Bryan signs with CAS!
By TMX Archives on 28th May 09
CAS Honda announced late last week that Bryan MacKenzie is joining the team in replacement to Cedric Melotte for the next few races in both the World MX1 and Maxxis British MX1 Championships.
The team had spoken to a number of riders since the Spanish Grand Prix the previous weekend, where it had been decided that Melotte would step away from racing to concentrate on making a full recovery from the back injury that has seen him miss races in the last five of six rounds to date.
CAS has been looking for a second rider to partner Billy MacKenzie in the World Series, a rider who would be able to step straight into its current set-up without any conflict of interest with the team's existing sponsors. It also felt it important not to employ a racer out of the already reduced MX1 field, and ideally, as a British-based outfit, it wanted to support a British rider.
Bryan MacKenzie, cousin of CAS Honda's Billy MacKenzie, has plenty of experience of the new-for-2009 CRF450R, having campaigned such a machine in the British Championship for Twisted 7 Honda since the start of the year.
The 24-year-old Scot, who has recently shown some good form following a broken wrist injury early in the season, is excited at the prospect of joining a factory Grand Prix race team and it is hoped he will be able to widen his experience with the CAS Honda squad.
Bryan rode the CAS Honda CRF450R for the first time last Friday at the Mallory Park press day in the build up to the Grand Prix of Great Britain. The Scottish rider is expected to take some time to settle into the team, and he will be representing the factory squad for the next few GP races.
Bryan is certainly a highly motivated individual, and CAS Honda is looking forward to working with him alongside his cousin, Billy.
The team's next outing is its all-important home race this weekend at Mallory Park where Bryan will make his official race debut for the CAS Honda outfit.
"Earlier last week I was offered an opportunity of a lifetime to represent CAS Honda in the World and British Championship,” explained Bryan. "I am nervous, but very excited about the prospect of riding for such a high profile team at GP level. All riders work exceptionally hard with the aim of reaching a standard where they can compete in the World Championship and for me this chance comes as a reward for all of that hard work. I am also sad to be leaving the Twisted 7 team and my long-term mechanic, ‘BC', mid-season.
"I feel that is was the efforts of myself, the team and my mechanic that have helped me improve and shaped me into the rider I am today, which has led to the opportunity offered by CAS Honda. I cannot thank them, and all the sponsors that have supported Twisted 7 throughout the last five-years for their help to get me get to this point in my career.
"Obviously the Twisted 7 team has been growing in stature each year with the long-term aim to become a GP team in its own right. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be racing GPs with them!
"I will be training incredibly hard both on and off the track to reward CAS Honda and Twisted 7 for giving me this chance.”
Neil Prince, CAS Honda team manager: "While Bryan may not be the obvious choice for us to bring into the team, there are many reasons for our decision. We approached a few different riders during last week, and due to many conflicts of interests with existing contracts, it has been difficult to find someone suitable to step into Cedric's shoes to race with us in the World Championship series.
"Bryan is a very motivated individual and this opportunity will give him the chance to have the full backing of an established race set-up in the World Championships.
"We would also like to thank the Twisted 7 Honda team for allowing Bryan the opportunity to race with us.”