Kawasaki's Billy Mackenzie is back to full speed ahead of Murray Bridge. Image: Rice Photography.

Scotsman Billy Mackenzie is confident that his speed will be back to its best when the MX Nationals reach round four of season 2011 at Murray Bridge in South Australia this Sunday.

The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider suffered fractured ribs and a cracked shoulder blade at Appin’s second round, however he managed to soldier on the following weekend at Raymond Terrace.

With four weeks to heal since then, Mackenzie has resumed riding and is confident he has the speed, if not the race fitness required at a national level.

“I’ve been in a fair bit of pain since the crash at Appin but I’ve just been battling through it,” Mackenzie explained. “It wasn’t until I went for X-rays after Raymond Terrace that I found out that I had fractured ribs and a cracked shoulder blade.

“Good news is that four weeks off has done me the world of good. The pain is now gone and I’m back to full speed. I’ve started riding again only this week and have tested with the team at Toowoomba.

“I do need some more time on the bike to get my fitness back to 100 percent, but the speed is there so I’m really looking forward to this weekend.”

When asked about his championship aspirations, Mackenzie isn’t ruling out a run at the title despite sitting sixth and 41 points behind series leader Josh Coppins.

“There are still a lot of races left. When I injured myself last year, I was down by a lot of points in the championship but still clawed my way back and almost won it,” he reflected.

“If I just go out there and do my thing, I know it will all be okay.”

Aussie teammate Dean Ferris is also hopeful that progress made in testing will help him make inroads to Coppins’ lead.

“The last four weeks since Raymond Terrace have been really good for me,” Ferris said. “I’ve been training with Phil [Nicoletti] quite a lot and have made improved set-up changes to my KX450F’s engine and suspension.

“I’m confident with the changes and really looking forward to this weekend.”

Ferris currently sits second in the title chase, nine points in arrears of Coppins.