TOUGH TEST FOR BATTLING BINOS
Squad’s month on road
Stirling racer Tarran Mackenzie has said that patience will be the key, as he steps back onto the world stage this weekend.
The Stirling-born racer, known to fans as Taz, will make his debut in the World Supersport Championship for the Petronas Honda team at the iconic Phillip Island Circuit, in Australia, in the early hours of tomorrow morning (Saturday).
Mackenzie’s decision to move to the smaller supersport class on a 600cc Honda after five seasons on a 1000cc superbike in the British Championship he won in 2021 raised eyebrows, but the 27-year-old believes that it’ll be the ideal grounding for achieving his aim of competing in the flagship World
Superbike series.
Speaking at the launch of his striking new bike, Taz said:“i’ve had a great off-season and am looking forward to getting started.
“There’s a lot of history behind (team boss) Midori and the Moriwaki family.
“She is passionate about racing and has put in a lot of effort to take another step up again this year. And we have Petronas on board too, a massive name in motorsport, which is great.
“As for me, the goal was always to return to world championship level and
Midori and her team are now giving me that opportunity.
“It’s not going to be easy because there’s a lot of fast guys there, but I think starting
It’s the final step of a punishing February of away trips for Stirling Albion on Saturday – but manager Darren Young knows the weekend trip to Forfar could prove the toughest.
The Binos have been on the road for the entirety of February, beginning with their 1-1 draw against East Fife before snatching a dramatic late winner in a 2-1 success over Bonnyrigg.
That was followed last weekend with more madness as Stirling came from two goals and a man down to rescue a valiant point away at another in-form side in Annan Athletic.
But the tasks don’t get any easier, with a date at Station Park on Saturday to take on Ray Mckinnon’s resurgent Loons – who are unbeaten in their last five games and have lost only twice since the former Dundee United and Morton’s manager arrival back in November.
Young knows it has been a crazy month for his side but has hailed in Worldssp is a good move for me.
“I’ve been on the superbike in BSB for five seasons now, but I think it’ll be good for me to ride the smaller and nimbler Supersport bike.
“I think this new Honda has great potential – we just need to take things one step at a time.
“On paper, I think it can be one of the strongest packages; I just need to get used to it after a few years on a Superbike. I can’t wait to get going.”
The World Supersport races featuring Tarran, as well as fellow Scot John Mcphee, from Oban, take place on both Saturday and Sunday at 3.30am and are live on Eurosport 2. the depth of his squad in standing up to a gruelling month on the road.
The gaffer said: “If you look back at the games, we had 40 minutes with ten men at East Fife, then we managed to beat Bonnyrigg with a late winner and then finally on Saturday, we’re a man down again for 75 minutes and 2-0 down.
“We have had to chop and change the squad a lot with injuries and suspensions so to get the performances and the results we’ve had has been great and we’ve cut the gap down to three with that game in hand as well.
“It’s been a hard slog but there have been some right good performances and different types of performances – all of the players have played their part in it.
“Spenny [Greig Spence] has chipped in with a couple of goals and at the weekend, we had Kieran Moore coming on, scoring a goal and playing three different positions because of the way the game shaped up.
“Hopefully the sending offs will be behind us because we need to keep eleven players on the park, it’s hard enough in these games without being a man down as well.”
The Stirling boss is hoping to welcome Jack Leitch back into the matchday squad, but will be without goalkeeper Blair Currie after his sending-off in Dumfries and Galloway last weekend.
Young added: “Mark came in last week and did very well, coming out for corners, making saves and taking the pressure off.
“He’s come in with a point to prove from Bonnyrigg and we’re happy with how he has performed coming out of the cold.
“Forfar didn’t play at the weekend but they have picked up massively since Ray came in and it will be a very different game from our last visit up there.
“You can get a wee bounce when a new manager comes in and they have kept that going so will come into the game full of confidence.”
Albion face Forfar tomorrow at Station Park. Kick off is 3pm.