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Visit Mackenzie’s website - www.mackenzietaylor.co.uk - to follow his fortunes throughout the rest of the 2008 season.

Mackenzie wins first ever Silver Cup 

After just a very few race meetings in the KF2 category, Mackenzie Taylor won the inaugural Silver Cup overall at Sarno yesterday (10 November). 

The Ricky Flynn Motorsport driver held the points advantage from the first round (held at La Conca the previous weekend) and his metronomic consistency at the Neapolitan track saw him take the title. 

“I was after good results and was reasonably optimistic going into the meeting. That said, the last time I raced at Sarno was in (KF3) in the WSK and it was a weekend to forget. I tried to make up for that and knew that I needed decent points and to finish all the races if I was to win overall.” 

The 15-year old was pipped to pole position in timed qualifying by his team-mate, Robert Foster-Jones on the last lap of the session and would line up alongside him on the start-line for both the heats. 

“I was happy with the first race” Mackenzie explained afterwards. “Rob and I pulled away from everyone else and opened a massive gap (over the chasing Anniello Smarrazzo). Rob took the win and I sat behind him to take 2nd.” 

Mackenzie repeated this in the following heat, as the pair again locked-out the front row of the grid for the first of the two points-scoring finals. 

Things didn’t quite go to plan as Smarrazzo squeezed his way past in the opening stages of the pre-final. Mackenzie took third, and knew that he’d dropped points in the title chase to the Italian - but calmly said, “It wasn’t a big problem.”

More concerning, was Smarrazzo’s pace. He had been the fastest man in the pre-final and he again used his superior pace to good effect in the main final. 

“I got a good start and followed Rob into the first corner. I spent the first few laps tucked in behind him and we pulled five or six kart lengths away from the field. But as the race progressed, Smarrazzo started to catch us and he passed me at a hairpin. I had to push hard to keep in touch but on the last lap, Rob was defending a corner and Smarrazzo hit him wide. He won with Rob in 2nd and me right on their bumpers in 3rd.” 

As the Catanian and his team celebrated in parc ferme, the stewards were investigating his move on Foster-Jones. Half an hour later, team boss Ricky Flynn informed his drivers of their decision – Smarrazzo had been disqualified for contact driving thus promoting Mackenzie into 2nd place. 

Mackenzie said, “I’m very happy. To win my first KF2 Championship in just four races is fantastic and has set us up for a good year (in 2009). I would like to thank Ricky, my mechanic Neil (Doran) and Ole (Haugard of One Engines) for all their hard work and giving me the equipment to do the job.”

Bravura performance returns Mackenzie to the podium 

Whilst millions of fans were watching Lewis Hamilton seal the Formula 1 World Championship in Brazil, Mackenzie Taylor was also delivering a heart-in-mouth drive to snatch 2nd place at La Conca. 

The inaugural Silver Cup is a new two-part meeting, split between two circuits in southern Italy – the first at Muro Leccese in Puglia and the second at Sarno in the suburbs of Naples. This was Mackenzie’s third race in the senior KF2 category.

His preparations for the event were hit when he contracted food poisoning, causing the Ricky Flynn Motorsport driver to lose 4 kilos in just two days. On the Friday (31 October) he managed just 6 laps before having to return to the pits. 

Keen to race but still very unwell, Mackenzie got out of his bed at 3pm on Saturday (1 November) went to the circuit and promptly posted the 5th fastest lap - before quickly returning to his hotel room to conserve his energy. 

He still felt too ill to compete in the first heat - but the following day was able to put in a gritty performance to finish in 11th place in the 2nd race. 

Starting from 14th on the grid for the pre-final, Mackenzie showed incredible spirit to finish in 3rd place. As his father Roddy commented, “He’s still sick but fast!” 

In the main final he went one place better, to finish 2nd as the chequered flag waved. 

However, by virtue of taking two podium finishes, Mackenzie’s dogged consistency has put him top of the points tally. 

Mackenzie’s performance drew praise from his team boss, Ricky Flynn who said, “He wasn’t well and probably still isn’t, but it’s that thing – how badly do you want it? He did a very good job in the circumstances and did well to come through (to take 2nd).” 

Considering that this was Taylor’s 3rd race in the KF2 class, Flynn added, “I’m delighted how it’s gone so far. He must be too. Mackenzie’s been competing against some very good people and getting results, so everything’s looking good for next year.” 

