The opening race of the seventh round in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship ended in devastation for McAMS Racing and Danny Kent, who took an unfortunate DNF despite showing competitive form throughout the race.

Engulfed in a dramatic battle for the lead, Kent’s Yamaha R1 was tagged by a crash from behind on the final lap, forcing him wide and leading to an unfortunate mechanical issue.

Earlier in the weekend, McAMS Racing and Kent enjoyed a productive Friday on track to finish as the fastest overall during the opening day at Thruxton.

After Saturday’s announcement that McAMS Racing and Kent would retain their relationship for 2025, the team headed out on track for a brief Free Practice 3 session, demonstrating their proficiency around the 2.3-mile circuit to finish at the top yet again.

Sealing their spot in Qualifying 2 during a successful campaign on Friday, Kent hit the track at 13:52 with the focus on punching in a competitive lap time, worthy of a front-row start.

The 15-minute session ended with Kent securing a second-row start of fifth, while also demonstrating a competitive pace around the circuit.

With the race tactic of preserving tyre life in the opening stages, Kent made a steady start and slipped down to tenth by half race distance.

As the stint progressed, the rider from Tetbury made swift progress to appear at the front, entering the podium positions on the penultimate lap of the race.

A jaw-dropping final lap saw a host of overtakes at the front, with Kent remaining very much in the mix.

As the leading pack approached the final chicane, a crash from behind tagged Kent and forced him wide. An unfortunate mechanical issue followed the collision, which prevented the No.52 machine from crossing the line.

Despite another dose of unfortunate luck, the team remain in an optimistic spirit thanks to the competitive race pace throughout the final few laps.

The fight will continue into tomorrow, where the family-run outfit aims to appear at the front yet again, stirring things up in the podium positions.

With the team going from eighth on the grid in Race 2 tomorrow, Kent will have his work cut out from him from lights out.

As Saturday comes to a close, it’s all eyes towards the final day of action, where two further opportunities await.