Knockhill BSB: Skinner misses home win - ‘safety car upset my tempo’

There may not have been a fairytale home round win at Knockhill for Rory Skinner but it wasn’t for the lack of trying. Two podiums made it four for the season and moved him up to fourth overall in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings.

The Cheshire Mouldings by FS-3 Kawasaki rider looked completely at ease running at the head of the leading group and had it not been for crashing out of the lead early on in the final race, it could well have been a clean sweep of rostrum finishes. Nevertheless, it was another strong weekend for the 20-year old. “It was great to start the weekend and my home round with a podium on Saturday and the hardest thing was the wind as it was gusting quite bad,” Skinner said of race one.

The winds died down for Sunday and it looked like Skinner would claim his maiden BSB win as he led from laps 1 to 25 in the opening race but it wasn’t to be as he had to settle for third once more and any hopes of a victory were dashed when he crashed out of the lead early in the final race.

“It would have been nicer to have finished higher than third in Sunday’s first race but the safety car in the middle of the race upset my tempo and I suffered with arm pump in the final five laps,” he explained. “I started riding a bit tense when the car went in and it was hard to get back into my rhythm.

“Nothing beats riding at Knockhill and in front of my own fans and although I’m disappointed to have crashed out of race three, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. I’m very confident in the team and we’re all improving every weekend.”