Skinner wins BSB Race 1 as Ray crashes out
Rory Skinner took his first win of the season for Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha in the British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park.
Rory Skinner claimed his first victory of the season for the Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha team in the opening British Superbike Championship race at Cadwell Park. The win was secured after a dramatic contest that saw championship contender Bradley Ray crash out from second place.
Skinner launched perfectly off the line to lead into Coppice for the first time. Ray on the McAMS Yamaha and Storm Stacey gave close chase, while Kyle Ryde initially dropped outside the top five. The race start was hectic. Ryan Vickers tried to push through the order, but a mistake at Park on lap two sent him wide onto the grass, relegating him to 11th as his team debuted a special anniversary livery.
Skinner and Ray were locked together at the front. Ray attempted a move for the lead at Park on lap four but could not make it stick. Leon Haslam had fought his way into third ahead of Stacey. Disaster struck a lap later. Ray tried another pass on the brakes at Park. His McAMS Yamaha became unsettled and he crashed out of second. Stacey also went down on the same lap in a separate incident.
Vickers was recovering lost ground and closed on the pack chasing Skinner. He soon pushed Joe Talbot for fourth place. Then he crashed out at Park, taking Talbot down with him. Skinner now held a margin over the chasing pack. Haslam held off Ryde until lap ten, when Ryde moved ahead. The pair fought hard to the chequered flag.
Meanwhile, Scott Redding put in a determined ride for the Hager PBM Racing Team. He moved ahead of Jason O'Halloran and Lee Jackson to claim fourth place. Max Cook finished seventh on his return to action ahead of Danny Kent. Josh Brookes and Ilya Mikhalchik completed the top ten.
Race 1 Results
The full top ten results from Cadwell Park, including time gaps, are shown below. You can view the full standings for the championship on our site.
| Position | Rider | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rory Skinner | Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha | - |
| - | Kyle Ryde | Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Racing | +2.346s |
| 3 | Leon Haslam | Moto Rapido Racing | +3.237s |
| 4 | Scott Redding | Hager PBM Ducati | +7.257s |
| 5 | Jason O'Halloran | Honda Racing UK | +9.171s |
| 6 | Lee Jackson | DAO Racing Honda | +9.341s |
| 7 | Max Cook | AJN Steelstock bimota | +11.162s |
| 8 | Danny Kent | Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha | +16.662s |
| 9 | Josh Brookes | DAO Racing Honda | +23.137s |
| 10 | Ilya Mikhalchik | ROKiT BMW Motorrad Superbike Team | +27.519s |
Championship Standings
The race outcome caused a significant shift in the title fight. Kyle Ryde extended his lead, while Ray's crash cost him ground. The updated top ten in the standings are as follows.
| Position | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Ryde | Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Racing | 364 |
| 2 | Scott Redding | Hager PBM Racing Team | 313 |
| 3 | Bradley Ray | McAMS Yamaha | 257 |
| 4 | Leon Haslam | Moto Rapido Racing | 237 |
| 5 | Ryan Vickers | Honda Racing UK | 199 |
| 6 | Rory Skinner | Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha | 191 |
| 7 | Max Cook | AJN Steelstock bimota | 181 |
| 8 | Christian Iddon | Sencat Racing Yamaha | 123 |
| 9 | Glenn Irwin | Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Racing | 111 |
| 10 | Lee Jackson | DAO Racing Honda | 111 |
Skinner's Reaction
Speaking to the source, Roadracing World, after the race, Skinner expressed his surprise at his start. "I didn't actually expect to get off the line as well as I did!" he said. He was happy to set the pace from the front.
He noted Ray's attempted passes. "Brad had a look past me, but I got back past him again," Skinner explained. "Then the second time he had a look at me he went down." Seeing a gap on his pit board, he knew he had to maintain his pace.
Skinner saw the gap shrink with seven laps to go. "I thought 'right I need to get myself going again'," he said. He held off Ryde's late charge. "The boys did an excellent job," Skinner added, noting it was his third win on a third different manufacturer in three years. He and crew-chief Stuart had worked hard to maximise their package. Check the season's upcoming fixtures to see where the title battle heads next.
