Rory_Skinner

Rory Skinner

Rory Skinner

British motorcycle racer

Rory Skinner (born 27 September 2001)[1] is a championship winning British motorcycle racer from Perth, Scotland, who also worked as a motorcycle mechanic.[2]

Quick Facts Nationality, Born ...

For 2023, Skinner was contracted to race in the Moto2 world championship with American Racing Team,[3] and for 2024 will return to British Superbike Championship with TAS Racing.[4]

For 2021 and 2022, Skinner moved into the British Superbike Championship. He missed the last two 2022 rounds due to a hand injury sustained when he crashed into the back of another rider in late September.[5][6]

After the 2019 season in British Supersport on a Kawasaki, for 2020 he moved to Appleyard Yamaha racing.[7] Skinner dominated the 2020 British Supersport Championship, winning the first six races,[8] and was crowned champion after his eighth victory of the season.[9]

Skinner was the inaugural champion of the British Talent Cup, a motorcycle racing series for young riders.[10] He is a former race winner in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup,[11] as well as the 2014 Dunlop Aprilia Superteens Champion and a multiple mini-moto champion.[12][13]

Skinner is managed by former MotoGP rider John Hopkins.[14]

Career

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

On 17 October 2014, the then 13-year-old Skinner was selected as the only British rider to compete in the 2015 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, following the selection event at the Guadix circuit in Spain.[15]

Skinner ended his debut season in the championship in 10th position, with his best results coming at the final round in Aragon, Spain. On the weekend of his 14th birthday, Skinner qualified on pole position and took third place in each of the two races. It was also confirmed that he would continue in the championship in 2016.[16]

Despite missing the first round of the 2016 championship through injury, Skinner moved up to sixth in the overall standings - scoring third place podium finishes at Assen and Aragon.[17]

The Scot took his first and only Rookies win in the opening race of the 2017 season at Jerez.[18] It was his only podium finish of the season and he slipped back to 12th in the final standings.

At the end of 2017 it was confirmed that he was leaving the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, having competed in the maximum three seasons allowed under the rules.[19]

FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship

As well as competing in the Red Bull Rookies MotoGP Cup, Skinner raced in the FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship for the KRP team, as part of the Racing Steps Foundation programme.[20]

Riding a KTM motorcycle, the Scot scored a best result of fifth and finished 13th in the 2017 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship.[21]

British Talent Cup

With his time in the Red Bull Rookies complete and Racing Steps Foundation closing its doors, Skinner found himself without a ride for 2018. He was handed a lifeline when Dorna offered him a place in the inaugural British Talent Cup, despite him not having officially applied to join the series.[22] Skinner was fastest in the pre-season test at the Valencia circuit in Spain,[23] and took his first win at the second round in Donington Park.[24]

On 17 November 2018 Skinner became the inaugural British Talent Cup champion at the Valencia circuit in Spain.[25]

British Supersport Championship

For 2019, British Superbike Championship veteran Chris Walker provided Skinner with a Kawasaki ZX-6R for his privateer campaign.[2] In a team run by his father Mike, the 18-year-old finished the season seventh overall, making him the top ranked rookie and best placed Kawasaki rider. His best result was a third place at Donington Park.[26]

For 2020, Skinner was signed by former Grand Prix racer Robin Appleyard to ride a Yamaha R6, and he dominated the championship. He won the first six races in a row,[27] and secured the championship with two races to spare at Donington Park on 4 October 2020, becoming the series' youngest ever champion at 19 years and seven days old.[28]

British Superbike Championship

On 28 November 2020 it was announced that Skinner would move up to the British Superbike Championship in 2021, riding for the FS-3 Kawasaki team.[29] In July, Skinner recorded his first podium finishes when twice finishing runner-up at Knockhill.

In 2022 season he was the third rider to qualify for the end of season 'Showdown' and, at 20 years old, the youngest Title Fighter in the championship's history.[30] He was unable to challenge for the title due to injuries and missed the last two rounds with a broken hand sustained when he crashed into the back of another rider at Oulton Park.[5][6]

Moto2 World Championship

2022

In 2022, Skinner had two wildcard rides in the Moto2 world championship, organised by John Hopkins with his American Racing team.[31]

American Racing Team (2023)

In October 2022, Skinner signed to race in the Moto2 world championship for the American Racing team during 2023 and 2024.[3] In late 2023, his contract was terminated with Marcos Ramírez announced as replacement rider.[32][33]

Career statistics

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Pos ...

FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Bike ...

