Bryan Mackenzie clocked up the third-fastest time. The super-pole left him fourth, which was still a very good result.
The remainder of the day was to be very frustrating. The first race didn’t go as planned. Despite a good start in third, arm pump cost him vital positions before he was able to settle into a comfortable rhythm, ending the race in a disappointing eighth.
The second race, as much as it was consistent, was just as frustrating. Seventh off the gate, Bryan was hoping to make more progress, only for him to take sixth place in time for the chequered flag.
The final race was the nail in the coffin. A crash in the first lap left Bryan at the back of the pack.
Despite making excellent progress in the first half of the race, he was unceremoniously punted off his bike by the wayward wheels of a rival who had gone down in front of him on a jump, damaging the bike and scoring this race a DNF. With only two races in the points, Bryan ended the day in 12th.
“I was coming through the pack, and I think I would’ve broken back into the top 10,” said Mackenzie.
“But then someone crashed just in front of me on one of the jumps, the bike flipped up and dragged me off my bike as I was taking off, so that was a big crash and the bike was totally ruined.
“I knocked the wind out of myself and couldn’t move for a minute. It’s just so disappointing, but on the positive side I’m glad I came away without an injury.”
