FUNDING ISSUES FORCE MACKENZIE TAYLOR TO SIDELINES FOR THRUXTON

Rising star Mackenzie Taylor will miss this weekend’s Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy event at Thruxton after a funding shortfall forced the talented youngster onto the sidelines.

Following a successful karting career, Mackenzie elected to move up to car racing for the first time this year after agreeing a deal to join leading outfit EXCELR8, which has secured multiple titles in the series and is also a front-runner in the prestigious British Touring Car Championship.

As he readied for the opening round of the season at Snetterton, Mackenzie was dealt a crushing blow when unforeseen circumstances forced his primary sponsor – who had backed his racing since he first stepped into a kart at the age of eight – to withdraw its support.

Despite the uncertainty that that created, Mackenzie was able to secure three solid results on his series debut and then showed impressive pace during round two at Brands Hatch – where he missed out his maiden top ten finish by just 0.017s.

Those results left Mackenzie eighth in the Rookie Cup but only eleven points off the top four ahead of the Thruxton event, which is the second this season where the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy will run alongside the BTCC.

Unfortunately, despite working hard to secure extra funding to cover the shortfall created by the loss of his sponsor, Mackenzie will not be part of the grid this weekend but will still be present at Thruxton to show his support for team-mate Gabe Fairbrother.

Mackenzie is also scheduled to appear in two Q&A sessions across the weekend in the Fan Zone, where he will be able to engage with race fans and show his value to potential commercial partners – with his focus firmly on ensuring that his time off track is kept to a minimum.

“Obviously I’m disappointed not to be competing this weekend at Thruxton, particularly after the progress I’ve made with the car during the first two rounds of the season,” he said.

“Although it will be difficult to watch on from the sidelines, I’ll still be there to cheer on the team and support them in any way I can. Being part of the grid at Snetterton and Brands Hatch has only made me more determined to get back out on track and I’ll keep working hard to ensure I’m back behind the wheel as soon as possible.”

For sponsorship enquiries or to support Mackenzie’s journey, please email Mac@mactaylor.uk or visit www.mactaylor.uk