British Supersport Championship

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Bike ...

** Season limited to 12 races because of COVID-19 pandemic.

British Superbike Championship

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Bike ...

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

More information Season, Class ...

By class

More information Class, Seasons ...

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Class ...

‡ Half points awarded as less than half of the race distance (but at least three full laps) was completed.
* Season still in progress.

References

  1. [1]
    Cup, Red Bull MotoGP Rookies. "Rory Skinner | Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup". Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  2. [2]
    Perth motorcycle sensation Rory Skinner opens up on his stunning performances, the racing setbacks he’s faced and his fight to reach the top The Courier, 8 September 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020
  3. [3]
    "MotoGP: Rory Skinner signs two-year Moto2 deal with American Racing". Motorcycle News. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  4. [4]
    Rory Skinner returns for 2024 BSB from Moto2 with Cheshire Mouldings TAS BMW bikesportnews.com, 31 January 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024
  5. [5]
    BSB: Rory Skinner sustains multiple hand fractures in Oulton Park crash Motorcycle News, 26 September 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022
  6. [6]
    2022 British Superbike Brands Hatch - Qualifying Results. "Showdown riders reigning champion Tarran Mackenzie and the Moto2 bound Rory Skinner both remain absent through injury." crash.net, 15 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022
  7. [7]
    Skinner replaces BSB-bound Kennedy at Integro Yamaha crash.net, 15 November 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2019
  8. [8]
    "Silverstone BSB: Skinner maintains 100 per cent Supersport win record". Bikesportnews. 6 September 2020.
  9. [9]
    BSB (4 October 2020). "SKINNER CROWNED CHAMPION WITH DOMINANT SUPERSPORT WIN". British Superbikes.
  10. [10]
    "BRITISH TALENT CUP". BRITISH TALENT CUP. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  11. [11]
    "RBR: Rory Skinner takes career-first international win". Motorcycle News. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  12. [12]
    "Perth racer clinches British Superteen Challenge Championship title - The Courier". The Courier. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  13. [13]
    "Rory Skinner Red Bull Rookies 2015 | Superbike Magazine". www.superbike.co.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  14. [14]
    "Skinner's new boss". Archived from the original on 7 October 2021.
  15. [15]
    "Scottish teen Rory Skinner selected for Red Bull Rookies | MCN". www.motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  16. [16]
    "Rory Skinner double podium at Aragon 2015 - Cilindrada.NET". Cilindrada.NET. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  17. [17]
    "Rory Skinner 2016 round up - Cilindrada.NET". Cilindrada.NET. 8 October 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  18. [18]
    Dargan, Amy. "Red Bull Rookies: Rory Skinner takes his first race win in Jerez". Bennetts UK. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  19. [19]
    Cup, Red Bull MotoGP Rookies. "Blog Rory Skinner - My final ever Rookies Cup blog | Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup". Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  20. [20]
    "Scots Magazine". Scots Magazine. December 2015.
  21. [21]
    FIM CEV. "FIM CEV Repsol Moto3". FIM CEV Repsol.
  22. [22]
    "Skinner given lifeline in British Talent Cup". Motorcycle News. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  23. [23]
    "BTC: Skinner tops first test at Valencia". Motorcycle News. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  24. [24]
    "Down to the final corner: Skinner strikes to take Race 1". BRITISH TALENT CUP. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  25. [25]
    "BTC: Skinner takes inaugural British Talent title". Motorcycle News. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  26. [26]
    "Perthshire Advertiser". Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021 – via PressReader.
  27. [27]
    Gallagher, Matthew (6 September 2020). "Rory Skinner enjoys "another mint weekend" as Perth racer shines at Silverstone". Daily Record. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  28. [28]
    Gallagher, Matthew (5 October 2020). "Perth's Rory Skinner crowned youngest ever British Supersport champion". Daily Record. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  29. [29]
    Advertiser, Perthshire (30 November 2020). "Perth's Rory Skinner joins FS-3 Racing Kawasaki for British Superbike debut". Daily Record. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  30. [30]
    "Figures of 8 | Brilliant Bradley Ray leads 2022 BSB Title Showdown contenders". visordown.com. 13 September 2022.
  31. [31]
    "Rory Skinner gets Moto2 wild-cards for Silverstone, Austria". crash.net. 25 June 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  32. [32]
    American Racing sack Rory Skinner with a year left on his contract crash.net, 14 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023
  33. [33]
    Rory Skinner dismissal has 'not gone down well' - Michael Laverty crash.net, 17 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023
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