Mackenzie stuns on senior debut

Mackenzie Taylor set tongues wagging after finishing 2nd on his maiden senior race yesterday (12 October).

Fresh from finishing his junior career as the British Super 1 Vice-Champion, 15-year old Mackenzie travelled to Parma in Italy - for the annual, two-part Industrial Trophy - with no experience of the faster, KF2 class machinery. 

In timed qualifying, he astonished seasoned onlookers - posting the 2nd fastest time, just behind Ricky Flynn Motorsport team-mate, Robert Foster-Jones. 

Amongst a quality field of 94 other drivers from across Europe, he then showed his potential by finishing in 3rd in his first heat, before winning the 2nd. 

This put him alongside Foster-Jones on the front row of the grid for the final.  

A slip-up at the start saw Mackenzie lose places as the 34-kart pack plunged into the first corner. However, he kept his cool and soon began chipping his way back up the order.  

By lap 10, he was in 2nd and could see Foster-Jones ahead - and set about reeling him in. A series of fast laps saw Mackenzie close the gap from over three seconds, down to just four tenths of a second.  

The pair set-up a grandstand finish as they entered the last lap. Foster-Jones coolly took the win, with Taylor opting not to make a rash challenge for the lead.  

“I bet you weren’t expecting that!” Mackenzie said afterwards. “That was a good result with what little time I’ve had (in KF2). I can only get faster from here. 2nd place is an excellent start to my KF2 career and is a great incentive for me to keep pushing.” 

Team boss, Ricky Flynn was also delighted, saying - “That was more than okay. They both did very well. Everyone worked very hard all weekend and you get out what you put in. Let’s just hope we can do it again this Sunday.” 

Mackenzie takes title battle to the wire 

After a disappointing performance in Timed Qualifying, Mackenzie Taylor knew that he’d need to produce something special if he was to maintain his hope of winning the Super 1 KF3 Championship. 

In the dry, he had been some six tenths off the pace and found himself down in 28th place. His title-rival, Carl Stirling was all smiles however, after he had posted the second-fastest time – just one hundredth of a second off pole position. But then the rain came - increasingly making the circuit resemble the nearby canal. And Mackenzie is a master in the wet.

In the first final, he scythed his way through the traffic and chaos (as drivers slithered off the circuit or crashed into one another) to finish second behind Stirling - “The start was a bit crazy because there was less grip than many people thought and this caused havoc in the mid-pack”, he explained. “However, I jumped up to 8th (from 11th place on the grid) and had got up to 4th when the race was brought into a caution period and we all had to drive in single-file. I made sure that I kept my tyres and engine warm and at the re-start, and I carried my momentum through to quickly take 3rd, then 2nd position. Carl (Stirling) had a big gap and I worked as hard as I could to catch him.” 

On the last lap, Mackenzie lunged from some 5 kart-lengths back and went for the lead. He and Stirling clashed, rubbing their kart’s sidepods but emerging safely from the corner, with the Millennium Motorsport driver holding the advantage to the flag, by less than half a second - “I was a little gutted not to have won, but it made me more determined for the second final.”  

A dramatic start to the next race saw Mackenzie momentarily drop from 2nd on the grid to 3rd but - “On lap two, the driver in front left a gap and I let off the brakes and got through. Carl was away and I knew that I didn’t have much time to catch him”. Stirling ran wide at the appropriately named Christmas Corner, and gifted Mackenzie the opportunity he needed to nip past and assume the lead. 

“I got my head down, put in some fast laps and this gave me the breathing space I needed. Three laps later, I looked over my shoulder and saw a big gap. From there I kept concentrating, kept focused and minimised my mistakes.” Mackenzie took the chequered flag nearly five seconds ahead of his pursuers, with Stirling in 4th place.  

“In terms of the Championship, its close but I think I can still win it,” he said afterwards, holding both trophies. “Everything will have to be perfect at Shenington (the last round of the Championship, to be held at the fast Oxfordshire circuit on 4/5 October). I need to beat Carl but we’ve closed the gap and that makes it easier. It’ll be one hell of a race, that’s for sure. I’d like to thank my mechanic Neil (Doran), for his tremendous effort this weekend. He was as desperate to win as me. The rest of the team (Ricky Flynn Motorsport) has also worked very hard to help me achieve my success today.”  

pics - Chris Walker/Kartpix

Mackenzie’s on-track for Euro Champs Success

Taylor qualifies for European Kart Championship with fine 3rd place

Mackenzie Taylor further under-lined his credentials with a fantastic 3rd place at Alcaniz in Spain on Sunday 13 July.  The 15-year old was competing in the Western Region qualifying race, where only the top 21 drivers would proceed to the European KF3 Championship - to be held at Varennes, France in September (6/7). 

