Moto2: Mackenzie confirmed at Kent’s replacement at Kiefer Racing

As reported exclusively by MCN earlier this week, reigning British Supersport champion Tarran Mackenzie will replace former Moto3 world champion Danny Kent at the Kiefer Racing squad for the remainder of the 2017 Moto2 season.

Mackenzie has dominated the 2017 British Supersport season so far by taking a clean sweep of all six rounds to comfortably lead the championship – but will now leave that behind for a huge opportunity in the premiere class.

“I am incredibly grateful to be given this opportunity by Kiefer Racing to compete in the Moto 2 World Championship. I’m excited to take on this tough new challenge and I will give Stefan and his team my total commitment as I get used to the new bike and circuits. I have to say a big thanks to the McAMS Yamaha Team and Yamaha UK for allowing me to follow my dream. I will always remember the special times we had together.”

And, trading one British rider for another, team boss Stefan Kiefer says that he can’t wait to see what Mackenzie is capable of in the cutthroat world of Moto2.

“The last few weeks proved out as very hectic for us, after Danny surprisingly announced in Austin, that he won’t no longer available for us. So, we had to find a replacement rider which was not an easy task. Our target was to sign a young rider who also has the capability to compete in this hard-fought championship. We are very happy that we found with Tarran Mackenzie a young and also successful rider. We are delighted to welcome Tarran in our team already in Le Mans next week. We will give him the best possible support so he can quickly get familiarized in Moto2.”

While devastated to lose their championship contender, the McAMS Yamaha team are understanding of Mackenzie’s aspirations. They’re currently searching for a replacement for the remainder of the season, but don’t expect any replacements to be confirmed for a few weeks as they work on their road racing commitments.