Taran McKenzie’s fourth place on the Australian World SBK was his greatest outcome within the championship, nevertheless it additionally introduced an undesirable tag to the previous BSB champion.
Wet climate arrived earlier than race 2 and remained kind of moist all through the 22 laps. McKenzie already has an honest pedigree within the rain, profitable the World Supersport Most in 2023 and ending within the World Superbike prime ten within the wet Superpole races at each Assen and Balaton Park final 12 months.
These outcomes evoke a form of ‘moist climate rider’ tag that has been connected to riders like Anthony West within the 250cc and Moto2 Grand Prix courses up to now, however McKenzie hopes to dispel that by proving his dry climate skills this 12 months.
“I do not like this sense I get when it is raining and other people say, ‘It is raining, you are going to do nicely’. I like folks telling me that, however I additionally do not like being only a quick man within the rain,” Taran McKenzie advised WorldSBK.com after Race 2 at Phillip Island.
“So I’d like to do this within the dry as nicely, which might be good.
“However I feel possibly my using model could be very easy and I can do nicely in moist circumstances.
“I am fairly assured about rain. Possibly it is coming from England and that helps. I feel it rained daily in England this January, so possibly we Brits, particularly Scots, are used to it!”
“Anyway, it is good to get behind it. I wasn’t anticipating fourth place and thought it will have been nice to be within the prime six, however in the long run I bought fourth place so I am very glad.”
‘Disenchanted’ by Tremendous Pole race
McKenzie’s fourth place in Race 2 was a “disappointing” outcome as he missed out on the highest 9, regardless of the constant efficiency he and the MGM Ducati group confirmed in a single day within the Tremendous Pole race.
“It was a bit disappointing to not be within the prime 9 within the Tremendous Pole race, however I used to be shut within the group with Petrucci and Iker (Lecuona). I am unable to keep in mind the opposite one (Sula) anymore,” he mentioned.
“I used to be actually struggling from the check and had some type of feelings all weekend.
“So this morning I improved a bit bit, however I used to be nonetheless struggling. So when it rained, I used to be glad as a result of I believed, ‘Now could be my likelihood to get a greater outcome.’ I feel my place all weekend was round tenth or eleventh within the dry. So I feel it was tough to enhance on that within the final race.”
