Tarran Mackenzie’s (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) trip to Assen for Round 3 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship featured his best-ever result in his second full season in the Championship. Saturday’s Superpole Race saw Mackenzie show his affinity once again for racing in rainy conditions. His P9 result is his best ever result in WorldSBK, supplanting his previous best result of P11 also set at Assen in Race 2 in 2024. Another feather in the Scotsman’s cap is the fact that that he finished for the first time in his three-year career in WorldSBK.

Saturday’s Tissot Superpole Race began with the track thoroughly saturated with water, well suited for the British rider who has excelled in such conditions in the past. ‘Taz’ began the race back in P15, by the start of Lap 2, already he made up three positions to sit in P12: further climbing up the grid in the first half of the race to overtake bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team duo Axel Bassani and Alex Lowes  between Laps 4 and 5, helping him to cross the line in a career-best P9, also giving him third row start for Race 2.

Later in the day, in Race 2, the weather had broken and the afternoon sun began to shine through patches of clouds. On a dry track, Mackenzie didn’t enjoy the sae rapid start he had in the Superpole Race, and dropped from P9 to P15 early. Trapped behind a pack of other riders, Mackenzie briefly even dropped out of the points down to P16, however the #95 righted the ship and landed himself back in the points before crossing the finish line in P14, earning his best result in the dry this season.

Reflecting on a successful Sunday, the #95 said: “Probably my best day and weekend to date in WorldSBK, qualifying under a second off pole, scoring points in Race 1 despite some drama, finishing ninth in the Superpole Race and then starting row three for Race 2 and again scoring points. In the last race I felt quite good once I got into a rhythm. I was quite close to the group in front but couldn’t quite get on to the back of them. I struggled a little in the final laps but was able to bring it home and score points. I’m over the moon with this weekend.”

Follow live as Mackenzie and the rest of WorldSBK grid take on Cremona next round May 2^nd-4^th with the WorldSBK VideoPass!