Mackenzie and O’Halloran set for BSB title decider at Brands Hatch
The 2021 Bennetts British Superbike season finale takes place this weekend with McAMS Yamaha riders Tarran Mackenzie and Jason O’Halloran set to do battle.
O’Halloran, who dominated the opening eight rounds - led the championship by over 100 points and accumulated nine race wins, has endured a disastrous showdown with two crashes and no victories.
For Mackenzie, the WorldSBK bound Scotsman has two wins since the showdown started which has helped him overhaul the Australian.
The ‘King of Brands’ from earlier in the season is expecting to go well once again as he looks to clinch a first BSB title.
Mackenzie added: "I’m really looking forward to Brands this weekend. It’s a circuit I enjoy riding and the R1 works very well there as we saw with both last year and back in the summer with both Jason and I winning races.
"I’ll approach the weekend like any other, try and do our best in each race and take it race by race.
"Ultimately, if we do the best job we can then the rest should sort itself out. We have been strong in the wet and the dry this year so whatever the weather brings, I’m ready."
The task for O’Halloran is a simple one if he’s also to claim a first BSB title; needs to outscore Mackenzie by more than ten points over the course of the weekend.
"This weekend is a big weekend but for me the task is actually quite simple. The last couple of rounds have been tough for us, but with how we now lie in the championship the job we have to do is clear," added O’Halloran.
"We have to approach the weekend exactly how we approached the first eight rounds.
"Brands is a great circuit for me and for the bike, we know what is possible and I’ll be giving it my absolute all."
McAMS Yamaha have won a race with at least one of their riders at every round this year except Knockhill (round two), but with that said, they aren’t the only men still in contention as Ducati riders Christian Iddon and Tommy Bridewell are 15 and 21 points off Mackenzie.
