Rory Skinner Takes Maiden Cadwell Win as Crashes Leave Race One in Chaos

Round eight of the 2026 British Superbike Championship got underway at Cadwell Park under bank holiday sunshine, but the opening race will be remembered for drama at Park Corner — where a series of high-profile falls handed Rory Skinner a clear run to his first victory of the season. Starting from second on the grid, the Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha rider nailed the holeshot and stayed clear of the chaos behind to claim a landmark win — his first BSB success away from his home circuit of Knockhill, and his first victory aboard Yamaha machinery after previous wins on BMW and Ducati over the last three seasons.

Lights Out: Skinner Steals the Show from Poleman Ray

Bradley Ray arrived at Cadwell Park as the undisputed master of the Lincolnshire track. The McAMS Yamaha rider had shattered the lap record in Superpole on Saturday to claim pole position, and arrived confident of a strong weekend. But when the lights went out, it was Rory Skinner who got the perfect launch, diving ahead before the first corner to snatch the lead. Ray slotted into second and immediately set about chasing his fellow Yamaha rider, looking for a way back through.

By lap four, Ray had closed the gap and threw his bike down the inside through the treacherous Park Corner section — the circuit’s tight, downhill left-hander that has caught out so many riders over the years. He ran slightly wide but managed to stay aboard, a warning shot that went unanswered. On the very next lap, Ray tried the exact same move — only this time he lost the front and slid out of the race. Worse was to follow: moments later, Storm Stacey also crashed at the same corner from fourth place, the Bathams AJN Ducati rider joining Ray in the gravel. Both were thankfully unhurt, but their races were over.

Skinner Clears Off as Ryde Stages Remarkable Recovery

With the two pre-race favourites eliminated, Rory Skinner found himself with a comfortable lead at the front. Behind him, however, the battle for second place was turning into one of the drives of the day. Kyle Ryde had started from third on the grid but slipped back to sixth early on, visibly struggling and admitting afterwards he hadn’t been feeling well all weekend. The Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions rider refused to give in however, and began a steady climb back through the order.

By lap thirteen, Ryde had hunted down former champion Leon Haslam and braved it around the outside on the run to the chequered flag to snatch second place. Try as he might, Ryde couldn’t close the gap to Skinner in the closing laps, crossing the line 2.346 seconds adrift — a remarkable recovery that secured him a solid haul of points.

Midfield Battles and Title Contenders Scramble for Points

Further down the order, the action was just as frantic. Scott Redding had endured a difficult qualifying session — lacking track time at a circuit he knows less well than most — but the Hager PBM Ducati rider picked his way through the field brilliantly. Helped in part by the retirements ahead, Redding finished fourth, limiting the damage to his championship hopes and keeping his title challenge very much alive.

Behind him, Jason O’Halloran and Lee Jackson fought tooth and nail for fifth. The Honda Racing UK rider finally found a way past on the final lap to claim fifth, leaving DAO Racing’s Jackson sixth. Max Cook had a quiet but consistent race to take seventh aboard the AJN Steelstock Bimota, while Danny Kent produced one of the rides of the day. Starting from sixteenth on the grid after failing to escape Q1, the former Moto3 champion carved his way through the field to finish eighth — and fastest of all the rookies and midfield runners.

Josh Brookes finished ninth, but was handed a two-second Long Lap equivalent penalty post-race after being judged to have caused contact that sent Glenn Irwin out of the race at Park Corner. The penalty didn’t alter his finishing position but dented his points haul. Rounding out the top ten was Ilya Mikhalchik, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad rider securing top rookie honours.

Chaos at Park Corner: Vickers and Talbot Out in Late Incident

The drama wasn’t done yet. Late in the race, Ryan Vickers — fresh from a sensational double victory at Thruxton — was on a charge and had just passed O’Halloran when he arrived at Park Corner. Trying to keep his machine upright through the turn, Vickers lost grip and slid sideways, taking rookie Joe Talbot with him. Both riders ended up in the gravel, thankfully unhurt and sharing a hug afterwards — but their race was run.

Vickers had been setting the fastest lap of the race before the crash, meaning he was due to start on pole for the Sprint race. However, race direction reviewed the incident afterwards and handed the Honda rider a licence point plus a three-place grid penalty, demoting him from pole to fourth. That means Bradley Ray — despite his Race One retirement — will be reinstated on pole for the Sprint.

Retirements and Penalties: The Full Story

Park Corner claimed victims all afternoon. Aside from Ray and Stacey, Christian Iddon pulled into the pits early with apparent mechanical issues, while Richard Kerr also retired after a difficult weekend plagued by technical problems. Returning to the championship to help bolster the MET fonaCAB team, Danny Buchan looked set to score points for much of the race but slipped back in the closing laps to finish sixteenth, just outside the top fifteen.

Cadwell Park Record Book

Bradley Ray’s dominance of the Lincolnshire circuit remains undisputed:

• Outright BSB lap record: Bradley Ray — 1:25.329s (Yamaha, Superpole, 2026)
• Pole record: Bradley Ray — 1:25.457s (Yamaha, 2022)
• Fastest race lap: Bradley Ray — 1:25.472s (Yamaha, 2025)

Images Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha, MSVR