Danny Kent
| Danny Kent | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Kent at the 2015 Catalan Grand Prix. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |
 British | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
25 November 1993 Chippenham, Wiltshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | dannykent52.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Danny Kent (born 25 November 1993) is a British motorcycle racer, best known for winning the 2015 Moto3 World Championship. In doing so, Kent became Great Britain's first Grand Prix motorcycle world champion since Barry Sheene in 1977,[1] as well as the first British lightweight class champion since Dave Simmonds in 1969.[2]
Career
Early career
Born in Chippenham, Wiltshire, Kent like many others started out in Minimoto, before moving into the FAB-Racing MiniGP50 and MiniGP70 British Championships. Kent progressed through the Aprilia Superteens Championship earning success before being selected for the Red Bull MotoGP Academy and racing in Spain in the Spanish 125GP Championship. When the Academy closed Kent was switched to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, where he finished runner-up in 2010. Kent also contested a wild card ride at Silverstone in 2010 aboard a 125cc Honda, earning him a late ride with Lambretta in the 125cc Grand Prix world championship that year.
125cc/Moto3
Kent entered the 125cc world championship with Lambretta in 2010 at the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, qualifying in 16th place, a big improvement on 29th in which he qualified for the British round earlier that year – however he retired from the race. He took a best qualifying position of 10th at the Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril and a best and only race finish of 21st at Phillip island during the Australian Grand Prix.
For 2011, Kent switched to the Red Bull Ajo Aprilia team to compete in his first full season in the 125cc world championship. Kent enjoyed a successful first season scoring 82 points with a best finish of fourth place, on the way to 11th in the championship standings.
2012 was the start of the Moto3 class. The new formula would use four-stroke 250cc engines apposed to the two-stroke 125cc engines of the class it was replacing. Kent remained with the Red Bull Ajo team however the team switched to running KTM motorcycles spearheading the factory's assault on the tiitle. The team had a fantastic year with Kent's team mate Sandro Cortese taking the world championship along with Kent himself taking fourth in the championship. Kent earned his first podium at Assen in the Dutch TT, and he took his first win at the Japanese Grand Prix at Twin Ring Motegi with a great last lap a result he followed up in similar fashion just four rounds later at the final Grand Prix of the season in Valencia with a brave last corner overtake on Cortese earning him his second Grand Prix victory.
Moto2
For 2013, Kent raced with Tech 3 in the Moto2 category alongside fellow Moto3 graduate Louis Rossi. Kent's season started with a run to 18th place in Qatar, he scored his first points at round six with a 13th-place finish in Catalunya. Kent scored points on four more occasions with a best of 12th at both the Czech and Malaysian races, and had a strong end to season with three consecutive point-scoring finishes before breaking his collarbone in the warm-up for the Japanese Grand Prix, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Return to Moto3
Having been originally announced to remain in Moto2 with Tech 3, Kent returned to Moto3 for 2014; he competed with the Ajo Motorsport team, riding a Husqvarna-branded KTM.
For 2015, Kent moved to the Leopard sponsored Kiefer Racing squad, running Hondas.[3] Kent's season started off well, reaching the podium at the first race in Qatar and taking his first win for Leopard in the following race at the Circuit of the Americas.[4] Kent won the next two races – the first British rider to win successive races in the lightweight class since Barry Sheene in 1971[5] – in Argentina and at Jerez to open up a championship lead. He added further victories in Catalunya, the Sachsenring and his home event at Silverstone.
He led the championship by twenty-four points ahead of Miguel Oliveira, with one race remaining. Despite Oliveira winning the final race in Valencia, a ninth-place finish was enough for Kent to claim the championship and become Great Britain's first Grand Prix motorcycle world champion since Barry Sheene in 1977.[6]
Return to Moto2
On 27 September 2015, it was announced that Kent would be moving up to the Moto2 class for the 2016 season, with his Leopard Racing team.[7] He was joined in the team by his Moto3 championship rival Miguel Oliveira.[8]
Personal life
Kent also became part of the Phil Burgan Race Academy (PBRA) – a programme for developing British talent in motorcycle sport, under the guidance of James Toseland. The aim of the programme is to provide support, both financial and consultative, to promising British motorcycle racers and teams of the future.
Career statistics
- 2001 – Welsh Minimoto – Debut and first win.
- 2004 – FAB-Racing MiniGP50 British Championship (2nd Overall)
- 2005 – FAB-Racing MiniGP70 British Championship (1st Overall)
- 2007 – British Aprilia Superteens Championship
- 2008 – Invited into Red Bull MotoGP Academy and contested Spanish CEV 125GP (9th overall)
- 2009 – Academy closed – transferred to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup (4th overall, 1 win)
- 2010 – Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup (2nd overall, 2 wins)
By season
| Season | Class | Motorcycle | Team | Race | Win | Pod | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 125 cc | Honda | Aztec Grand Prix | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| Lambretta | Lambretta Reparto Corse | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2011 | 125 cc | Aprilia | Red Bull Ajo Motorsport | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 11th |
| 2012 | Moto3 | KTM | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 17 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 154 | 4th |
| 2013 | Moto2 | Tech 3 | Tech 3 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 22nd |
| 2014 | Moto3 | Husqvarna | Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 129 | 8th |
| 2015 | Moto3 | Honda | Leopard Racing | 18 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 260 | 1st |
| 2016 | Moto2 | Kalex | Leopard Racing | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 22nd |
| 2017 | Moto2 | Suter | Kiefer Racing | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3* | 25th |
| Moto3 | KTM | Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6* | 23rd* | |
| Total | 113 | 8 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 685 |
* Season still in progress.
