Kent’s Brad Ray totally dominated the opening race of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship weekend at Snetterton this afternoon.

It was a lights to flag victory for Ray, who has now won five of the first six races of the season.

Having put it on pole position in qualifying, Ray got the hole shot on lap one and then checked out building over a five second lead, and setting a new lap record in the process.

With two more races to come this weekend, Ray will start the opening race on Sunday from pole position and who would bet against a similar result as today?

Speaking after the race in baking hot conditions in Norfolk, Ray said: “You know what it’s like in races, sometimes you have a plan and sometimes it doesn’t go to plan. I thought, I’m going to put two good laps in at the start and see what happens and then set into the rhythm which I knew I could do and what we did in Free Practice. So I am over the moon, but just overheating a little bit.

“Honestly I wasn’t expecting those lap times similar to Qualifying, but I just kept digging in and I felt good on the bike. I saw a little gap at the start, so I went again for it on the second lap and then it just about broke Kyle, so I was then able to set into the rhythm and do my own race, but I really enjoyed that.”

Images courtesy of the British Superbike Championship