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.
The 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 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
For the full result please click here
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
For the full standings please click here