Rory Skinner and Ryan Vickers Share the Glory at Cadwell Park as BSB Championship Battle Intensifies
Cadwell Park delivered another action-packed weekend of racing as the ZYN British Superbike Championship reached Round Eight, with Rory Skinner and Ryan Vickers sharing the race victories while championship leader Kyle Ryde extended his advantage at the top of the standings.
Bradley Ray arrived at the Lincolnshire circuit with plenty of confidence and initially looked set to continue his strong form after topping the timesheets in the Omologato Superpole session. However, the weekend would ultimately prove to be one of mixed fortunes for the McAMS Yamaha rider.
Ray Takes Pole Position
Ray was the final rider to take to the track in Omologato Superpole after topping the combined Free Practice times, and he delivered when it mattered most.
The McAMS Yamaha rider set a blistering 1:25.361 to claim pole position by 0.396 seconds from Rory Skinner, with Kyle Ryde completing the front row.
Skinner had been the rider to beat for much of the session, initially heading the times before Ryde moved into second. Ray then produced the decisive lap to secure pole for the opening race.
Storm Stacey headed the second row alongside Leon Haslam and Joe Talbot, while Ryan Vickers and Christian Iddon completed the third row. Max Cook qualified ninth, with Scott Redding rounding out the top ten.
Jason O’Halloran, Lee Jackson, Glenn Irwin, Ilya Mikhalchik and Josh Brookes completed the 15-rider Superpole field.
Skinner Claims Maiden BSB Win of the Season
Rory Skinner converted his strong qualifying performance into a memorable victory in Race One, securing his first ZYN British Superbike Championship win of the season for Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha.
Skinner made a perfect start into Coppice, with Ray slotting into second and Stacey initially holding third. Kyle Ryde, meanwhile, dropped outside the top five.
The race quickly became hectic. Ryan Vickers was pushing hard to recover positions but ran wide at Park on the second lap, dropping down the order to 11th.
At the front, Skinner and Ray were locked together, with Ray attempting a move for the lead at Park on lap four. The Yamaha rider couldn’t make the move stick, while Haslam moved into third ahead of Stacey.
Then came a dramatic turning point.
Ray made another attempt to pass Skinner at Park on the following lap, but the McAMS Yamaha became unsettled under braking and he was unable to save the bike, crashing out of second place. Stacey also crashed moments later in a separate incident.
With the two riders out of contention, Skinner was able to build a gap at the front.
Haslam and Ryde battled fiercely for second, with Ryde eventually making his move on lap ten. The reigning champion then had to defend hard from Haslam all the way to the flag.
Scott Redding produced a determined ride to recover to fourth, ahead of Jason O’Halloran and Lee Jackson. Max Cook finished seventh on his return to action, followed by Danny Kent, Josh Brookes and Ilya Mikhalchik.
Skinner took the chequered flag 2.346 seconds clear of Ryde, with Haslam a further 0.891 seconds back in third.
ZYN British Superbike Championship – Race One
- Rory Skinner – Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha
- Kyle Ryde – Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Racing +2.346s
- Leon Haslam – Moto Rapido Racing +3.237s
- Scott Redding – Hager PBM Ducati +7.257s
- Jason O’Halloran – Honda Racing UK +9.171s
Vickers Bounces Back
After crashing out of Race One, Ryan Vickers responded in perfect fashion in Race Two, taking victory for Honda Racing UK at the team’s home round.
Vickers made a superb start and immediately hit the front, with Skinner, Ray and Ryde following closely.
Skinner’s impressive weekend took another twist on lap five when he crashed out at Charlies, leaving Vickers and Ray to battle for victory.
Ray applied constant pressure to the Honda rider, but Vickers held firm and crossed the line just 0.282 seconds ahead of the McAMS Yamaha.
Ryde completed the podium in third, while Haslam took fourth.
Joe Talbot produced one of his strongest performances of the season to finish fifth and secure his first top-five result of his rookie BSB campaign with AJN Steelstock bimota.
O’Halloran, Max Cook, Lee Jackson, Scott Redding and Danny Kent completed the top ten.
The result moved Ryde’s championship tally to 378 points, while Redding remained second on 320. Ray moved to 273 points in third, with Haslam on 249 and Vickers climbing to 217.
Vickers Makes It a Double
Vickers then completed a memorable home-round double by winning Race Three, once again holding off Bradley Ray in a thrilling finish.
The Honda Racing UK rider launched perfectly and took the lead, but Ray immediately attacked and moved into second at Park.
Rory Skinner was back into podium contention by lap four, but his hopes of another strong finish disappeared when he crashed at the Chicane.
Ray then closed in on Vickers and spent the remainder of the race searching for an opportunity. Despite applying relentless pressure, however, the McAMS Yamaha rider couldn’t find a way past.
Vickers held his nerve to take his third victory of the season by just 0.176 seconds.
Ryde finished third to claim the Pirelli King of the Mountain trophy, while Joe Talbot delivered another impressive ride to finish fourth.
Haslam completed the top five ahead of O’Halloran, Christian Iddon, Max Cook, Storm Stacey and Ilya Mikhalchik.
Ryde now leads the championship on 392 points, with Redding second on 321. Ray sits third on 289, followed by Haslam on 260 and Vickers on 235.