By class
| Class | Seasons | 1st GP | 1st Pod | 1st Win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WChmp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 cc | 2010–2011 | 2010 Great Britain | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 0 | ||
| Moto3 | 2012, 2014–2015, 2017 | 2012 Qatar | 2012 Netherlands | 2012 Japan | 55 | 8 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 549 | 1 |
| Moto2 | 2013, 2016-2017 | 2013 Qatar | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2010–2017 | 113 | 8 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 685 | 1 | |||
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 125 cc | Honda | QAT | SPA | FRA | ITA | GBR Ret |
NED | CAT | GER | CZE | IND | RSM | ARA | NC | 0 | ||||||
| Lambretta | JPN Ret |
MAL Ret |
AUS 21 |
POR NC |
VAL Ret |
|||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | 125 cc | Aprilia | QAT 13 |
SPA 4 |
POR 15 |
FRA 17 |
CAT 11 |
GBR 10 |
NED 6 |
ITA 15 |
GER 9 |
CZE Ret |
IND 13 |
RSM 6 |
ARA 6 |
JPN 9 |
AUS 22 |
MAL 10 |
VAL 17 |
11th | 82 | |
| 2012 | Moto3 | KTM | QAT 8 |
SPA Ret |
POR 8 |
FRA Ret |
CAT 20 |
GBR 6 |
NED 3 |
GER Ret |
ITA 5 |
IND 12 |
CZE 7 |
RSM 12 |
ARA 4 |
JPN 1 |
MAL 6 |
AUS 5 |
VAL 1 |
4th | 154 | |
| 2013 | Moto2 | Tech 3 | QAT 18 |
AME 17 |
SPA 26 |
FRA 15 |
ITA 21 |
CAT 13 |
NED 19 |
GER Ret |
IND 22 |
CZE 12 |
GBR 18 |
RSM 18 |
ARA 15 |
MAL 12 |
AUS 13 |
JPN DNS |
VAL | 22nd | 16 | |
| 2014 | Moto3 | Husqvarna | QAT 13 |
AME 8 |
ARG 9 |
SPA 11 |
FRA 13 |
ITA 15 |
CAT 17 |
NED 8 |
GER 5 |
IND 12 |
CZE 3 |
GBR 9 |
RSM 12 |
ARA 3 |
JPN 6 |
AUS 20 |
MAL 4 |
VAL 4 |
8th | 129 |
| 2015 | Moto3 | Honda | QAT 3 |
AME 1 |
ARG 1 |
SPA 1 |
FRA 4 |
ITA 2 |
CAT 1 |
NED 3 |
GER 1 |
IND 21 |
CZE 7 |
GBR 1 |
RSM 6 |
ARA Ret |
JPN 6 |
AUS Ret |
MAL 7 |
VAL 9 |
1st | 260 |
| 2016 | Moto2 | Kalex | QAT 6 |
ARG 16 |
AME Ret |
SPA Ret |
FRA 19 |
ITA 14 |
CAT Ret |
NED 14 |
GER DNS |
AUT 12 |
CZE 7 |
GBR 15 |
RSM Ret |
ARA 29 |
JPN Ret |
AUS Ret |
MAL 18 |
VAL 9 |
22nd | 35 |
| 2017 | Moto2 | Suter | QAT 13 |
ARG Ret |
AME DNS |
SPA | 25th* | 3* | ||||||||||||||
| Kalex | ITA Ret |
CAT | NED | |||||||||||||||||||
| Moto3 | KTM | FRA 10 |
GER Ret |
CZE | AUT | GBR | RSM | ARA | JPN | AUS | MAL | VAL | 23rd* | 6* |
* Season still in progress.
References
- ↑ "Oliveira wins race but Kent takes Moto3 title". MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- ↑ Lewis, Lisa (8 November 2015). "Oliveira wins the race, Kent takes the title". Crash.net. Crash Media Group. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- ↑ Birt, Matthew (19 September 2014). "Danny Kent confident Honda will suit style in Moto3 season". Motor Cycle News. Bauer Media Group. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ↑ Lewis, Lisa (12 April 2015). "Flawless Kent rules supreme in Austin". Crash.net. Crash Media Group. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ↑ "British riders break records in Argentina". MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
Danny Kent is the first British rider to win back-to-back races in the lightweight-class (Moto3/125cc) since 1971 when Barry Sheene won at the Swedish 125cc GP at Anderstorp and then a week later won the Finnish GP at Imatra.
- ↑ "Danny Kent becomes first British motorcycle GP world champion since Sheene". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Reuters. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- ↑ "Kent moves to Moto2 with Leopard Racing". MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ↑ "Miguel Oliveira to Moto2 with Leopard Racing". MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Álex Márquez |
Moto3 World Champion 2015 |
Succeeded by Brad Binder |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Danny Kent. |