Bathams Racing’s Taylor Mackenzie leaves round five just one point shy of the National Superstock 1000 Championship lead after securing two fourth-place finishes at Donington Park.

The halfway point of the season provided a double header for the locally based rider, with the 23-year-old qualifying in fifth place before gaining a position at the line in the opening contest.

The second outing saw Mackenzie break the circuit lap record in the early stages, before failing to take full advantage of his pace due to a drop in grip. Missing out on a podium finish by just a tenth of a second, the two strong finishes boosted his title contentions, with the top-four in the championship now separated by just a single point. 

“We really needed that after the last round at Thruxton,” Mackenzie said on Sunday. 

“More than anything, we needed a trouble free weekend with a pair of solid points finishes under our belts, and that's exactly what we got.

“Closing right back up to the championship lead is nothing less that what the team deserves after all the work they've put in to the bike recently, and sets us up nicely for the second half of the season."