BSB Oulton: McAMS Yamaha to run commemorative 60th anniversary livery

McAMS Yamaha will run a special livery at Oulton Park this Sunday to commemorate the manufacturer’s 60th year of Grand Prix racing.

Championship leader Jason O’Halloran and closest title rival Tarran Mackenzie will race R1s painted in the iconic white and red speed block colours that have become synonymous with Yamaha during its GP history.

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The Bennetts British Superbike team becomes the latest Yamaha squad to use the special white and red design. Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli ran a similar livery in WorldSBK in Barcelona last weekend, as did the factory World Endurance Championship team at the Bol d’OR.

Both riders will wear red and white leathers, whilst their helmets will also reflect Yamaha’s 60th Anniversary celebrations.

“Growing up, Yamaha to me was always the red and white speed blocks,” O’Halloran said. “It’s iconic and so many legendary racers are associated with those colours, so to be able to race with the red and white speed blocks at Oulton Park is a huge privilege for me.

“I remember when the team ran the special R1 livery in 2018, I wasn’t with them at the time, but you could see how much of a buzz everyone got from them running the special colours.”

Alongside the race teams taking part, Yamaha has also announced that all of their Supersport models – R1, R7, R3 and R125 – will be available in the Anniversary World GP colours in 2022.

“I have been lucky enough to run a special Yamaha livery before back in 2018 at Brands Hatch when we celebrated 20 years of the R1, so I know from experience what a special occasion it is,” Mackenzie added.

“Yamaha is a brand with such an incredible history, it makes you feel really proud to be a small part of that. To be racing in the red and white speed block colours is a huge honour for me, it is an instantly recognisable colour scheme and linked to so many icons in motorsport.”

The special livery is one part of a weekend of celebration at Oulton Park, which will see Yamaha Motor UK display an array of classic race machinery on their stand – located in the retail area opposite Chequers café. The weekend will also feature two parade laps led by three-time BSB champion and former Yamaha Grand Prix racer Niall Mackenzie.

Heading into the opening round of the 2021 Showdown, O’Halloran holds a 30-point advantage over Mackenzie. The Aussie has a strong record at Oulton Park, taking five victories from the last six races held at the Cheshire circuit.