McAMS Racing and Kent secure Sixth in Race 1 at Oulton Park
The first race day of Round 2 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park was a positive one for McAMS Racing and Danny Kent, who finished sixth in the opening race of the weekend.
Danny Kent secured more crucial championship points today, securing a strong top-six finish in the opening 18-lap encounter at Cheshire’s Oulton Park.
Having wrapped up the opening day of action in seventh, the McAMS Racing rider rolled out for Qualifying 2 and once again showed his speed in the 15-minute session. The 30-year-old from Tetbury clocked an impressive 1:33.758, securing him a second-row start for the weekend’s opening race.
Making a strong getaway from his second-row grid slot, the number 52 rider pushed on, as he gradually closed the gap to Ryan Vickers ahead.
Having caught Vickers with just a handful of laps remaining, Kent looked for a way through, and the opportunity soon arose. A late-race lunge into Shell Oils on the final lap rewarded him with the top five position, but despite his best efforts to stay ahead, he narrowly missed out on a top-five as the pair crossed the line with just 0.093s between them.
Kent’s strong top-six finish sees him hold third in the standings ahead of Monday’s two races, starting the 12-lap Sprint Race from third on the grid.
Danny Kent
Race 1: P6
6th
“I have mixed emotions about today’s race. Obviously, I expect better results than 6th place, but honestly, the team and I have worked mega this weekend. As I’ve said before, Oulton Park is a difficult circuit for me, but with the work the team has done, they’ve made it a lot better for me. I learnt a lot during the race and I’ll try to make some improvements for tomorrow. We start from the front row for the sprint race, so we’ve put ourselves in a good position to have a positive race.”
Tim Martin
Team Owner
“Race 1 was a really good race for us. A top-six result was always the plan. It feels great to be competitive and to know that we have the pace to fight towards the front of the field. Hopefully tomorrow, we’ll be able to make some more improvements and aim to secure a better result. A big thanks to the team for the exceptional work throughout the day. We’re all feeling positive as we move into tomorrow.”
Race 1 Results
| Pos | Rider | Team | Bike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glenn Irwin | Hager PBM Ducati | Ducati |
| 2 | Christian Iddon | Oxford Products Racing Ducati | Ducati |
| 3 | Kyle Ryde | OMG GRILLA Yamaha | Yamaha |
| 4 | Tommy Bridewell | Honda Racing UK | Honda |
| 5 | Ryan Vickers | OMG GRILLA Yamaha | Yamaha |
| 6 | Danny Kent | McAMS Racing Yamaha | Yamaha |
| 7 | Jason O'Halloran | Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki | Kawasaki |
| 8 | Rory Skinner | FS-3 Racing Kawasaki | Kawasaki |
| 9 | Josh Brookes | FHO Racing BMW Motorrad | BMW |
| 10 | Leon Haslam | ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad | BMW |