie

“I made a small step in qualifying, with my riding more than anything else, and then we changed a few things with the electronics before the race. I was pretty consistent from start to finish, riding on my own for a good part of the race before I started to catch up towards the end. If I can be a little stronger at the start, it might make my race a bit easier and allow me to run closer to those in front. We know where we can improve, I think, and so we’ll see if we can make another step in warm-up tomorrow and then carry that into the two races.”

The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team and Tarran Mackenzie place nineteenth and eighteenth in Sunday’s races at Motorland Aragón.

Adam Norrodin is unfortunately unfit to race this weekend, leaving team-mate Tarran Mackenzie to fly the flag for the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team at Motorland Aragón in Spain. After a short morning warm-up, Mackenzie was ready for the Superpole race, a ten-lap sprint that he started from twentieth on the grid.  Making up one position almost immediately, Tarran lay nineteenth for the first five laps as he worked to chase down Öttl for eighteenth. Coming within one tenth of a second of his rival on the final lap, the Brit wasn’t quite able to set up a pass and completed the sprint in nineteenth place.

In the weekend’s second and final 18-lap Superbike race, which ran in warm, sunny conditions like yesterday, Mackenzie again got away well and was able to move into eighteenth once he had established his rhythm. He later slipped to nineteenth but nevertheless remained in contact with the rider immediately ahead. This reference allowed Tarran to manage the latter stages of the race and move ahead of rival Öttl through the final turns to secure eighteenth place.

With ten out of twelve WorldSBK championship rounds now complete, Mackenzie lies twenty-third in the general standings, having collected 7 points to date. The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team will now prepare for round eleven, scheduled to take place on 11-13 October at the Estoril Circuit in Portugal.

Tarran Mackenzie

“We improved the bike again for the Superpole race and I was running closer to Öttl and with better pace, so that was positive. We then left the bike more or less as it was for the last race and the pace was definitely better than it was in Saturday’s race, which was good. We’re still too far away from the others, but I feel we’re now moving in a better direction and want to carry this into last two rounds. We’re still really motivated to keep improving and working to close the gap to the guys in front.”