BSB Knockhill R2 Results | Buchan scores first BMW win since 2017, Skinner stars

BMW is celebrating its first victory in the British Superbike Championship since 2017 after Danny Buchan converted pole position for Synetiq (TAS) Racing in Race 2 at Knockhill.

The 28-year old - who scored his career first win around the Scottish venue two years ago - was on the podium in race one, but after a second crack from pole position was able to convert it in a success that ends BMW’s four-year victory drought.

The German marque has been a mainstay in the series since the first generation S 1000 RR was introduced in 2010 but has achieved only modest success since, with its closest title challenge coming in 2016 with Ryuichi Kiyonari. Also TAS Racing’s first win since 2016 (Michael Laverty, Thruxton) when it competed at Tyco Racing, it’s also the first win for the newly-introduced M 1000 RR.

Buchan’s win from pole came despite a tardy getaway that allowed Race 1 winner Christian Iddon into the lead, with Peter Hickman looking the stronger BMW prospect initially when he passed Buchan for second on lap six, the FHO Racing rider tailed through by the impressive Rory Skinner on the Kawasaki ZX-10RR.

Despite dropping to fourth, Buchan quickly regrouped and began recovering ground, first getting the better of Skinner before inheriting second from Hickman when the experienced racer ran wide at Scotsman.

Getting onto the tail of Iddon’s Ducati, Buchan planted his pass at the last corner chicane with a textbook block pass before resisting on the run down to Turn 1.

From here he wasn’t challenged again with Iddon instead fading into the fight for second place, Buchan pulling clear to win by just over a second. It’s his third win at Knockhill after notching up a pair of successes - his first - in 2019.

Behind him, teenager Skinner delivered a marvellous performance on home soil in only his fifth BSB race with some confident and aggressive overtakes that belie his experience, proving why he is considered one of the UK”s hottest prospects for the future.

Fellow Scotsman Tarran Mackenzie snatched third from Iddon on the final lap - the third time the VisionTrack Ducati rider has been caught out on the last revolution in five races. However, the Briton is now the new championship leader after Jason O’Halloran crashed out while running seventh.

Tommy Bridewell launched a stealthy fight back up the order to finish fifth, ahead of another youngster on a Kawasak, Ryan Vickers, while Hickman - after his moment on lap 11 that dropped him out of podium contention - survived a potentially vicious accident when he ran off at Duffers Dip and bounced across the grass, broke through an advertising hoarding but managed to stay upright for seventh.

Lee Jackson was a solid eighth ahead of Bradley Ray on the OMG BMW and Gino Rea, who ran fifth early on before fading to tenth on the Buildbase Suzuki.

Elsewhere, pre-season title favourites Glenn Irwin and Josh Brookes were down in 11th and 12th, with Dan Linfoot, Andrew Irwin and Kyle Ryde rounding out the points’ paying positions.

2021 British Superbike Championship (BSB) RACE 2 RESULTS | Knockhill | Round 2 / 11