BSB Knockhill – Round 4

BSB Knockhill is renowned for its ability to showcase all four weather seasons in a single race, and this weekend was no exception. Our photographer, Scott Grant, visited the iconic Scottish race track to capture the British Superbikes in action during the Friday practice session of the 2025 Championship. 

The run-up to BSB Knockhill was marked by the unfortunate news that Glenn Irwin would be unable to ride. The PBM Ducati riders had crashed out at the previous round, sustaining injuries that will keep him out of racing for an extended period. The speculation surrounding his replacement intensified, and we were fortunate enough to receive an announcement soon after.

Scott Redding, a seasoned racer with the MGM Bonovo Racing team in World Superbikes, emerged as the potential replacement. Rumours suggest that Bonovo may be facing financial difficulties, raising questions about whether this is an opportunity for Scott to demonstrate his competitive prowess in BSB and potentially make a triumphant return.

Redding’s temporary move to PBM aboard the Ducati isn’t a huge leap. He won his only BSB Championship in 2019 with PBM, and the MGM Bonovo team has been running a Ducati similar to the PBM bike in WSBK. The bikes look similar, but the electronic packages in WSBK are very different to BSB.

Redding would need to adapt quickly to the different riding characteristics. Attacking the track in perfect conditions would help the team gather data. However, it’s Knockhill, so as the rest of the UK was enjoying soaking up the sunshine, Knockhill was just soaking wet. Scott Redding lined up sixth on the grid for race one after the challenging qualifying session.

BSB Knockhill Race 1

BSB Knockhill Race 1 was all about Bradley Ray again. Kyle Ryde took the lead from P2 on the grid, and a short battle ensued between Ray and Rory Skinner. Knockhill is Skinner’s home round, so he wanted to give the Scottish fans something to cheer about. Taking the lead on lap 11 of the 30-lap race, the crowd was loving it. Ray watched Ryde and Skinner, then made his move on Ryde as he ran wide at the hairpin.

Two laps later, he made a forceful move up the inside of Skinner and took the lead. That was that; Ray disappeared, demonstrating his dominance this season on the Raceways Yamaha to take the checked flag. Ryde finished second, Skinner third, and Scott Redding a very impressive fourth.

BSB Knockhill Race 1 result:

1. Bradley Ray Raceways Yamaha
2. Kyle Ryde OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha
3. Rory Skinner Cheshire Mouldings Ducati

BSB Knockhill Race 2

Bradley Ray continued his unstoppable run in race 2. Despite the persistent rain, Ray secured his eighth consecutive win, a feat unmatched since six-time BSB Champion Shane “Shakey” Byrne. 

Second, going one better than race 1 Rory Skinners 4th podium of the session and the 20th time he has sprayed the bubbly kept the home crowd happy. Tommy Bridewell #46 took third making it 109 podiums for the Honda UK rider.

#52 Danny Kent was gaining on Bridewell in the last few laps finally coming in fourth. One more lap and Kent would have been challenging for the podium but it was not to be.

BSB Knockhill Race 2 result:

1. Bradley Ray Raceways Yamaha
2. Rory Skinner Cheshire Mouldings Ducati
3. Tommy Bridewell Honda U.K. 

BSB Knockhill Race 3

The race was plagued by two red flags: one due to the weather and the other due to a racing incident. Kyle Ryde was still in the pits getting a new front tyre when the riders assumed for the third restart. It’s unclear what the team was doing, but starting from the back of the grid when defending your title is not the best plan.

One person who had a plan was Rory Skinner. It was a simple one, get your head down and go for it. Third in the first race, second in race two and a win in the final race at your home round is a decent result. Playing Flower of Scotland when Skinner received his winners trophy was pure class from the Knockhill circuit team. With the crowd singing on it will be a great memory for Skinner and give him the confidence to take the fight to Ray who was second. 

In the extremely wet conditions, #89 Fraser Rodgers battled alongside #30 Cook and #21 Iddon to secure the final podium spot. This was Rodgers’ first time standing on any of the three BSB trophy-winning steps. The significance of this moment was evident in the emotions of Rodgers, the TAG team, and the fans. This podium result is sure to be one of the most popular in years.

BSB Knockhill Race 3 result:

1. Rory Skinner Cheshire Mouldings Ducati
2. Bradley Ray Raceways Yamaha
3. Fraser Rodgers TAG Honda

Skinner has emerged as the main contender to challenge Ray’s dominance. Considering his recent form, he will undoubtedly bring the fight to Ray at the upcoming round. While it’s challenging to predict the outcome, British Superbikes is known for its unpredictability, so anything can happen. The PistonClick team will be present at the next round at Brands Hatch.

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All of our previous British Superbike reports from 2018 – 2025 can be found here.