The start of the new 2015 season brings monumental opportunities for Rory in the way of Racing Steps Foundation.
Rory won the RSF’s backing to compete in the national RFME Spanish Cup and selected rounds of the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship run by MotoGP rights holder Dorna after displaying a remarkable form in his six short years of racing which has netted him no less than 12 National Junior Championship titles since 2010.
RSF founder Graham Sharp said: “Rory has shown in a short space of time that he has a winning mentality and is fully deserving of the foundation’s support. We’re delighted to welcome him into the fold.
“We believe he has both the talent and the determination to make it all the way into MotoGP and an eventual full-time professional ride. And we’ll be giving him all the support he needs to prove he’s capable of getting there.”
Rory will now join fellow Scot and Moto3 World Championship front-runner John McPhee on the RSF’s motorcycle racing roster.
This year Rory will race with the British KRP squad run by former racer turned team boss Mark Keen on KRP-Honda and FTR-KTM 250cc singles in the two lightweight-class series.
Rory said:
“This is a dream come true, my parents have invested so much to get me to the point where I can make this step up to international competition. I can’t thank them and the RSF enough.”
“I would also like to say a big thank you to everyone else who has helped and supported me up to this point.”
“Racing in Spain against some of the world’s top riders at this level will be tough. But I’m up for the challenge and hope to repay the faith the foundation is showing in me with a string of competitive rides.”
The RSF race programme gets underway next month with the opening round of the Spanish Cup at Albacete on the weekend of March 27-29. He will not start racing in the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship until October after reaching the minimum age of 14.
Rory Skinner’s 2015 RSF Moto3 race calendar
RFME Spanish Cup
Mar 27-29 Albacete (Round 1 / Race 1)
May 29-31 Jerez (Round 2 / Races 2&3)
Jun 26-28 Alcarras (Round 3 / Race 4)
Jul 24-26 Aragon (Round 4 / Races 5&6)
Oct 16-18 Navarra (Round 6 / Race 8)
Rory will miss Round 5 of the Spanish Cup due to the conflicting demands of the Red Bull Rookies Cup in which he will also compete during 2015. The seven-round series runs alongside the MotoGP rounds in Europe
FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship
Oct 02-04 Navarra (Round 6 / Race 8)
Oct 30-Nov 01 Jerez (Round 7 / Races 9&10)
Nov 13-15 Valencia (Round 8 / Races 11&12)
Rory will take part in the majority of the Junior World Championship team tests throughout the season but cannot compete in the races until he reaches the age of 14 in September.
Racing Steps Foundation background
The Racing Steps Foundation is a private, not-for-profit fund that provides and finances competition and performance development programmes for young British motorcycle racers and racing drivers.
The backing is provided for those with the exceptional talent and determination needed to climb to the top of their respective motorsports ladders but who have neither the funds nor the all-important management and mentoring needed to get there.
The Foundation, set up in 2007, aims to fast-track its proteges to the point where they can eventually turn professional.
In addition to Rory, in 2015 it will support: John McPhee (Oban, Argyll, Scotland) in the Moto3 World Championship; Jack Harvey (Bassingham, Lincolnshire) in Indy Lights in the USA; Oliver Rowland (Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire) in Formula Renault 3.5; Jake Dennis (Nuneaton, Warwickshire) in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship; Ben Barnicoat (Chesterfield, Derbyshire) in Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0; and karting graduate Josh Smith (Arnside, Cumbria) in the new MSA Formula (FIA F4).