For one glorious moment, it looked like Rory Skinner might just do it.
The roar from the Knockhill crowd as he swept into the lead was deafening, a homecoming dream unfolding on a sunlit stretch of Fife tarmac.
Perth’s own had timed it sweetly, hitting the front a third into Saturday’s Bennetts British Superbike feature race with all the poise and purpose of a rider who belongs there.
But dreams rarely go unchallenged in this sport.
Kyle Ryde, a champion with the sharpest of instincts, dove inside at McIntyres and left Skinner just enough room to stay upright but not enough to keep the lead.
That opened the floodgates.
Bradley Ray, the man who can do no wrong this season, slipped through the gap and never looked back.
Ray’s eighth consecutive victory in the 2025 championship was as polished as it was ruthless, his Raceways Yamaha carrying him to yet another winner’s trophy with the sort of calm, late-race control that makes champions look inevitable.
Ryde chased him all the way to the flag, settling for second and making it a Yamaha one-two that had the English garages grinning.
But it was Skinner’s third-place finish that stirred the soul.
He crossed the line to cheers that told the real story, a crowd thrilled by a fight, not just a finish.
His Cheshire Mouldings Ducati looked every bit a contender, and while the win slipped through his fingers, the moment was never lost.
This was his third podium of the year, but the first in front of the people who’ve followed him since he was a boy tearing up local kart tracks and dreaming of days like these.
And just behind him came a familiar name with unfinished business.
Scott Redding, back in the BSB paddock after six years away, threw his Hager PBM Ducati into the mix with a gutsy fourth that reminded everyone what he’s made of.
It was a race that had everything, noise, nerves, and just enough chaos to keep it honest.
And there’s more to come.
Knockhill opens its gates again at 7am tomorrow, Sunday 6 July, with track action rolling from 9.
The first of two Superbike feature races kicks off at 1.15pm, and the schedule is packed all the way through to 5.30.
Tickets are still up for grabs at the gate or online at knockhill.com.
But even if Rory Skinner didn’t win the race, he won the day.
