Championship leader Brad Ray bagged a double podium finish at Thruxton in the latest round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship last weekend.

Considering how his Friday and Saturday went, a third place in race one on Sunday and a second place in race two of the day was a good outcome, considering he finished P8 on Saturday.

It does mean that heading to Caldwell Park the championship lead is now 26 points.

It is fair to say that race one at Thruxton didn’t quite go to plan for the 2022 BSB champion.

Having qualified on the front row, Ray got the hole shot at the first corner and lead for a while but that was about as good as it got.

He couldn’t find a rhythm from there and was beaten up a little in the pack, and bounced from fifth to eighth for most of the first race. He crossed the line P8 with his good friend and title rival Kyle Ryde taking the win and reducing his lead down to 24 points. Though it was looking like a two horse race at this point.

Race two would see Brad starting from way back down in the pack with the pressure really on to try and get a result and salvage something from the weekend.

He got from 12th up to 6th and he then worked up to fifth on lap four as he went with Kyle Ryde and the front four. Going back to his original swing arm looked to be working well for him in the sprint race.

When the Red flag came out are just after half race distance, Brad was in sixth place. Kent’s Danny Webb was unfortunately involved in the red flag incident. 

On the restart Ray was away and went with Kyle Ryde at the front as they looked to break away and take the race away from the rest. 
He then dropped down to third but was soon back under Iddon to second and pursing Kyle Ryde. 

Ray then got into the road, before running ride and Kent and Ryde slid through on the penultimate lap.

On the final lap it was anyone of four that could get the win, on what was barnstorming sprint race. 

Brad takes third and will be happy after a shocking start to the weekend to get back on the box. Though Ryde reduced the lead by two points.

Race three saw Brad start from pole and once again he got a good start as the lights went out. He got the hole shot and lead everyone away for the first five laps.

Christian Iddon was definitely pushing him all the way with Ryde and Kent sitting behind watching and waiting.

On lap twelve Iddon made his move but he went probably slightly too early, but Ray, Ryde and Kent were there with him.

Ray took the lead back on lap 14 and at the same time Kent and Nesbitt then push Ryde out who dropped to P8 and had to work his way back through the pack.

It was Kent who then went on to push Ray for the rest of the race with Iddon, he took the win but Ray tried a move into the last corner but couldn’t get it stopped.

Speaking at the end of the weekend, Ray said: “It was a solid race compared to yesterdays long race I was much better off, a lot better oft than I was. I was able to fight.

“I wanted to stay near the front because once you get a few people in front of you, it is sometimes difficult to make a pass because you have to use too much tyre. I just got into a rhythm a lot slower than maybe what I thought from the run I did in warmup this morning.

“I just held off Iddon as long as I could, he made a pass so I just tried to attack straight back and same with Danny (Kent), he passed me onto the last lap and he has always been a hit stronger, same with Iddon through turn eight and nine onto the back straight. I just dried to drive as hard as I could on the last lap, Danny broke late and and I braked a little bit later but with twenty laps on the tyre, trying to get it stopped the front was closing and the rear was coming round and just couldn’t pull it down to the apex.

“Overall I am super happy from where we was yesterday (Saturday) to finish Sunday with two podiums its good for the work we have done and good for heading to Cadwell.”

Images courtesy of Raceways Yamaha