Cadwell BSB: Skinner becomes youngest Showdown contender

Rory Skinner has become the youngest rider to qualify for the Bennetts British Superbike Showdown after booking his 2022 spot at Cadwell Park.

The Scotsman - competing in his second season of BSB - emerged as one of the stars from the Cadwell Park weekend, belying his relative lack of experience around the notoriously technical Louth venue to claim a second place finish in race one, before hitting the top five across Monday’s double outing.

Rising above Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki teammate Lee Jackson for third in the overall standings, it means Skinner joins Jason O’Halloran and Bradley Ray as confirmed ‘Title Fighters’ in the eight-rider end of season shootout.

At 20-years old, he betters the records of Ray, Alex Lowes and Jake Dixon, who all reached the Showdown while aged 21.

“My arm played up a little bit and I lost a bit of power in it mid way through,” Skinner explained on his Monday struggles to fifth. “When Leon came past I felt like my pace was a little bit stronger and although we passed a few times I never quite had the strength to make it stick.

“But I knew that if I kept attacking him then that would limit the opportunities for those behind to attack me.

“Two P5s at Cadwell Park, and a second yesterday, is more than I could ever have imagined coming here, and it is awesome to secure a place in the showdown with one round to go.

“Thank you so much to my team for giving me a great bike, and I’m looking forward to Snetterton.”

Skinner’s strong results came despite a tight turnaround between BSB Cadwell Park and Austria’s Red Bull Ring, where he was competing in the Moto2 World Championship for American Racing a weekend earlier, with a potential return to the world stage rumoured to be in the pipeline.

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