The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Rory hopes to roar in Valencia
Perth High pupil to hit the track in front of 200,000 crowd
Perth teenager Rory Skinner will share the track with the world’s fastest motorcycle racers in Valencia later this month as he looks to power his way to the world championships.
The 17-year-old leads the inaugural British Talent Cup, a new race series created to identify and nurture the country’s best racers and provide them with a pathway to the motorcycling world championships.
The final two races of the 2018 series take place alongside the sold out final round of the MotoGP world championships, where legends like Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi bang handlebars at over 200mph, and Skinner heads to the Spanish track with a 12-point advantage over his nearest rival, English youngster Thomas Strudwick.
Despite leading the series, Rory’s season hasn’t been without challenges.
A fall at the opening race saw him charge through from the back of the pack to finish 10th, while last time out he defied the pain barrier to not only race at the Dutch Assen circuit, but win just five days after breaking his foot in a Scottish championship race.
The Perth High School pupil has also scored wins at Donington Park, Snetterton and Silverstone.
Rory said: “I’ve had my foot in plaster since returning from Assen but that’s just been removed and I am really looking forward to getting back out on the bike.
“I have raced at Valencia quite a few times in the past and have some good memories from there and was fastest here in the pre-season test.
“I went to Assen not sure if I would even be able to ride but I knew that I had to try and just score some points to be able to go to the last race with a mathematical chance of being in contention for the title.
“Winning the race and outscoring my rivals was beyond my expectations and, as a result, I’ve got a 12 point advantage.
“It will be the biggest crowd I have ever raced in front of, with over 200,000 fans expected to attend, but I can’t really change my approach to the race.
“Winning the British Talent Cup would be a big honour and a great way to kickstart my career, so I am highly focussed and raring to go.”
The new racing series has been set up by Dorna, the Spanish-based bosses of world championship motorcycle racing, to find the next generation of twowheeled superstars.
As well as competing in the British Talent Cup, Skinner has made his debut in the Superstock 600cc class this year. Riding a 160mph Kawasaki ZX-6R provided by Kirkcaldy Kawasaki, the teenager has recorded numerous race wins, pole positions and fastest laps in British and Scottish national championship races.