Skinner hopeful of further bike success
Perth teenager geared up for an important year
It’s set to be a defining season for Perth motorsport star Rory Skinner.
The 15-year-old is gearing up for another important year in both the prestigious Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship.
Skinner will again be taking to the track with the best young riders from across the globe and there is real reason for optimism ahead of the season startup.
Bike testing for the Red Bull Rookies Cup was completed at Aragon, Spain recently which has the Perth High School pupil prepared to push for the top.
“I had a great Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup preseason test at the Motorland Aragon circuit,” said Skinner, who finished sixth overall last season.
“Over the three days I had on track I was able to find a good setting with the bike by working well with the Rookies Cup team.
“I feel confident going into the 2017 Rookies Cup season as last year we had the pace to run at the front but were struck by bad luck throughout the majority of the season.
“My aims for this season in the Rookies Cup are to be running consistently at the front as it is my third year in the series.
“And I think that my targets for the Moto3 Junior World Championship have
Rory Skinner at testing in Spain last week to be the same as the Rookies Cup, I feel it is a realistic goal to be challenging for the title in both series.
“It’s going to be a busy year but it’s not going to be any more so than the past two, I don’t mind the busy schedule but with having my exams this year I will be busy all of the year.”
There was an excitement when Skinner first burst onto the motorsport scene and now, with experience behind him, the journey to the summit of the sport continues.
“I feel having the extra experience will definitely help me and I hope to use this to my advantage,” he explained to the Perthshire Advertiser.
“Every year I am racing I’m learning new things which are beneficial to my riding. My long term aspirations will always be to become a world champion and until I reach this, this will be my aim.”
Moving to the top of the pile will require endless hours of training - and Skinner is aware of that. He’s been putting in the hard graft ahead of this season across the winter months.
“Over the last few months I have been training lots for the new season,” he said.
“I have also been out in Spain testing my Racing Steps Foundation backed KRP KTM Moto3.
Rory became used to the podium last season
“I have been working hard over the winter break to make sure I am going into both the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup with the best possible opportunity I have to do well.”
The Red Bull Rookies Cup begins in Jerez, Spain on May 6 and the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship at the Circuito de Albacete on April 30.