23 year old Mackenzie, winner of the Grand Prix of Japan and the first world championship event with the KX450F-SR, gave the manufacturer their first British accolade since 1996 and ended Honda‰Ûªs seven year dominance in the premier class of the UK competition.
The eighth and final round of the Maxxis-backed championship at a sunny and spectator-packed Pontrilas circuit was actually won by team-mate Tanel Leok who was making a one-off appearance. The Estonian assisted the crew and Mackenzie enormously by defeating the Scot‰Ûªs main rival Ken de Dycker in the first moto (‰Û÷Mac‰Ûª was third) and then shadowed and defended leader Mackenzie in the second race until the two factory machines had a safe margin, by which stage he moved through and went on to seal his second chequered flag of the day.
With results of third and second to take second overall Mackenzie confirmed his maiden British Championship by ten points over De Dycker and only missed the podium once from eight rounds, not dropping out of the top four in sixteen motos.
‰ÛÏI have been chasing this for so long and it is something very cool to be British Champion. We did not drop out of the top four in each moto and that‰Ûªs what wins championships,‰Ûª he said. ‰Û÷I am glad Tanel came over this weekend, he really helped us out. I knew Tanel would move over if he had to but it was actually better that he won because then I only lost two points.‰Û
