Billy MacKenzie amongst Timaru MX Nationals entries The 2013 Backflips New Zealand Motocross Champs start this weekend, that's right, Sunday the 10th of February 2013, at the South Canterbury MCC track at Chisholm Road,
Pleasant Point which is north of Timaru.
The Backflips crew are set to have the massive Slip and Slide
going, anyone who went to the Junior Nats will testify to how big and
cool this is, so tell them to bring their togs. With a 50 - 60m slide, a
ramp and a splash into the irrigation pond this is a entertainment at
its best.
So, who is Billy MacKenzie? He's one of the best motocross talents to come out of the UK in recent years. Born in Edinburgh and raised in Longniddry, Scotland, he started racing at just 6 years. He turned professional at 15 years old becoming the youngest ever GP qualifier at the time. Billy Mac was runner up for the British MX2 Championship in 2002 (having tied
on points for championship) and 2005, then 3rd in 2006. He then went on
to dominate the British MX1 class in 2007 and 2008 with back to back
championships. Billy is the only rider ever to win the Japanese GP round of the World Championship three times in a row in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Throughout his career he has had multiple Word Championship GP race wins, podiums and represented the United Kingdom in the MXoN (Motocross des Nations) a number of times. He’s also had his fair share of injuries with most of 2003, 2004 and 2009 spent on the sidelines. In 2010 Mackenzie was the standout rider in the Pro Open class of the Australian Motocross Championship with the Troy Carroll managed
Kawasaki Racing Team. He finished second to three-time champion Jay
Marmont despite suffering a severe wrist injury at Canberra’s second
round. Billy Mac then made a surprise appearance in the final two rounds of the 2010 AMA Motocross Championship onboard Chad Reed’s factory Monster Energy Kawasaki after Reed was ruled out with that Epstein Barr virus. He returned to Australia and rode the 2011 and 2012 MX Nationals again for the Kawasaki Racing Team. He has known Josh Coppins for some years and it's no surprise to see him join Josh in New Zealand for the four-round MX Nationals on the newly formed JCR Yamaha team. What will he be riding in this year's Australian MX Nats? Click below to open the confirmed entries for Round 1. Note that it is a Microsoft Excel file.
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