McAMS Racing and Danny Kent close in on the British Superbikes Championship lead

The second day of action at Knockhill saw McAMS Racing and Danny Kent retain their position of runners-up in the championship, bagging a front-row start for tomorrow and finishing seventh in the weekend’s opening race.

A positive day on track saw the Yamaha R1-powered team narrow the gap on series leader, Glenn Irwin. At the close of play, Kent sits just four points behind the top spot in the overall championship standings.

As forecasted, the rain disturbed play ahead of today’s 30-lap race. However, despite a heavy downpour, the show went on at a delayed time of 16.50, with a reduced number of 25 laps.

Having secured seventh place in Qualifying 2 earlier in the day, Kent set off for Race 1 from the third row on the grid. A handful of difficult opening laps saw him drop down to 12^th in the order.

As the race progressed, several incidents up the road played into the hands of Kent aboard the Yamaha R1, allowing him to climb several positions up the field and resume his position amongst the top ten.

Demonstrating progressive race pace within the final few laps, the man from Tetbury poached several more positions to bring the No.52 machine across the line in seventh, 11 seconds behind the race winner.

A further duo of races awaits the team tomorrow, where they hope to build on the productive steps from today and maintain their presence at the top of the championship table.

Danny Kent
Race 1 – P7
Championship Standings – P2

“We had a difficult race today; the weather didn’t help us at all and we made a few changes on the grid which unfortunately pushed us in the wrong direction. It was a race of damage limitation, but we can take away the positive of narrowing the gap at the front of the standings. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s races, I know we have the potential to fight further up the order, so let’s see what we can do from third on the grid.”

Chris Anderson
Crew Chief

“Today has been a positive day for us. We’re impressed with how Danny performed on track and it’s great to have taken some points out of the gap at the front of the championship standings. Despite qualifying on the third row earlier in the day, Danny showed some great consistency in lap times and was able to show that in the race. Heading into tomorrow, we’re feeling confident that we’ll be able to mix things up at the front. Starting amongst the top 3 will play in our favour in tomorrow’s first race. We’re excited to see what we can do with an added advantage.”

Danny finishes on the podium in P3 in Race Three

The final day of action at Scotland’s Knockhill circuit provided a mix of sensations for the McAMS Racing and Danny Kent, ending with a well-deserved podium finish in the final race of a wet weekend and maintaining a spot in the top three of the championship.

The family-run team stumbled upon a spate of back luck in the day’s first of two races. Having started from the front row on the grid, Kent made steady progress to find himself on the tail of a career-first Bennetts British Superbike Championship win.

In some of the most challenging conditions of the weekend and hot on the heels of second-place sitter, Christian Iddon, Kent made a small mistake at Taylor’s Hairpin, leading him to his first crash of the 2024 season.

Despite the early end to his race, Kent completed the fastest lap aboard the Yamaha R1, also proving faster than the rest within every sector of the 1.2-mile circuit.

Starting from pole position, the final race of the weekend marked an opportunity for redemption for Kent aboard the Yamaha R1.

A holeshot from the line saw him lead into the first corner, before being pushed wide to lose several places due to an attempt on the lead.

The man from Tetbury slotted into fifth, before making progress into fourth at half-race distance. He went on to enter the podium positions on lap 20, before a red flag incident brought an early end to the final race of the Knockhill weekend.

Heading towards Snetterton in a few weeks, Kent sits third in the overall championship standings, just 16 points shy of the top spot.

It’s two weekends off to reset and recoup for the McAMS Racing team, before a weekend at the Norwich-based venue provides another chance to stay within the leading mix.

Danny Kent
Race 2 – DNF
Race 3 – P3

“I’m a bit annoyed after the crash in Race 2, but glad I managed to turn it around with another visit to the podium in Race 3. Race 2 was tricky conditions and In the moment I should’ve thought a bit more about the championship, but these things happen! It was great to end the weekend with a podium, the team worked really hard and the Yamaha was working really well around Knockhill. Now we’re fully focussed on Snetterton, a track I enjoy and I’m looking forward to getting there and continuing the momentum.”

Tim Martin
Team Owner

“Knockhill done and dusted and it was the wettest I can remember in a long, long time! We had a mixed weekend. Unfortunately, Danny had his first DNF of the season whilst fighting for the podium positions, but he showed there’s a bit of fight in the dog and we’re really pleased with that. Danny started the last race from pole, got the holeshot but got passed at turn 3. He recovered well and settled down in a scrap and took third at the red flag. We’re leaving Scotland still second in the Championship and top Yamaha. Thanks to all the team for their hard work in tricky conditions!”