Tarran Mackenzie, McAMS Yamaha confirm Assen 2022 WorldSBK wild-card
BSB champ Tarran Mackenzie will make his much anticipated debut on the international stage at Assen for Round 2 of the 2022 WorldSBK Championship
Tarran Mackenzie has confirmed Assen in the Netherlands will set the stage for the first of his three planned wild-card outings in the 2022 WorldSBK Championship.
The 26-year old is currently preparing for the defence of his British Superbike Championship (BSB) title with McAMS Yamaha, which kicks off on 16-17 April at Silverstone.
However, just a week after the BSB curtain raiser, Mackenzie will head across the North Sea to take his place on the WorldSBK grid for the first time at Assen, which hosts Round 2 of the 2022 WorldSBK Championship.
It is one of three outings Mackenzie and his factory-supported McAMS Yamaha team are planning to make on the world stage this year with Donington Park almost certain to be another. Mackenzie has previously suggested he will also appear at Most or Portimao, though the latter would occur in the heart of any potential Title Showdown bid.
“I am very excited to make my debut in the WorldSBK championship at Assen and it will be quite special to do it with my McAMS Yamaha team as I've been with them for the last five years and together we have come a long way.
“Obviously there is a lot for me to learn with the engine and electronics, but I know the chassis well as my BSB bike is very similar. Assen is a circuit I love riding, the first time I rode a superbike there in 2018 I finished on the podium.
“The level in World Championship is really high and I'm looking forward to getting out on track and giving it our all. I have to say a huge thanks to Steve and the McAMS Yamaha team, as well as Andrea and everyone at Yamaha Racing for making this possible.”
The outings are broadly considered to be an ‘audition’ for Mackenzie to secure a supported ride in WorldSBK for 2023.
The Scotsman - son of triple BSB champion Niall Mackenzie - had been in discussions to join the grid in 2022 with Team Go Eleven as part of a deal that would see the Italian outfit switch from Ducati to Yamaha machinery.
However, after Go Eleven opted to stick with Ducati, Mackenzie put his plans on hold in the hope of sourcing a Yamaha ride for 2023 instead.
"We are looking forward to supporting Tarran and the McAMS Yamaha Team as they make their WorldSBK debut with a wildcard appearance in Assen, after what was an incredibly successful 2021 season for them in the British Superbike Championship.
“We have enjoyed a long and fruitful working relationship with the McAMS team and their two riders, with a real two-way collaboration bringing benefits for all. We are delighted to see Tarran and McAMS step up onto the world stage in Assen, as this fits perfectly with Yamaha's racing philosophy of offering opportunities to the best riders and teams worldwide."
