| Danny Kent | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Kent in 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | British | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1993-11-25)25 November 1993 (age 31) Chippenham,Wiltshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | McAMS Mar-Train | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | dannykent52.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Danny Ray Kent (born 25 November 1993) is anEnglish motorcycle racer, best known for winning the2015 Moto3 World Championship. In doing so he became Great Britain's first Grand Prix solo motorcycleworld champion sinceBarry Sheene in1977,[1] as well as the first British lightweight class champion sinceDave Simmonds in1969.[2]
During 2020, Kent competed in theBritish National Superstock 1000 Championship, aboard aKawasaki ZX-10R, and for 2021 aboard aSuzuki GSX-R1000R in theBritish Superbike Championship,[3] until a crash caused a dislocated and broken hip in August 2021.[4][5]
For 2022, Kent continued with Buildbase Suzuki but for 2023 he joined, as sole rider, a new BSB team established by his personal sponsor using a Honda.[6][7]
For 2024, Kent moved to the Mar-Train team with McAMS their title sponsor, and has resigned for the 2025 season. He won his first British superbike race at the final round of the 2024 season.[8]
Born inChippenham,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 theRed 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.
Kent entered the 125cc world championship with Lambretta in2010 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.
For2011, 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 title. The team had a fantastic year with Kent's teammateSandro Cortese taking the world championship along with Kent himself taking fourth in the championship. Kent earned his first podium atAssen in theDutch TT, and he took his first win at the Japanese Grand Prix atTwin Ring Motegi with a great last lap result. He followed up in similar fashion just four rounds later at the final Grand Prix of the season inValencia with a brave last corner overtake on Cortese earning him his second Grand Prix victory.
For2013, Kent raced withTech 3 in the Moto2 category alongside fellow Moto3 graduateLouis Rossi. Kent's season started with a run to 18th place inQatar, he scored his first points at round six with a 13th-place finish inCatalunya. Kent scored points on four more occasions with a best of 12th at both theCzech andMalaysian races, and had a strong end to season with three consecutive point-scoring finishes before breaking his collarbone in the warm-up for theJapanese Grand Prix, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Having been originally announced to remain in Moto2 with Tech 3, Kent returned to Moto3 for 2014; he competed with theAjo Motorsport team, riding aHusqvarna-brandedKTM.
For 2015, Kent moved to the Leopard sponsored Kiefer Racing squad, running Hondas.[9] Kent's season started off well, reaching the podium at the first race inQatar and taking his first win for Leopard in the following race at theCircuit of the Americas.[10] Kent won the next two races – the first British rider to win successive races in the lightweight class sinceBarry Sheene in1971[11] – inArgentina and atJerez to open up a championship lead. He added further victories inCatalunya, theSachsenring and his home event atSilverstone.
Kent led the championship by twenty-four points ahead ofMiguel Oliveira, with one race remaining. Despite Oliveira winning the final race inValencia, a ninth-place finish was enough for Kent to claim the championship and become Great Britain's first Grand Prixmotorcycle world champion sinceBarry Sheene in1977.[12]
On 27 September 2015, it was announced that Kent would be moving up to the Moto2 class for the2016 season, with his Leopard Racing team.[13] He was joined in the team by his Moto3 championship rivalMiguel Oliveira.[14]
Kent walked out on his team after just three races into the season,[15] and was without a ride for much of the remainder, with a wildcard ride in Moto3 and acting as an occasional replacement for injured riders in Moto2, before signing with a new teamSpeed Up Racing in Moto2 for the 2018 season.[16]
Kent was sacked by Speed Up in late September 2018, with five races remaining, due to poor performances and refusing to follow team orders. In a statement to motogp.com, team bossLuca Boscoscuro was highly critical of Kent, stating “that behaviour doesn’t work. I’m sorry, but not with me”.[17][18]
Kent secured an entry riding Halsall Racing'sSuzuki GSX-R1000 for theBrands Hatch final round of the2018 British Superbike Championship in October after a successful test.[19] He failed to finish in two races,[20][21] but finished in position 12 from 15 finishers in race three.[22] The team subsequently folded after principal Martin Halsall withdrew funding.[23]
In late May 2019, it was announced that Kent would ride in British Superbikes on an ex-Leon Camier 2016MV Agusta F4, starting from the July event atSnetterton.[24][25] Kent failed to finish a race at Snetterton,[26] but achieved 18th place in BSB race 2 atThruxton in August.[27] His employment was terminated by his team in mid-August due to a court conviction.[28]
Kent joined Buildbase Suzuki, continuing into 2022. A practice crash at theDonington Park third-round in May 2022 caused hospitalisation with no participation in the races.[29][30]
Kent became part of the Phil Burgan Race Academy (PBRA) – a programme for developing British talent in motorcycle sport, under the guidance ofJames Toseland. The aim of the programme is to provide support, both financial and consultative, to promising British motorcycle racers and teams of the future.
