O'Halloran: Missing out on 2021 British Superbike title 'nearly broke me'

Despite winning more British Superbike races than anyone else in 2021, Jason O’Halloran had to settle for third place after suffering two season defining crashes at Oulton Park. 

The McAMS Yamaha rider won 11 out of the first 24 races, however, O’Halloran was winless during the showdown (nine races), while team-mate Tarran Mackenzie won five out of nine to take the title. 

Prior to the showdown O’Halloran was riding at a level that no one else could match on a consistent basis, so much so that the now 34 year-old built up a triple-digit points advantage before the final three rounds began. 

In fact, O’Halloran remained the rider with the most wins and podiums despite a tough final few races. 

Discussing what was by far his most prolific season to date in BSB, O’Halloran told Bennetts.co.uk: "It was an exceptional year. It was a year that you can’t really believe that you didn’t get the trophy, from how many wins and podiums you had. 

"In any normal year, you would have had the championship. This year, I made fewer mistakes than all of my competitors all year, but two of those mistakes were in the Showdown. 

"It was almost as though the punishment didn’t fit the crime at the end. But that’s the way the cookie crumbles and the way the championship works."

The mistakes that cost O’Halloran dearest came at Oulton Park as he crashed out of races one and three while battling for the podium. 

The O’Show managed to claim a podium clean-sweep during the final round of the year, but with Mackenzie winning all three races and Ducati rider Tommy Bridewell finishing second, the Australian had to instead settle for P3 in the championship which he said ‘nearly broke me’. 

O’Halloran added: "I think it would break a lot of people. It nearly broke me. It’s tough. It’s not easy. But I’m very lucky that I’ve got a great support network. I’ve been through a lot of much, much tougher things in my life with bad injuries and a lot of other things.

"I think once you make the transition from it getting you down to lifting you up and you start feeding off it, I think that’s when it changes. I feel fresher and more ready for this coming year than what I have done for the last five years.

"It’s really odd because if you had probably spoken to me two months ago, you’d think the complete opposite.

"Deflated, not really that up for it. Whereas now, I’ve had a good break. I’ve had a good rest. I’m charged up and ready to rock and roll again."