Danny Kent claimed his first British Superbike (BSB) win at Brands Hatch, and can now finish third in the Championship.
After 100 British Superbike races, Danny Kent has claimed his maiden victory in the Championship. The former Moto3 World Champion joined the McAMS Yamaha in 2024 and has had a breakthrough season with the team.
Kent left it until the last lap but managed to win his first race of the season. The opening race at Brands Hatch was not easy due to the difficult weather conditions. But Kent mastered the conditions on his Yamaha R1 and dominated the field.
"It feels amazing, I have waited all year to get this first win," Kent said after Race One at Brands Hatch. "It felt like a long race in those conditions I felt really good on the bike, the team gave me a mega bike.
"Towards the end, I saw on my pit board that Ryan (Vickers) was catching me a bit, and I felt my rear tyre dropping off. I thought 'I am in my best position to get my first win' so I knuckled down for a few laps. Then I saw on my pit board that I got it (the gap to Vickers) back over a second.
"I am over the moon to get my first BSB win. It would have been a long old winter with seven months off if I didn't get my first win. We have been saying since round one that I have the pace to win a race. So, I am over the moon to have one and I am really pleased for the team as well."
Kent's race win has solidified his fourth place in the BSB Championship standings. However, a crash for his rival Glenn Irwin means that Kent has halved his gap to third place. With two races to go in the 2024 season Kent could end up finishing the 2024 season in third place.
"Coming into the weekend, I am a realist and 62 points is a big ask," Kent said when asked about his gap to Irwin. "I have just got my first win which is 35 points and Glenn (Irwin) had an unfortunate crash so it is down to 27 points now. Again, 27 points in two races is a big ask but it is not over until it is over."
