WorldSSP – Mackenzie eager for results at his home round, Norrodin ready to discover a new track
The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team and riders Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin are now in the UK, at the Donington Park circuit, the stage for round six of the Superbike World Championship. British rider Mackenzie, the 2021 BSB champion, is particularly enthusiastic to race at home, at a track he knows so well.
Mackenzie competed in last year’s Donington round of WorldSBK as a wildcard, reaching the points zone in both of the weekend’s long races. Norrodin has never seen the track and so will need to acclimatize as quickly as possible during Friday’s practice sessions. The team’s ongoing goal is to build step by step on the results achieved to date, meaning that both Tarran and Adam will be looking to reach the points in both WorldSSP races.
Despite the perpetual threat of unstable weather, the Donington Park circuit has long been a fan favourite. Located in Leicestershire, England, it was the host of the very first WorldSBK races all the way back in 1988. Changes have been made over the years, with the track now measuring 4.023 km and made up of twelve turns (seven right-hand turns and five left-handers). It is the oldest British track still in operation today.
Tarran Mackenzie
“I’m really looking forward to Donington. I have many great memories of the place from BSB and have ridden there on so many occasions over the years. They resurfaced the track last winter, so it’s changed in that respect but of course I know the layout and it’s just five minutes from my home, so a true home race! I’m excited to head there, to see everyone and enjoy the weekend.”
Adam Norrodin
“I’ve never ridden at Donington before, so it’s going to be exciting I think. I’ve played it on the Playstation and it looks interesting, flowing with lots of ups and downs. Hopefully it can suit me well. In FP1 I’ll focus on understanding the track and then we need to find feeling as quickly as possible in order to be up there with everyone else. Round by round we are gaining more confidence with the bike setup so we’ll see what we can do this weekend.”
Track Information:
Country: UK
Name: Donington Park
Length: 4.023 km
Pole position: left
Race distance: 23 laps/92.529 km
SSP RECORDS: Best lap: Cluzel (MV Agusta) 1’30.425 (2015). Superpole – Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 1’29.925 (2015).
2022 RESULTS:
Race 1 – 1. Aegerter (Yamaha); 2. Baldassarri (Yamaha); 3. De Rosa (Ducati).
Race 2 – 1. Aegerter (Yamaha); 2. Baldassarri (Yamaha); 3. Bulega (Ducati).
