Superbike - Background
Rob McElnea moved into the realms of team management in 1994. The initial move was enforced on him due to injury. However, it would prove to be a highly fruitful move for the former British Champion and TT winner. After a successful foray into management claiming second in the British Championship running Jim Moodie and Mark Farmer under the Loctite Yamaha banner, the real success story began with enticement of Niall Mackenzie back to the UK from the World stage in 1996.
Partnering James Whitham, Mackenzie made an instant impact on his return to the domestic scene with Cadbury Boost Yamaha racking up no fewer than 19 podiums including five race wins on the way to claiming the title. Teammate, Whitham, battled the Scot all the way posting an impressive 16 podiums and 10 race victories yet had to settle for the bridesmaid position by just four points as the season drew to a dramatic close.
With Whitham moving to the World Championship in 1997, Mackenzie received a new teammate in the guise of fans’ favourite, Chris Walker. Mackenzie was on a roll and total dominance winning 13 races on the way to his second consecutive British Superbike title. Once again, Mackenzie’s teammate would take second in the title race, proving the utter dominance of Rob Mac’s Superbike effort.
Walker made way for Steve Hislop the following season, starting a new internal team rivalry - this time between two determined Scotsmen. Mackenzie triumphed once again but as in the previous two seasons he was pushed all the way. The pair secured 10 race victories and 30 podium finishes between them during 1998.
1999 ushered in a new sponsorship era in the team’s illustrious history. Rob Mac secured a partnership with Virgin Mobile that would become the longest running to date in the British Superbike Championship. Virgin Mobile recognised the potential of the perfect target audience with the British race fans and Virgin Mobile Yamaha was born. Unfortunately for the chasing pack, 1999 also began a five-year dominance of Ducati.
Despite varied degrees of success with podium places for Mackenzie and Hislop over the following two seasons, it would not be until 2002 that Steve Plater would record the team’s first race win since Mackenzie’s third Championship winning season of 1998. Partnered by ex-GP500 race winner, Simon Crafar and Sean Emmett, Plater would record a second race win before the season was out.
In 2003 Steve Hislop returned to the fold with up and coming rider Gary Mason. The jewel in the crown for Rob Mac Racing this season, however, was the inception of the Virgin Mobile Cup with Tommy Hill taking the inaugural crown.
Tommy moved up to the senior Superbike season for 2004, providing the third prong of the Virgin Mobile Yamaha onslaught alongside Steve Plater and Mason. It was left to the returning James Haydon - a stand-in rider for the injured Plater - to claim the team’s only win of the season at an action-packed Knockhill.
Sean Emmett partnered the impressive Tommy Hill in 2005, the year that saw the young Lingfield-based rider secure his first race victory in the Superbike class at Cadwell Park.
2006, and the fruits of Rob’s labour came to fruition with the senior Virgin Mobile Yamaha British Superbike team comprising of two Virgin Media Cup Champions. 2005 winner, Billy McConnell proved an instant hit as he harried reigning champion Gregorio Lavilla at the wet season opener at Brands Hatch. Early evidence of the young Aussie’s potential. Tommy would later take the second podium finish of his career. The highlight of the season for team was Tommy Hill’s pole position at the first asking as wild card rider in his debut World Superbike ride. Tommy made the most of the wet conditions to head the field for both races through a wet qualifying session at Silverstone.
2007 proved a difficult year for Rob. Despite posting the fastest ever two-wheled lap of Thruxton on his way to pole, Tommy spent the majority of the season trying to develop the Superbike and new Pirelli development tyres on his own as James Haydon’s appointment was brief, only lasting three rounds. Hudson Kennuagh stood in for a few rounds before returning to the title race in the National Superstock Championship. Marty Nutt took over the second berth for the final two rounds but the team would finish the season empty handed.
2008 provides the start of a new chapter for Rob Mac Racing. Karl ‘Bomber’ Harris joined during the close season and instantly gelled with both team and bike. The former triple British Supersport Champion was quickly earmarked as a strong favourite to push the Ducatis and Hondas for the title. After a number of ‘lean’ years the tables look to be turning back in favour of Rob Mac. Karl’s early blistering pace looks set to offer the Yorkshireman the opportunity to add to his single pole position and the scene is set for the 28-year old to record his first Superbike victory. 2008 could be start of a new era of Yamaha domination.