In August 2019, Kent received a four-month suspended prison sentence for carrying a knife in a public place during an altercation in March, 2019.[31] This resulted in his superbike team terminating his contract, withGino Rea named as interim replacement.[28]
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Honda | BHI | OUL | DON | THR | SNE | KNO | MAL | BHGP | CAD | CRO Ret | SIL Ret | OUL Ret | 25th | 11 | |
| 2010 | Honda | BRH 5 | THR | OUL 9 | CAD Ret | MAL | KNO C | SNE | BRH 7 | CAD | CRO | CRO WD | SIL | OUL | 23rd | 27 |
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position, races initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | SPA1 3 | SPA2 1 | ITA 7 | NED Ret | GER 6 | GBR 8 | CZE1 2 | CZE2 8 | 4th | 96 | ||
| 2010 | SPA1 1 | SPA2 2 | ITA 4 | NED1 11 | NED2 2 | GER1 3 | GER2 12 | CZE1 3 | CZE2 2 | RSM 1 | 2nd | 164 |
| Season | Class | Motorcycle | Team | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd | WCh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 125cc | Honda | Aztec Grand Prix | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | – |
| Lambretta | Lambretta Reparto Corse | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2011 | 125cc | 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 | 1 |
| 2016 | Moto2 | Kalex | Leopard Racing | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 22nd | – |
| 2017 | Moto2 | Suter | Kiefer Racing | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 33rd | – |
| Dynavolt Intact GP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Kalex | CarXpert Interwetten | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Moto3 | KTM | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 32nd | – | |
| 2018 | Moto2 | Speed Up | Speed Up Racing | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 25th | – |
| Total | 126 | 8 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 693 | 1 | ||||
| Class | Seasons | 1st GP | 1st pod | 1st win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WChmp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125cc | 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, 2016–2018 | 2013 Qatar | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2010–2018 | 126 | 8 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 693 | 1 | |||
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position; races initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 125cc | Honda | QAT | SPA | FRA | ITA | GBR Ret | NED | CAT | GER | CZE | INP | RSM | ARA | NC | 0 | |||||||
| Lambretta | JPN Ret | MAL Ret | AUS 21 | POR NC | VAL Ret | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | 125cc | Aprilia | QAT 13 | SPA 4 | POR 15 | FRA 17 | CAT 11 | GBR 10 | NED 6 | ITA 15 | GER 9 | CZE Ret | INP 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 | INP 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 | INP 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 | INP 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 | INP 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 | AUT DNS | GBR | RSM | ARA | JPN | AUS | MAL | VAL | 33rd | 3 | |||||||
| Kalex | ITA Ret | CAT | NED | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Moto3 | KTM | FRA 10 | GER Ret | CZE | 32nd | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Moto2 | Speed Up | QAT 17 | ARG 12 | AME Ret | SPA Ret | FRA 21 | ITA Ret | CAT 21 | NED Ret | GER Ret | CZE Ret | AUT 12 | GBR C | RSM Ret | ARA Ret | THA | JPN | AUS | MAL | VAL | 25th | 8 |
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.
