R11
Brands Hatch
England
11 - 13 Oct
2024
McAMS Racing and Danny Kent narrowly missed out on a podium finish in a strong final day at Oulton Park, rounding the weekend out with two fourth-place finishes to leave the Cheshire circuit as the highest scoring Yamaha rider in the field.
The team had predicted Oulton Park would pose some challenges as history shows it’s not been the strongest venue for neither Kent nor the R1 in recent years, so to miss out on two rostrum finishes by a narrow margin, marks a successful weekend.
Kent took to the grid as the highest-placed Yamaha rider ahead of Monday’s Sprint Race, starting from the front row in third. A strong opening few laps saw the 2015 Moto3 World Champion settle into his rhythm in fourth, making many attempts to enter the top three as the race progressed.
Despite his best efforts, Kent was unable to find a way through and eventually crossed the line in fourth, earning himself a further 12 points for the championship.
With the goal of a podium finish in mind ahead of the final race of the weekend, Kent started from the middle of the second row, yet again, making a positive start from lights out.
The Yamaha R1 rider remained latched onto the leading duo in third for almost the entirety of the 18-lap race, asserting his presence and appearing as a true podium contender.
While a shuffle of positions unfolded amongst the leading pack, fellow R1 rider, Ryan Vickers edged closer to the front. Having managed to attach himself to the back of the group with just a couple of laps remaining, the OMG GRILLA Yamaha rider made a last-lap attack on third to push Danny out of the podium positions.
While disappointed to have missed out on a podium finish, both McAMS Racing and Kent can move towards the next round of the season at Donington Park with a positive feeling, carrying the momentum forward to a track more suited to both Kent and the R1 superbike.
Kent and the team sit fourth in the championship standings after two rounds, just three points away from third. With Round 3 of the championship just two weeks away at Donington Park, it’s all eyes forward onto what the team hope to be a strong weekend in Yamaha territory.