HIGH FIVES – Bryan Mackenzie

In most sports things can change at any second and last Tuesday Bryan Mackenzie’s world took a huge step forward in his racing career when CAS Honda offered him a ride on their factory team alongside his cousin Billy Mackenzie.

A lot of people were kind of shocked as Bryan had a ride with MOTO/Twisted 7 and things looked rosy but with the chance of riding GP’s for the rest of the year big Bry couldn’t really say NO!

MOTO – Being Britain’s newest GP rider and now on a factory team, how does it feel?

“Awesome! It’s exciting but makes me nervous at the same time. It’s what I’ve always wanted, what everyone wants I guess. To race GP’s and also ride for a factory team and for me to land on my feet and get both at the same time is just crazy. I feel very honoured, although I am under no illusion that I am a factory rider.”

MOTO – Cool, being on the same team as Billy will it be slightly easier?

“I don’t know. Maybe, I guess I’ll tell you after this weekend. For sure it’ll make it easier that we’re riding mostly the same bike so we can exchange info and he can help me through the first GP’s, like telling how the system runs as he’s been doing it for years.”

MOTO – So is it the first time both of you will have trained and travelled together under the same awning?

“Oh no no no! We used to go racing together when we were little kids as one big happy family but that was soon cut short after Billy and Stevie used to fight with each other all the way there and my Dad in the end had enough and bought another van for us and a couple of years ago he used to pit out of the T7 awning at the British. But yeah the circumstances that we have now, is the first time.”

MOTO – Sounds fun, going back to this week, obviously today (Monday) is a rest day but when does the hard work start for Mallory?

“Last week!!! On Tuesday when the whole deal came to light I was just loading up to go practicing. So I ended up about 8 hours late for that as my head was spinning about what was happening and who I had to talk to and I couldn’t focus on one thing. But I went eventually and upped my moto’s from 35mins + 2 laps to 40mins + 2 laps. Since then I’ve rode every day until today and that’s only because I have to drive to Billy’s tonight to ride tomorrow and Wednesday with the team.”

MOTO – Do you think you ride too much or is that your set routine?

“No I have a good understanding about training now and so I feel I know what to do, what’s too much, what’s not enough. But I feel that is the biggest improvement of my training this year, the fact that I am riding more now with a better structure to my riding than ever before.”

MOTO – So we’re 5 days away from your home GP are you still racing with #121 or has it changed?

“No no I think that’s the same…….I hope!

MOTO – Regarding the rest of the year, its GP’s and British champs only now then? Is there no way you can ride MMX or the Redbull nationals as you were in with a shout….

“I haven’t spoken about it with Neil yet. So I don’t really know. I’d like to race every weekend on my CAS Honda as I’d like to take every opportunity I can to ride it but I really don’t know, so on my weekends off if there was a race I could do – I’d love to.

MOTO – Good luck for this weekend dude and see you on Friday.

Images by Ray Chuss

Tags: british, cas, gp, honda, mackenzie, mallory, redbull, training, van