Stapleford Strengthens Supersport Championship Lead
Luke Stapleford enjoyed another hugely successful weekend in the Quattro Group British Supersport Championship, extending his championship advantage over Jack Kennedy.
Stapleford began the weekend by winning the Sprint race after a dramatic 12 laps.
Although he started from pole, Harry Truelove made a sensational start and moved ahead of Stapleford on the opening lap, while Kennedy also passed his championship rival.
Stapleford eventually regained the lead on lap four before Kennedy made contact with Truelove’s rear wheel and dropped several positions.
Kennedy fought back, but Stapleford had already begun to establish a gap at the front.
The Ducati rider eventually took victory by 1.478 seconds from Kennedy, while Truelove narrowly held off Dean Harrison for third by just 0.081 seconds.
Lucas Brown completed the top five.
Stapleford then went on to win the shortened Feature race after heavy rain forced a stoppage on lap two.
Despite starting from pole, Stapleford was shuffled down to sixth at the restart as Oliver Barr took the lead, with Kennedy moving into second.
Stapleford then began carving his way through the field.
He moved to fourth on lap three, third on lap four and second on lap five before passing Kennedy on lap six to take the lead.
From there, the championship leader controlled the race to take his seventh victory of the season, finishing 3.402 seconds ahead of Kennedy.
Oliver Barr completed the podium, with Dean Harrison fourth and Lucas Brown fifth.
Stapleford now leads Kennedy by 61 points with three rounds remaining.
Carl Harris Takes Maiden Sportbike Victory
There was also plenty of drama in the Pirelli British Sportbike Championship, where Carl Harris claimed his maiden victory at Cadwell Park.
The race was held over 12 laps, with damp patches remaining around parts of the circuit following an earlier shower.
Pole-sitter Zak Shelton was beaten away from the line by Cameron Dawson, while Harris settled into third.
Harris quickly moved past Shelton and then took the lead as the riders reached the damper section of the circuit.
The lead changed hands several times, with Shelton, Richard Cooper and Harris all taking turns at the front.
As the final lap began, Shelton led, but Harris quickly fought back into first place. Asher Durham then made a bold move to move into second before Harris crossed the line 0.466 seconds clear.
Cooper completed the podium, ahead of Shelton and championship leader Alfie Davidson.
Davidson continues to lead the championship with 244 points, with Durham on 232.
Allingham Extends Superstock Advantage
David Allingham also strengthened his championship position in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship with victory in Race Two.
The SMS/Nicholl Oils BMW rider made a superb start from the second row and quickly moved into second behind polesitter Scott Swann.
Allingham took the lead on lap three and remained at the front despite rain appearing on lap five.
Luke Mossey eventually moved into second, while Billy McConnell battled with Swann for third.
The rain flags were eventually withdrawn, but the final lap brought another twist as the leading group closed back together behind a backmarker.
Allingham negotiated the traffic successfully and held on to claim his eighth victory of the season, beating Mossey by just 0.166 seconds.
McConnell finished third, ahead of Swann and Josh Owens.
Allingham now leads the championship with 282 points, 42 clear of Mossey.
Whitney Motorsport Racing Faces a Mixed Weekend
It was also a challenging but positive weekend for Whitney Motorsport Racing, with the team flying the South African flag at Cadwell Park.
South African youngster Aaron Robinson competed in the Pirelli British Sportbike Championship aboard the Whitney Racing Triumph.
Robinson finished 22nd in FP1, 23rd in FP2 and 21st in Q1, missing out on Q2 by just 0.3 seconds.
Race One proved particularly difficult with damp conditions lingering beneath the trees at the back of the circuit. Aaron dropped back to 28th but fought his way through the field to finish 24th at the chequered flag.
It was a determined ride from the young South African, who continued to show good pace throughout the weekend.
In the Pirelli National Superstock Championship, South African rider Blaze Baker started Race Two from 15th after a strong 11th-place finish in Race One.
Unfortunately, his race ended through no fault of his own.
On the opening lap, two riders ahead made contact and crashed, with one rider coming directly across the circuit in front of Blaze. He was forced to roll off and brake heavily to avoid the incident, but was then hit from behind by another rider.
The impact damaged his rim and punctured the wheel and tyre, forcing him into retirement.
British teammate Max Lofthouse was also running inside the points before suffering a mechanical issue with his gear lever, bringing his race to an unfortunate end.
Despite the double DNF, the Whitney Motorsport Racing riders showed encouraging pace and determination throughout the weekend.
Championship Picture
With Round Eight now complete, Kyle Ryde remains firmly in control of the ZYN British Superbike Championship standings on 392 points.
Scott Redding holds second on 321, while Bradley Ray is third on 289. Leon Haslam sits fourth on 260, with Ryan Vickers moving to fifth on 235.
Rory Skinner remains seventh on 191 points, despite his Race One victory and subsequent crash in Race Two.
With the championship battle continuing to intensify, the riders now turn their attention to the next round as the race for the 2026 title enters its crucial stages.
For Whitney Motorsport Racing, the focus will be on carrying the positive pace shown at Cadwell Park into the next round, with Aaron Robinson, Blaze Baker and Max Lofthouse all looking to build on their performances and fight for stronger results.