British Superbikes: Scot Land: Skinner the winner as Rogers celebrates debut Bennetts BSB podium finish.
Rory Skinner celebrated a triumphant victory in the final Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend at Knockhill as the Cheshire Mouldings Ducati rider took the team to their first victory with the Italian manufacturer, ending Bradley Ray’s winning streak in front of his home crowd.
It was an emotionally charged podium, as Skinner stepped onto the top step after a determined ride to beat Ray, whilst Fraser Rogers celebrated a career first podium finish in Bennetts BSB with TAG Honda.
Ray had been victorious earlier in the day, claiming the race two victory ahead of Skinner and Tommy Bridewell.
The third race was restarted for the third time, after the first start was initially red flagged after three laps due to climatic conditions and then for a second time when Blaze Baker crashed at the Hairpin on lap seven leaving track contamination.
Skinner had taken the hole shot in both of the previous starts, but in the third Ray had launched into the lead ahead of the home hero, but he was instantly on the attack and dived down the inside to move to the front of the pack.
The Cheshire Mouldings Ducati rider then delivered arguably one of the most determined rides of his Bennetts BSB career to break Ray, who took the chequered flag in second after the 16-lap contest.
The tussle for third went all the way down to the wire with Rogers duelling with the AJN Steelstock Kawasaki after making a move on Christian Iddon as the pair traded blows over the closing laps. On lap 11 Rogers was finally able to make the pass that would stick at the Hairpin and despite Iddon and teammate Max Cook fighting back, he took a career first top three finish with TAG Honda.
Iddon held off Bathams AJN Racing BMW’s Storm Stacey, who would split the AJN Steelstock Kawasaki teammates with a late move on Cook, who completed the top six. Leon Haslam, Andrew Irwin, Scott Redding and Charlie Nesbitt took the final top ten positions.
Kyle Ryde fought through to eleventh after he had to start from the back of the grid when he was late exiting pitlane for the sighting laps as the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha team were still frantically working with the Yamaha R1.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race 2 result:
- Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha)
- Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati) +4.135s
- Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +8.528s
- Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) +8.702s
- Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing BMW) +10.819s
- Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) +13.058s
- Kyle Ryde (OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) +13.658s
- Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) +18.628s
- Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) +18.820s
- Josh Brookes (DAO Racing Honda) +18.947s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race 3 result
- Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati)
- Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) +4.066s
- Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) +8.683s
- Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) +9.087s
- Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing BMW) +9.239s
- Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) +9.887s
- Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) +14.495s
- Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +16.737s
- Scott Redding (Hager PBM Ducati) +16.930s
- Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) +18.110s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
- Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) 192
- Kyle Ryde (OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) 140
- Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati) 122
- Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) 122
- Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) 101
- Josh Brookes (DAO Racing Honda) 86
- Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) 77
- Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) 74
- Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing BMW) 73
- Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) 69
RORY SKINNER
CHESHIRE MOULDINGS DUCATI
“I was kind of lost for words after the race and the emotional wall broke down there after I crossed the line!
“It’s been a tough 12 months since we were last here and my last win, so to do that for the boys at Cheshire Mouldings Ducati was fantastic as they’ve been with me through thick and thin for the last year. I had my broken leg and had a really tough end to last year as well but they stuck by me and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.
“To have a triple podium weekend and be on the top step of the podium in the last race, honestly, I’m quite emotional about it all.
“In race three I just got my head down and worked hard. Brad got a good start and just pushed me a bit wide in turn one, but after the move he put on me at turn three yesterday I was like ‘yeah, well, you did it to me yesterday so I’ll do it to you today!”
“When I got to the front I felt strong and confident as I knew I could push right away, so I put the hammer down. I didn’t know if Brad was going to have the pace to come with me or not because I knew he had been fast, but I just watched the gap on the board open up a little bit by a little bit, by a little bit.
“Honestly those last six laps I was just counting myself down, and once I went over that start finish line for the win, the emotion came. To be here now with another race win at Knockhill, 12 months later, is really special.
“It means more than the first one I would say because of everything we went through to get here and I’m ready for the rest of the season.”
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