How the journey began…
Mackenzie started riding at the age of 3 years old with a Yamaha PW 50 and training wheels.
Since then, he’s wanted to ride and race everything he could.
When Mackenzie turned 4, he started racing ATVs and we never looked back. Mack raced for 4 years winning his Provincial series in 2011 and placing 2nd in his National series. Mack repeated in 2012 with a Provincial series win and a 2nd place finish in the Nationals. Unfortunately, ATV racing in Ontario took a turn for the worst at the end of 2012 and racing basically stopped. In 2013 Mack attended a couple of local ATV invitationals but ATV racing as we knew it was gone.
Through the years…
2014
Mack tried ice racing but a mild winter led to only a few races. He found passion in sports, particularly rugby and football, landing on multiple championship teams.
In 2021, his Rugby team won the Provincial Barbarian cup and his Football teams won multiple titles, but he still felt something was missing. Mack started taking multiple riding schools, but one of his favourite was SMART Adventures Riding School in Barrie, ON.
2018
Mack decided to go back to racing but he wanted race motorcycles like his Uncle Paul (his hero) did in the early 2000’s so he borrowed a Kawasaki Ninja 300 from our friends at HB Cycle in Lindsay to take his racing licence at Shannonville Motorsports Park.
Mack had so much fun that he talked his parents into purchasing his own Kawasaki Ninja 300 and this became his biggest passion.
Since he was only 14, he wasn’t old enough to race nationally in the Canadian National Superbike Championship (CSBK). He continued to train in different riding schools and track days, and was able to start racing in regional races at Shannonville Motorsports Park.
2018
In late 2018 Mack was invited to try out for the RedBull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event in Guadix, Spain.
Only 110 people from all over the world ages 12 to 16 were selected for this event and being 1 of 2 Canadians selected, it was a huge honour and learning experience for the entire team.
RedBull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event in Guadix, Spain (2018)
2019
Mack turned 15 and was able to race nationally in the Canadian Superbike Lightweight Sportbike Series.
The series had him racing all over Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. Notably, Mack’s first podium finish (3rd place) was in Nova Scotia. Mack managed to finish 9th overall that year, learn a TON of new skills, as well as meet some of the most amazing people on the planet.
After the CSBK season was over Mack desperately wanted to learn more about his race craft so he took the Yamaha Champions Riding School in Pittsburg. This was the most notable difference in his riding to date. Something switched on during this two-day course and Mack became very comfortable hanging off the side of his motorcycle.
2020
We sold the Kawasaki Ninja 300 to our new teammate #211 Adam Abnett, as he has always dreamed of racing and this was a good way to start. Mack purchased a new Kawasaki Ninja 400 to give Mack a better chance at the podium.
Despite the pandemic, CSBK managed to put together two races. Mack won his first National race at Calabogie Motorsports Park. Due to the pandemic and minimal race schedules, it was decided that no points would be awarded.
In Regional racing, Mack won Lightweight Production Champion in the Shannonville Super Series. He won 4 of the 6 races and finished 2nd in the other 2. Mack had 3 race wins at Southern Ontario Association of Racing (SOAR) in the Lightweight Superbike series.
2021
2021 started off fantastic. Mack won every race in the CSBK National series as well as the Pro6GP Regional series at Calabogie.
Heading into the last race of the season Mack had a commanding lead and was in a prime position to win his first National Title. Unfortunately, Mack was battling for the lead in the 1st of 2 races and got tangled up with a fellow rider which caused Mack to crash. He suffered a concussion and would not be medically released to race for the rest of the weekend. Mack scored two DNS positions and ended up losing 1st place by 16 points.
2nd overall in the CSBK National Lightweight Series
1st place in the Pro6GP Regional Lightweight Series
Since Mack finished second in the CSBK Lightweight Series, he must move up to the Amateur 600 Class. Mack continues to practice and refine his riding skills. He travelled south to Arizona in November 2021 to the Yamaha Champions Riding School at Inde Motorsports Park. He spend two days with the riding school and an extra one-on-one day with the instructors to refine his skills on the 600s.
2022
In late Nov 2021 Mack traveled to Arizona to spend 2 days at the Yamaha Champ school learning how much different a 600cc motorcycle was compared to his current 400cc. We had purchased one of the school’s Yamaha R6s so not only was Mack going to learn some new riding techniques on a different motorcycle it was also going to be his. Mack spent two days with MotoAmerica great Kyle Wyman at the school and was offered to spend a third day one-on-one the following day. Before we left to come home to Canada Kyle had suggested that Mack take the American Supercamp to help teach him some totally different techniques that would help him with his riding style, so in May of 2022 Mack traveled to Harrington Delaware to take the Supercamp school.
The start of the 2022 CSBK series didn’t go as planned as the team was unprepared with the new Yamaha. Parts had been backordered and it took Mack a little longer to get comfortable especially when he couldn’t ride the Yamaha to 100% of its potential. By mid-season Mack’s lap times were coming down drastically but the crew were having issues learning the new motorcycle’s needs. It turned out to be a true learning year for Mack and the team.
Mack ended up finishing 11th overall in the series with multiple top 5 finishes both in AM Sportbike and AM Superbike.
2023
2023 saw CSBK make some drastic changes to the series. The biggest to note was changing of the Spec tire from Dunlop to Bridgestone. Mack had never ridden on anything other than Dunlop’s so this was a little worrisome, especially since the Bridgestone’s weren’t even in the country as they were so new. Mack was offered a chance to attend a tire testing in Jennings, Florida in March that we jumped on to hopefully give us an edge for the first round. The testing was a huge success and Mack and the team learned valuable information as everything they knew about the Dunlop tires, they had to forget.
The first two weekends rained, and the team were plagued with multiple bike issues as well as Mack suffering some personal family problems that made it hard for him to focus on the task at hand. Mack bounced back for the third weekend in Shubenacadie NS. Mack was destroying his personal best lap times and sitting in first place in practice until the rain came and come it did. This weekend ended up being canceled due to unimaginable damage due to flooding. The amount of rain that fell was the heaviest amount to hit the province in over 50 years that triggered province wide flooding and even stranding the team at the track as the roads in and out had been washed away.
With all the bike issues the team was made an offer from Kawasaki for Mack to purchase one of the first 2024 Kawasaki ZX6R in Canada that would put him back into the driver’s seat coming into the 4th round at CTMP. With little testing Mack managed to put his new ZX6R on the podium, not once but twice during the weekend. The weekend also offered Mackenzie another opportunity to showcase the new Kawasaki ZX4RR. Mack was asked to ride parade laps Fri-Sun with racing legend Jordon Szoke who was riding the supercharged Kawasaki H2R.
The last rounds saw Mack make the podium two more times and start in his first Pro Sportbike race.