Tarran Mackenzie has been given a boost ahead of the second round of the 2024 WorldSBK Championship season with the news of Mick Shanley coming in as his crew chief.
The Scot is currently embarking on his maiden season in the WorldSBK Championship with the privateer Petronas MIE Racing Honda team.
Shanley comes into his corner after a stint as Technical Director for Honda’s (HRC) WorldSBK project, a position he will retain alongside dovetailed commitments working directly with Mackenzie as he goes deeper into his rookie campaign.
Shanley, who has worked with teams in Grand Prix, in WorldSBK with the then-Aprilia machined Shaun Muir Racing and in BSB, where he has played a part in title wins for both Tommy Hill and Josh Brookes.
“I’m kind of in a double role at the moment! We made some decisions in the team to try and help Tarran get a bit more comfortable. The communication style was probably a bit more difficult at the start of the season, and I won the job of moving in to help Tarran out and getting him to feel a bit more comfortable and confident.
“I’ve done 12 months out of it, with the overview, but it’s good to have the relationship with HRC and the rider as well; be a bit more in touch, closely, with what’s happening with the bike.
“I’m still Technical Director as the link to HRC, it keeps me hands on in all aspects! It’s busy, very busy, but I’m enjoying it. I think, obviously, we don’t want to upset things and to find a good level crew chief at this time of year is difficult.
“It’ll probably be me that’ll handle it for the rest of the season to keep continuity and a stable base and step by step, hopefully, keep growing the performance level.”
For Mackenzie, who endured a tough opening round at Phillip Island and has admitted to some difficulty perfecting his set-up on the Honda CBR1000RR-R, the opportunity to work with Shanley comes as a big bonus for him.
“It was good, probably the most productive and enjoyable day since I’ve ridden the Superbike. The bike is exactly the same as Phillip Island. I struggled a little bit there, just more so with track time than anything.
“I haven’t done a million miles around this track, so it was just about getting up to speed but yesterday was probably the most positive day and I was a lot closer to the guys in front. I was happy with that.
“Nothing new to try on Day 2, just different geometry settings and trying to make me more comfortable.”
