Editorial Note: American Brandon Paasch, riding his Dynavolt Triumph Street Triple RS 765, finished seventh in British Supersport Race Two Sunday at Brands Hatch.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Three different race winners as Mackenzie crowned Monster Energy King of Brands
Three different riders claimed victories in the third round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend, with wins for Tarran Mackenzie, Jason O’Halloran and Christian Iddon. Mackenzie was also crowned as the Monster Energy King of Brands as the series welcomed fans back to the Kent circuit in unrestricted numbers.
Mackenzie became the fourth different race winner of 2021 in the BikeSocial race on Saturday, before his McAMS Yamaha teammate O’Halloran bounced back from his tough opening race in race two this morning.
The Australian crashed out in qualifying and he had to fight his way through to fifth in race one, but a second row start in the following race gave O’Halloran a fighting chance and he duly delivered his fourth race win of the season.
Danny Buchan initially took the lead from pole position into Paddock Hill Bend at the start of race two, from Mackenzie and Iddon. The latter was in an attacking mood on his VisionTrack Ducati as he moved into second at Hawthorns on the opening lap.
A moment for Mackenzie at Westfield dropped him back into fifth, whilst O’Halloran moved towards the front, taking the lead with a decisive move at Stirlings. Iddon also piled the pressure on SYNETIQ BMW’s Buchan and on the sixth lap; he made his move into Paddock Hill Bend.
Tommy Bridewell carved his way up the order after losing out off the line and he was soon threatening for a podium position too. By half race distance, the Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider was into second. Iddon fought back to reclaim the position but Bridewell was determined and soon back ahead.
Bridewell chased down O’Halloran, however despite getting within striking distance; he ended second to score his fourth podium of the season as the McAMS Yamaha team claimed its second win of the weekend.
The battle for the final podium position went down to the wire with Buchan holding third ahead of the final five laps. Behind him however, race one winner Mackenzie was aiming to make amends for his earlier moment, charging through late on to pass both Iddon and Buchan to steal the final place on the podium.
Buchan was then under pressure from Iddon as he made a final attack over the closing laps to try and claim fourth position. Despite the pair trading blows on the penultimate lap, Buchan had the edge at the chequered flag.
Rory Skinner was able to lead the FS-3 Kawasaki charge in sixth place ahead of teammate Lee Jackson. They had a comfortable margin over Glenn Irwin, Peter Hickman and Gino Rea who completed the top ten.
Iddon then became the third different race winner of the weekend as the VisionTrack Ducati rider claimed a gutsy victory in a restarted seven-lap sprint to the chequered flag. The standings leader held off a late charge from Mackenzie who was crowned Monster Energy King of Brands.
The initial race start was declared wet, but as conditions continued to change there were a variety of tyre choices throughout the grid. As the race got underway Josh Brookes launched to the head of the field from 16th place, sixth row starting position, having opted for wet option on both front and rear.
The defending champion has been relishing the damp conditions this weekend and he headed the pack from O’Halloran, Buchan and Gino Rea. The VisionTrack Ducati gapped the field initially, but by lap five the conditions had started to change and Buchan had moved into the lead.
Buchan the took advantage of his intermediate rear and wet front combination to lead from the front as the SYNETIQ BMW rider bridged the gap on Brookes who was soon under attack from his teammate Iddon.
Iddon’s choice of an intermediate front and slick rear was coming into play and he was charging through the order as he moved into second and was hunting Buchan on a drying track. However a blow up from Rea brought out the red flag and it would be a seven-lap sprint to decide the final winner of the weekend.
The restarted race was declared dry and Buchan launched into the lead ahead of Glenn Irwin and Iddon, with the pair wasting no time in making their moves on the opening lap. Iddon had hit the front of the pack, but Buchan regained second place with Irwin in third.
Tarran Mackenzie though was firing his way through the order and despite running seventh on the opening lap, he climbed quickly into the lead group.
As the race reached its final three laps, Iddon was still ahead with Buchan shadowing his every move with a resurgent Brookes holding third place. Mackenzie moved into the final podium position placing on the fifth lap with a move into Paddock Hill Bend.
At the front, Buchan grabbed the lead on the penultimate lap, with a lunge down the inside at Paddock Hill Bend, but as the pair approached Druids, Iddon had reclaimed the position.
On the final lap, appeared to have the edge, but it was all change as a determined Iddon returned to the front and was able to make it stick. He was then under fire from Mackenzie, who had broken through into second with a move on Buchan, which put him in the pound seat to become the Monster Energy King of Brands.
O’Halloran hadn’t given up hope on a return to the podium either and the Australian was also able to pull a pass on Buchan to move into third on the final lap. Buchan crossed the line in fourth place ahead of Brookes, who claimed his best result of the season in fifth.
Glenn Irwin held sixth place, fending off Peter Hickman and Lee Jackson, with Rory Skinner and Danny Kent completed the top ten.
Christian Iddon – VisionTrack Ducati
Race 3 winner
“I was fired up for the restart and I got out front as soon as I could and set a pace that I thought was quite good, but I was second guessing myself a little bit in where some of the damp patches were. Because I was out front I didn’t know how hard to push it. I knew there were bits that were a bit sketchier earlier on so I thought ‘don’t lob it up the road in the lead’.
“Danny came past me with two to go and I gave it the old Larry Lunge at turn one and managed to make it stick and defended the second half of the lap. It’s nice to come out of clearways in first, it was a really nice race. I was just a bit excitable, but it was all good and I look forward to watching it all later!
“I’m really happy to take the win and leave here still as points leader. The other important thing is podium points, we banked five of them after what I would say was a very disappointing first race today for me. Fifth in the first race was difficult for me, so to bounce back was great – it was a level playing field for that last sprint and we won it, so job’s a dream.”
Tarran Mackenzie – McAMS Yamaha
Monster Energy King of Brands winner, P2 in Race 3
“I got a get out of jail free card in the third race with the stop because I was nowhere, 13th or 14th before that, way behind everyone! I was lucky with that. I knew I was starting 12th and slicks was the way forward and whether it was a good or bad thing I had the mentality just to go for it.
“I had a really good first lap and good start and just picked off pretty much one rider a lap then got behind Danny and Christian with a couple laps to go. I couldn’t quite get past Danny but on the last lap I got a really good run onto the back straight and I just didn’t shut off until he did.
“I got it stopped then chased Christian to the last few corners, it’s hard to pass on the last part of the circuit and Christian rode a great last lap so it was always going to be tough to pass him.
“So to turn it around from almost not even scoring points to a podium and getting the Bennetts Rider of the Weekend Award and the Monster Energy King of Brands – that is really cool. I turned my day around this last race so I’m looking forward to Thruxton now.”
