Rory Skinner takes first win of the season at Cadwell Park in BSB race 1

Rory Skinner made a return to the top step of the podium at Cadwell Park for just the third time in BSB, and the first away from his home track at Knockhill.

The Cheshire Mouldings rider had set the second best Superpole lap, but quickly leapfrogged polesitter Bradley Ray, with a great start and the holeshot to lead at turn one, as Skinner explained, speaking to British Superbikes after the race for their podium reactions interview:

“I actually didn’t expect to get off the line for a start as well as what I did, so to have made a good jump off the line, holeshot it, I was quite happy.

I’m always happy leading the race. I said that at Thruxton, you know, I feel like I can set a reasonable pace at the front. I do a lot of my laps over the weekend on my own. So yeah, I got my head down."

Unlike at Thruxton, where he could not find a way to stay ahead, Skinner looked to have the pace to compete with fellow Yamaha rider Ray, and that made the pass on him difficult. The McAMS rider did not heed the warning when he did not make the move stick on lap four, so a second look at the same turn at Park on lap five ended in a crash for Ray, and a lead for Skinner:

“Brad had a look at me, got back past him, the second time he had a look at me, just overcooked it a little bit and went down.

Came back around, Dad had the pit board out - plus 1.5 - and I thought ‘right okay, didn’t realise we’re at that’ the pace didn’t seem too fast, but then, when I saw that I was like, ‘okay, just need to keep this going’.

Watched the gap grow and grow, kind of relaxed a little bit with maybe seven laps to go and when I saw the gap come down in think about 0.8 in one of the laps I was ‘ right, I need to get myself going again’ and make sure that I keep this gap."

It was now Kyle Ryde in behind trying to make a dent in Skinner’s lead, to which the Scottish rider reacted, at the same time that the effects of being ill came into play for the championship leader, all contributing to Skinner staying ahead and picking up just his third BSB win.

For the number 11 it was his first victory on Yamaha machinery, with his previous wins coming on a BMW and Ducati, as the versatile rider again managed a change of machinery for 2026, with Skinner adding how hard he has worked with the Cheshire Mouldings team and his crew chief to be competitive on any machinery and whatever changes the championship throws at him, finishing the interview by adding:

“Kyle was definitely putting up a good fight towards the end there, but managed to hold it. Really happy, boys did an excellent job, as you said that’s the third different manufacturer in three years I’ve been on, me and Stuart Shenton, my crew chief, have worked really hard to make sure that over these last three years we’ve made the best of what we’ve had, and I think it’s fair to say we’ve done just that”.