Fleetwood team take British Superbikes title

McAMS Yamaha, run by Steve Rodgers out of his Raceways Motorcycles dealership in Fleetwood, were the top team in this year’s championship after Tarran Mackenzie and Jason O’Halloran won 21 of the 33 races between them, finishing first and third respectively in the riders’ standings.

Their glory was sealed over a spectacular closing weekend of racing at Brands Hatch.

Victory in the race on day one took Scot Mackenzie to the brink of the title with two races to go on the Sunday.

Despite a collision at Stirling’s which cost him the lead in race two, the McAMS Yamaha rider stormed back to take victory on the line by 0.087secs from Ducati racer Tommy Bridewell, with Australian O’Halloran finishing third at +1.398secs.

There was no letting up from 25-year-old Mackenzie in the final race, even with the title in the bag.

He and Bridewell, from Wiltshire, again vied for the lead throughout, with the Scot once more overtaking on the final corner to secure a third straight victory at the iconic circuit.

O’Halloran, 33, benefited from a crash involving to riders in front of him to claim his second third-placed finish of the weekend.

Besides sharing 21 wins, the two McAMS Yamaha drivers earned a further 20 podium finishes between them.

Rodgers’ Yamaha dealership Raceways Motorcycles, on Dock Street, has operated out of Fleetwood for the past 30 years.

Now 52 and living Over Wyre, Steve has been a Fylde coast resident since the age of eight and got involved in motorbike racing while still in his teens.

The team owner stepped up from the 125cc British Championship to 600 and British Supersport, also enjoying success in the Isle of Man TT races before entering British Superbikes in 2017, when the sponsorship from accident management team McAMS began.

Rodgers told The Gazette: “It was an unbelievable finish. After winning the first race at Brands Hatch, Tarran didn’t really need to win the second but he still did.

“And in race three he could just have ridden around but to win it again at the last corner was so dramatic.

“We’ve known Tarran for a long time – his dad Niall was British Superbikes champion three times in the 1990s – and Jason has been with us since 2014.

“I do feel a little for Jason because he won the most races this year (11 to Mackenzie’s 10) but it would have been a nightmare if one of them hadn’t taken the title after we were such a dominant team.”

There’s no time to rest on laurels, with planning for the defence of their titles next year already under way.

Steve added: “We’ll do it all again and the preparations are under way. It never really stops.

“We’ve been fortunate in that the dealership has continued to do well throughout the pandemic. People still want to do business with us.”

And why wouldn’t they want to do business at the home of the British Superbike champions?

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here.