Skinner on the money
Rory builds on an impressive pre-season with early podium
There’s a belief that Rory Skinner will push on this season now that he has a year of Superbike experience under his belt, and if Silverstone is anything to go by, the Scot is going to be a constant threat in 2022.
Fast all weekend, the
2020 Supersport champion sandwiched a hard-fought podium with two fourth-place finishes as he took the fight to Honda and the Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamahas.
Just like Kyle Ryde and Bradley Ray, you can see the differences in riding style compared to the longer-serving Superbike riders. They love getting their elbows down, gliding through the corners and hanging off of their machines. It’s a joy to watch.
Skinner is more than capable of holding his own out there too, he isn’t shy and will defend himself despite only have completed one season in the premier class. If he’s overtaken, he’ll try to snap back immediately.
The Kawasaki seems to have had a power upgrade too, both Skinner and Lee Jackson were fast through the speed traps.
“I’m mega happy to have a podium already,” Skinner told MCN. “The guys at FS-3 have worked really, really hard over the winter, as I have as well, so it’s nice to thank them for their hard work.
“Now I have a season under my belt in superbikes I feel much more comfortable. This is one of the tracks I enjoy, it suits my style a little bit, but I’m looking forward to progressing through the rest of the season, taking it session-by-session, race-by-race and seeing where we end up.”
The FS-3 Racing Kawasaki rider has been working hard over the winter to improve his fitness as well, collaborating with Loughborough University, as so many top riders do.
“I do a lot of mountain biking back home, but I’ve been trying to get myself in the gym to try to be an all-rounder and ensure I’m as strong as I possibly can be. It’s definitely paying off, I feel good, and I’ll keep on training.”
There’s a sense that teammate Lee Jackson isn’t too far off either after a strong showing, particularly in race two when he held his own against Jason O’Halloran and Andrew Irwin to take fourth.
With Oulton Park next up on the calendar, Jackson will be hopeful of more top fives sooner, rather than later.
‘I’m mega happy to have a podium already’ RORY SKINNER