Snetterton BSB: Ray cruises to race-one win

Bradley Ray took a dominant Bennetts British Superbike Championship victory on Saturday afternoon with the Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha rider winning the 12-lap eBay Sprint race from Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) and team-mate Kyle Ryde.

Ryde got the holeshot from pole man Christian Iddon (Buildbase Suzuki) and Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) but Ray hit the front at the end of the Bentley Straight although the safety car was quickly out due to a crash at Agostini’s involving Showdown hopeful Danny Buchan, Ryan Vickers and Josh Owens, local rider Vickers suffering concussion. The running order at the end of the lap was Ray, Ryde, Iddon, Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Ducati), Irwin and Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati) with Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) already up to tenth, from 21st on the grid. Jason O’Halloran on the second McAMS Yamaha had gone from 19th to 15th and two laps followed under the safety car before racing resumed on lap four. Ray immediately edged away from Ryde and Iddon but the latter moved up to second at the beginning of lap five and a few corners later, Bridewell relegated Ryde to fourth. And by the end of the lap, Ryde was back in fifth with Irwin also overhauling him. By lap six, Ray was lapping a second quicker than anyone else and as he started lap seven, his advantage over new second-placed runner Bridewell was up to 2.58s. Iddon, Irwin and Ryde remained in third to fifth with Mackenzie now in sixth after overtaking Sykes. Irwin dropped back on lap seven after running straight on going into Agostini’s and there was further drama at the end of the lap when Bridewell coasted to a halt coming on to the start and finish straight. He got the Ducati going again albeit in last place. All that meant, by lap