Rory Skinner gave the Scottish home crowd something to celebrate by claiming his first Bennetts British Superbike Championship race win for the Cheshire Mouldings BMW Motorrad team, winning by 4.895s ahead of an intense battle for the top three with Christian Iddon and Tommy Bridewell separated by just 0.014s at the chequered flag.
At the start, Bridewell hit the front of the pack into turn one for the first time ahead of Skinner, Andrew Irwin and Danny Kent. However, Irwin crashed out on the opening lap, ending his hopes of a double podium prematurely.
Skinner captured the lead at the Hairpin and then he continued to try and break his rivals but behind Bridewell, Iddon and Kent were pushing for the podium, as Jason O'Halloran crashed out as he tried to carve his way up the order.
Skinner had started to edge out and advantage but Kent was the fastest rider on circuit and he soon moved ahead of Bridewell as the pair became embroiled in the fight for third. The McAMS Racing Yamaha rider was then closing on Iddon, who had run wide at the Hairpin, but Kent crashed at the Hairpin.
It gave Skinner the edge he needed over the final four laps, to take his first ever Bennetts British Superbike Championship race win, but behind Iddon had a shifting issue over the final laps which caused him to run wide at the Hairpin multiple times. Bridewell had closed on the run to the finish but the Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider held him off by just 0.014s.
Storm Stacey scored his best result with the Team LKQ Euro Car Parts Kawasaki in fourth place with Charlie Nesbitt and Fraser Rogers embroiled in a race-long battle, finishing in fifth and sixth respectively, taking their best results of the season so far.
Billy McConnell had the best result for the C&L Fairburn Properties/Look Forward Racing Honda team in seventh ahead of Glenn Irwin who finished eighth after coming from 27th on the grid on the Hager PBM Ducati.
Lee Jackson and Max Cook completed the top ten; meanwhile Leon Haslam and Peter Hickman were both forced to retire with a technical problem from the race.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race 2 result:
1. Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings BMW Motorrad)
2. Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +4.895
3. Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +4.909
4. Storm Stacey (LKQ Euro Car Parts Kawasaki +14.577
5. Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) +15.436
6. Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) +16.883
7. Billy McConnell (C&L Fairburn / Look Forward Racing Honda) +17.883
8. Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) +22.655
9. Lee Jackson (MasterMac Honda) +23.931
10. Max Cook (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) +28.925
For the full race result please click here
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
1. Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) 125
2. Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) 123
3. Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) 111
4. Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) 109
5. Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 100
6. Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) 88
7. Jason O'Halloran (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) 81
8. Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) 68
9. Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) 64
10. Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) 57
For the full standings please click here