Danny Kent storms to superb second after big crash

Danny Kent bounced back superbly from a high-speed crash on the final day of Moto3 testing in Jerez to finish second quickest on the overall timesheets.

Kent was three-quarters into a planned eight-lap long run on used Dunlop tyres when he high-sided at the fast Turn 12 right-hander.

The 18-year-old luckily escaped injury and the Red Bull KTM rider showed the high-speed spill did little to dent his confidence as he returned to the track to clock a personal best lap of 1.47.262 in the afternoon session.

That left him second with only Moto3 pre-season favourite Maverick Vinales faster. The Spaniard clocked a best time of 1.46.838.

Kent, who topped the timesheets at the previous test in Jerez, said: “It has been another good test and I’m really happy. At the start of the week I didn’t feel quite as confident as I did in the last Jerez test.

“But we changed the set-up back to three weeks ago and I made a big step forward. Now I am going to Qatar for the first race with a lot of confidence but keeping my feet on the ground.”

Explaining the high-side accident he added: “We wanted to see how the bike performed on old tyres and the rear stepped out. I saved it but it gripped and threw me off.

“The good thing is it didn’t knock my confidence at all and I went back out and set my fastest lap of the test.”

See the March 28 issue of Motor Cycle News for seven pages of coverage from the Jerez test.