Not only was he up against some of Western Europe’s best young drivers, but also the heat. He explains, “The weather was very hot – over 40 degrees – and coping with that was always going to be a factor. The time I spent in the heat chamber at Kingston University really helped, and I was able to deal with the conditions very well as a result.” 

This was reflected by his performance in Timed Qualifying, when he recorded the 8th fastest time overall (out of 56 competitors) and was the top British driver. In the following (and appropriately named) heats, the Ricky Flynn Motorsport driver took two 3rd places, a 10th and 5th to put him 5th in the intermediate classification. 

“The Alcaniz circuit is incredible – it’s so big they were testing cars on it last week. The first corner is taken flat-out and in my heats, I’d got great starts. And the straights are so long that up to 5 people could pass you by slip-streaming you down them, and then simply pulling out of the tow at the end. It was that extreme and made for some exciting racing. In the first final, I got another good start and was up to 2nd almost immediately. However, three drivers slip-streamed me down one of the straights and moved me off-line going into a corner. I got dirt on my tyres and dropped down the order. By the end I was 11th – not good at all. It was such a rough race because you had to be really careful not to be hit off the circuit. It was mad.”

In the 2nd final, he again got a blistering start, and within three corners had passed 7 karts and was up to 4th place by the end of the opening lap. “I’d been told by (team boss) Ricky Flynn to change my driving style - to be smoother, calmer and not as fast into the corners – and it really helped. I caught the leaders and worked my way into 2nd place. The leader had opened a big gap but I chased him down, caught him and then went for the lead.” 

Mackenzie’s lead would only last for one lap, when eventual winner, Frenchman Brandon Maisano assumed the advantage - “As the race ran to its conclusion, (the initial leader) Michael Heche made a lunge, got alongside me and moved me off line. I just ran out of laps to catch him and Maisano back up” he shrugged. He added, “I’m pleased to have qualified for the European Championship, and there’s a psychological benefit for having beaten a quality field to a podium place.

With no time to savour his success, Mackenzie will head to the Sarno circuit near Naples for next weekend’s (19/20 July) 4th round of the international Winning Series Karting Championship. He says, “Sarno is must-win for my WSK title hopes. There’s no finishing 2nd or 3rd, I have to win. If I can repeat my Angerville performance (where Mackenzie dominated the series’ visit to France back in April) then I’ll be pleased.”  

Mackenzie’s delight at Super win… 

Mackenzie Taylor took a decisive KF3 victory at the opening round of the British Super 1 Championship at Three Sisters, near Wigan last weekend (12/13 April). 

Coming just a week after his Winning Series Karting success at Angerville in France (5/6 April), the Ricky Flynn Motorsport driver has clearly marked himself as one of the favourites to take the Super 1 title. 

In difficult conditions during Timed Qualifying, Taylor clocked the 7^th fastest time - but admitted to making a costly error: “The guys who recorded quicker times were all slip-streaming one another, but I was out on my own and didn’t get a tow. At Wigan you can gain a tenth of a second by towing behind someone, and I just didn’t give myself that opportunity - I was pushing my own air.”  

Though his self criticism sounds a little harsh – especially when you consider that he was just a tenth of a second off pole position - it worked as a brilliant motivational tool for his performance in the heats. 

Surviving a massive ‘moment’, he won his first race. “I was coming down the fast ‘Valley’ section and ran onto a damp section of the track. My kart suddenly snapped sideways and I was thinking ‘this is going to hurt,’ but I clipped a kerb and the kart flicked back the right way”. 

Mackenzie won the second heat and booked his place on the front row of the grid for the pre-final.  

As the pack barreled into the first corner he found himself unable to get onto the dry, racing-line and dropped to 12^th - before getting his head down and working his way up to 3^rd at the chequered flag.  

