Rory Skinner


Rory Skinner is a British motorcycle racer from Perth, Scotland, competing in the 2024 British Superbike Championship with TAS Racing. He is best known for winning the 2020 British Supersport Championship. Skinner had a broken 2024 season, suffering crash injuries in May and again in July.
Skinner was the inaugural champion of the British Talent Cup, a motorcycle racing series for young riders. He is a former race winner in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, as well as the 2014 Dunlop Aprilia Superteens Champion and a multiple mini-moto champion.
After the 2019 season in British Supersport on a Kawasaki, for 2020, Skinner moved to Appleyard Yamaha racing. Skinner dominated the 2020 British Supersport Championship, winning the first six races, and was crowned champion after his eighth victory of the season.
For 2021 and 2022, Skinner moved into the British Superbike Championship. He missed the last two 2022 rounds due to a hand injury sustained when he crashed into the back of another rider in late September.
For 2023, Skinner was contracted to race in the Moto2 world championship with American Racing Team, but had a disappointing season, only scoring points once in the 17 races he participated in that season. Skinner is managed by former MotoGP rider John Hopkins, and has also worked as a motorcycle mechanic prior to his racing career.

Career

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

On 17 October 2014, the then 13-year-old Skinner was selected as the only British rider to compete in the 2015 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, following the selection event at the Guadix circuit in Spain.
Skinner ended his debut season in the championship in 10th position, with his best results coming at the final round in Aragon, Spain. On the weekend of his 14th birthday, Skinner qualified on pole position and took third place in each of the two races. It was also confirmed that he would continue in the championship in 2016.
Despite missing the first round of the 2016 championship through injury, Skinner moved up to sixth in the overall standings - scoring third place podium finishes at Assen and Aragon.
Skinner took his first and only Rookies win in the opening race of the 2017 season at Jerez. It was his only podium finish of the season and he slipped back to 12th in the final standings.
At the end of 2017, it was confirmed that Skinner was leaving the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, having competed in the maximum three seasons allowed under the rules.

FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship

As well as competing in the Red Bull Rookies MotoGP Cup, Skinner raced in the FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship for the KRP team, as part of the Racing Steps Foundation programme.
Riding a KTM motorcycle, Skinner scored a best result of fifth and finished 13th in the 2017 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship.

British Talent Cup

With his time in the Red Bull Rookies complete and Racing Steps Foundation closing its doors, Skinner found himself without a ride for 2018. He was handed a lifeline when Dorna offered him a place in the inaugural British Talent Cup, despite him not having officially applied to join the series. Skinner was fastest in the pre-season test at the Valencia circuit in Spain, and took his first win at the second round in Donington Park.
On 17 November 2018 Skinner became the inaugural British Talent Cup champion at the Valencia circuit in Spain.

British Supersport Championship

For 2019, British Superbike Championship veteran Chris Walker provided Skinner with a Kawasaki ZX-6R for his privateer campaign. In a team run by his father Mike, the 18-year-old finished the season seventh overall, making him the top ranked rookie and best placed Kawasaki rider. His best result was a third place at Donington Park.
For 2020, Skinner was signed by former Grand Prix racer Robin Appleyard to ride a Yamaha R6, and he dominated the championship. He won the first six races in a row, and secured the championship with two races to spare at Donington Park on 4 October 2020, becoming the series' youngest ever champion at 19 years and seven days old.

British Superbike Championship

On 28 November 2020, it was announced that Skinner would move up to the British Superbike Championship in 2021, riding for the FS-3 Kawasaki team. In July, Skinner recorded his first podium finishes when twice finishing runner-up at Knockhill.
In 2022 season, Skinner was the third rider to qualify for the end of season 'Showdown' and, at 20 years old, the youngest Title Fighter in the championship's history. He was unable to challenge for the title due to injuries and missed the last two rounds with a broken hand sustained when he crashed into the back of another rider at Oulton Park.
Following Moto2 in 2023, for 2024 Skinner joined with TAS Racing having an unproductive, broken season, suffering crash injuries in May and again, more seriously, in July. Despite this, he took his first win in BSB, at Knockhill in June and for 2025 he signed to remain with TAS Racing, but switching from BMW to Ducati.

Moto2 World Championship

2022

In 2022, Skinner had two wildcard rides in the Moto2 world championship, organised by John Hopkins with his American Racing team.

American Racing Team (2023)

In October 2022, Skinner signed to race in the Moto2 world championship for the American Racing team during 2023 and 2024. In late 2023, his contract was terminated with Marcos Ramírez announced as replacement rider.

Career statistics

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Races by year

Year12345678910111213PosPts
2015JER1
17
JER2
17
ASS1
15
ASS2
14
SAC1
18
SAC2
11
BRN1
Ret
BRN2
14
SIL1
10
SIL2
4
MIS
16
ARA1
3
ARA2
3
10th61
2016JER1
JER2
ASS1
Ret
ASS2
3
SAC1
9
SAC2
7
RBR1
8
RBR2
9
BRN1
7
BRN2
4
MIS
6
ARA1
3
ARA2
8
6th103
2017JER1
1
JER2
Ret
ASS1
5
ASS2
9
SAC1
17
SAC2
15
BRN1
12
BRN2
Ret
RBR1
Ret
RBR2
9
MIS
13
ARA1
9
ARA2
7
12th74

FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship

Races by year

YearBike123456789101112PosPts
2015FTR KTMALG
LMS
CAT1
CAT2
ARA1
ARA2
ALB
NAV
Ret
JER1
15
JER2
12
VAL1
7
VAL2
5
19th25
2016FTR KTMVAL1
Ret
VAL2
Ret
LMS
ARA
28
CAT1
15
CAT2
DNS
ALB
19
ALG
Ret
JER1
Ret
JER2
DNS
VAL1
27
VAL2
9
28th8
2017KTMALB
9
LMS
10
CAT1
15
CAT2
5
VAL1
Ret
VAL2
17
EST
JER1
18
JER1
5
ARA
16
VAL1
14
VAL2
13
13th41

British Supersport Championship

Races by year

** Season limited to 12 races because of COVID-19 pandemic.

British Superbike Championship

* Season still in progress.

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

YearClassBike1234567891011121314151617181920PosPts
Moto2KalexQAT
INA
ARG
AME
POR
SPA
FRA
ITA
CAT
GER
NED
GBR
21
AUT
21
RSM
ARA
JPN
THA
AUS
MAL
VAL
39th0
Moto2KalexPOR
22
ARG
Ret
AME
19
SPA
24
FRA
Ret
ITA
DNS
GERNEDGBR
Ret
AUT
18
CAT
23
RSM
Ret
IND
20
JPN
25
INA
19
AUS
12
THA
20
MAL
20
QAT
24
VAL
21
28th2

Half points awarded as less than half of the race distance was completed.

Season still in progress.