Rory Skinner will be eager to get the second round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship underway at Knockhill this weekend (July 10-11) as the rookie returns to his home circuit and bidding to add to his consistent tally of finishes on his debut outing.
Skinner stepped up to the premier class after celebrating title success in last season’s Quattro Group British Supersport Championship, joining the FS-3 Kawasaki team for his first foray into Superbike action.
Skinner’s opening event saw him edge close to the top ten, scoring points in all three races and now the Scottish star is looking to repeat the performances, and target the top ten at his home round.
Skinner said: “I didn’t really have any expectations for my first Superbike race – I just went into it with the focus on learning and seeing where it went. Everything was new to me; I know the qualifying format was new for everyone, but I was new to all of it. From my first lap on the first race I didn’t know what to expect. How aggressive everyone would be. Every lap I rode that weekend I learnt something new and it was a real eye-opener.
“It wasn’t any more aggressive than some of the Supersport races I have been in, but there were just so many fast riders all the time – it was a great experience and I was super happy to get some points on the board from all three races on my first weekend.
“Knockhill is my home track, so I always look forward to going back there. Of all the tracks, I think Oulton Park wouldn’t have been the one I would have picked to make my Superbike debut at. I enjoy riding the track, but it isn’t my favorite, so to come to Knockhill this weekend – I am pretty excited!
“There is no pressure on me from the team and it is a learning experience for me. This weekend will be the same; I need to keep learning everything. I just want to keep improving; coming into the next round after two 13 places and a 12 was a good start.
"I just want to continue from there and that will put me in a good stead for Brands Hatch, which is next. I am learning the Superbike and understanding how it works at the different tracks, I just need to keep at it. Obviously it would be nice to get a top ten there, but I know it is always going to be so close there, so I just want to do the best job I possibly can.”
This weekend’s coverage of the Knockhill round is live on free-to-air channel Quest. Fans can stream the live coverage free-of-charge via discovery+ with live uninterrupted ad-free coverage also available via the Eurosport app