Getting a fantastic start to tuck in behind pole-man Carl Stirling, Mackenzie started the final in a bullish mood. Half a lap later, seeing a chance, he passed Stirling - who immediately had a stab back. Taylor led the pair onto the long main-straight, with the young Ulsterman slipstreaming him and preparing to pass. However, the alert Taylor saw waved yellow flags and pointed first at them and then at Stirling. The Irish driver duly backed out of the move, handing the advantage back to Taylor who then firmly pressed it home as rain began to fall.  

Demonstrating his superb kart control in the worsening conditions, Mackenzie quickly opened a gap of nearly five seconds. As his rivals slowed, he drove perfectly, corner after corner to cruise to a dominant win. 

“I’m very pleased with the result” he said afterwards. “I would’ve been angry with myself if I hadn’t won. Once again, the team (Ricky Flynn Motorsport) did a perfect job and gave me the best equipment to go out and win with. That’s why I would’ve been angry if I hadn’t. I’m also very grateful to Gordy at GFR for my engines and to Martin and Dan at Pro-Performance – their involvement has really made a difference to me this year.”

Taylor sews up stunning WSK win 

RFM’s Mackenzie Taylor rebounded from his disappointment at finishing 2^nd in last week’s British Open Championship, with a superb victory at the second round of the Winning Series Karting Championship. 

The win will taste all the sweeter for the KF3 star – who celebrated his 15^th birthday yesterday(Monday), after last month’s opening round of the WSK saw him finish down in 19^th place, after a start-line accident took him out of the points. 

Arriving at Angerville, Mackenzie knew that he needed a good result if he was going to stand a chance of fighting for overall honours in the title chase. 

Things started well when he recorded the 5th fastest time in Qualifying – putting him on the front row of the grid for the heats in his group. Mackenzie duly took a 4^th, 2^nd, 3^rd and another 2^nd to put himself on P3 for the pre-Final. 

After catching initial leader Nicolai Moller Madsen, Mackenzie passed him for the lead and reeled out a string of fast laps to take an untroubled win.  

As the field rolled onto the track for the Final, it started to drizzle, but this did little to affect the teenager’s confidence. “I was on slicks but knew that my set-up was perfect” he said. 

At the lights Mackenzie got a good start, although Moller Madsen momentarily headed him towards the first bend. Using the inside line to his advantage, Mackenzie prevented the Danish driver from taking the racing line and preserved his lead.  

Mackenzie explains: “I’d got my tyres nicely warmed up during the rolling-up laps and this gave me the advantage. I just managed to get my head down and pull away”. With the field fighting each other for position behind him, Taylor was able to open up a gap. However, once the race had settled into a rhythm, he found himself being tracked down by Frenchman Brandon Maisano and Dutch driver Jorrit Pex. He said afterwards: “Every lap I looked for Neil (Doran, his mechanic) who waved a finger in the air to say ‘keep pushing.’ Seeing the chequered flag came as a massive relief, after all those laps at the front.”   

Winning the race by nearly 5 seconds sealed his dominance of the two Finals – and puts him right back in the hunt - after first round winner Nyck De Vries and 3^rd-placed driver, Michelle Gatting, both failed to score points.  

Mackenzie was keen to acknowledge the people behind his success, saying: “It was Rick’s (Flynn, boss of Ricky Flynn Motorsport) ability to set the kart up perfectly for the changing conditions that made all the difference. In the wet and the dry, it was as if it was on rails. His organisation and preparation is second-to-none. Neil also worked really hard all weekend and I hope I’ve repaid him for his efforts (with this win). My thanks also to Gordy (Gordon Finlayson) and Dougie (Meek) (of Gordon Finlayson Racing Engines) and Martin (Poole) and Dan (Williams) at Pro Performance – they’ve made a massive difference.” 

With the British season starting next weekend, Sunday’s victory must surely mark him as one of the favourites for overall honours in the British Super 1 Championship, which kicks off at the fast Three Sisters circuit, near Wigan next weekend (12/13 April 2008).   

“The WSK is the toughest the competition is going to get. It’s effectively the World Championship for Juniors and to win at this level in such a short time (this is Mackenzie’s first full season of European racing) bodes well for the rest of the year. I wouldn’t say I’m over confident but yesterday was a big boost, so we’ll see.”   

Keep visiting www.mackenzietaylor.co.uk to follow his fortunes throughout the rest of the 2008 season.

pics - Chris Walker/Kartpix