After a great weekend of racing at Oulton Park a couple of weeks ago, the BSB set forth for Knockhill. Once again spectator admission was limited despite the fact that the racing circuit has masses of open space, whereas Wimbledon and Wembley were packed on the same weekend as we said before, incongruous. Roll on Brands Hatch, then Thruxton etc.
Two riders attracting a lot of attention over the weekend were Tarran Mackenzie, McAMS Yamaha and Rory Skinner, FS-3 Racing Kawasaki, as Knockhill is their “home” race. Tarran reckoned he struggled a bit at Oulton, although he still put in some solid results on a track he admits he does not really get on with, so the 2016 British Supersports Champion, now in his fourth year of BSB, was in Scotland to get it done. His compatriot, Rory Skinner, the 2020 British Supersports Champion, and a rookie in BSB, had a good first outing at Oulton, now at his home track, the fans were certainly rooting for him as well as Tarran. It is so close to home for Rory, having passed his test just a week before, he rocked up at the circuit on a 125, Kawasaki of course.
In our piece on Oulton Park, we highlighted the achievement of Casey O’Gorman, the Honda British Talent Cup rider, who swept the board with his two race wins with the Microlise Cresswell Team. Sadly, at Knockhill, young Casey had a spill and ended up in the hospital, so we wish him the best for a speedy recovery, oh the vicissitudes of racing motorcycles.
So the scene was set, and with the triple winner from Oulton Park, Jason O’Halloran McAMS Yamaha, and Christian Iddon, Vision Track Ducati, the triple second placed man, both looking on form, you just knew it was going to be another great BSB weekend.
Qualifying
Quali had Jason O’Halloran P1, Christian Iddon P2 and Danny Buchan P3. Rory was P8 and after a spill, Tarran was down in P15, not how he wanted the weekend to start.
Race One: 20 laps.
Off the line it was Jason O’Halloran and Christian Iddon side by side and Danny Buchan in close pursuit, but it was O’Halloran who took the lead in the first few laps, then Iddon slipped past to take P1, and Danny Buchan stood Jason up to take P2. By lap 7 Danny Buchan took the lead from Iddon, with O’Halloran losing a tad to the front two and with Peter Hickman chasing him down. Rory Skinner set the fastest lap and Tarran Mackenzie had made his way from P15 to P9.
Lap nine and with Danny Buchan going wide, it was once again Christian Iddon in the lead, with a revived Jason O’Halloran P2 and Peter Hickman P3, Buchan left in P4 after his slight mistake. After the early frenetic laps, the race pace settled and so did the positions, but it was still an exciting close fought race for the top three
The Result:
P1 Christian Iddon, Vision Track Ducati. P2 Jason O’Halloran, McAMS Yamaha. P3 Danny Buchan, SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad. A very solid race from Rory Skinner, FS-3 Racing Kawasaki saw him in P5 and Tarran Mackenzie, McAMS Yamaha rode a quality race to finish P6, from P15.
Race Two
Quali for race two was pole, Danny Buchan, P2 Christian Iddon and P3 Rory Skinner. Tarran Mackenzie P6.
Christian Iddon had a flier off the line and led lap one with Peter Hickman and Danny Buchan making it a tight top three. By lap two it was Iddon in the lead with now Danny Buchan taking P2 and Hickman P3 with a feisty Rory Skinner in P4 and Tarran Mackenzie P5. Lap 7 and Rory Skinner pushed past Danny Buchan to take P3, with Peter Hickman P2 and Christian Iddon in the lead. On lap 11 Jason O’Halloran crashed out whilst at the sharp end it was Iddon still in the lead, Buchan P2, whilst Mackenzie and Skinner having their own battle, with Tarran getting P3 and Rory P4.
It was on lap 18 that Danny Buchan finally slipped past Christian Iddon, as Rory Skinner did the same to Tarran Mackenzie to take P3. Lap 21 and Rory Skinner pulled a clean move on Christian Iddon to take P2, Buchan now consolidating his lead. Up to the last lap Mackenzie had been pursuing Iddon who was P3, but now he got past, just in time.
The Result:
P1 Danny Buchan, SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad. P2 Rory Skinner, FS-3 Racing Kawasaki. P3 Tarran Mackenzie, McAMS Yamaha.
Race Three:
Quali, as usual, taken from the previous race fastest laps saw Rory Skinner on pole in only his sixth BSB race, with Tarran Mackenzie P2 and Danny Buchan P3.
Tarran Mackenzie and Rory Skinner flew away from the start grid with Christian Iddon close by, Tarran in the lead but briefly as within the first lap Rory Skinner was at the front and looking strong. Lap 3 and Iddon slid under Mackenzie on the brakes, leaving Tarran P3 and Skinner still in the lead with a slight gap.
Lap after lap Rory Skinner was metronomic in his lap times as he held off Christian Iddon, Peter Hickman, Danny Buchan and Tarran Mackenzie, showing immense riding maturity as a rookie in the class. On lap 24 Danny Buchan slipped past Rory, as he went wide, and took the lead, leaving Skinner P2 and a persistent Mackenzie P3. Within a lap, the red flag was out with Glenn Irwin’s Honda in the middle of the track and gravel everywhere. So with the race distance rule applied that was it.
The Result:
P1. Danny Buchan, SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad, P2 Rory Skinner FS-3 Racing Kawasaki and P3, Tarran Mackenzie McAMS Yamaha.
Danny Buchan had a strong weekend with two wins and a third, Rory Skinner was sensational in only his sixth BSB race and Tarran Mackenzie came back from a nasty pre-race spill to consolidate his position in the class.
See you at Brands Hatch.
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Author: Martin Northern
Founder of Bike Directory
