Brad Ray relinquished his championship lead to his great mate Kyle Ryde in what was a poor Bank Holiday Monday for the 2022 British Superbike Champion at Cadwell Park.

Having had an excellent Sunday returning to the top of the podium, Monday didn’t quite go to plan for the championship leader.

He took the hole shot at the start of the sprint race on Sunday lunchtime. He was doing quick laps and was pushing too fast on lap two and crashed out.

That then left him 12 points in the lead of the championship with Kyle Ryde finishing in second place. 

With work to do in the final race of the day, Ray was to start from 7th place on the grid. It just never really happened for Ray in the final 18 lap race of the day.

He held seventh for a period of time before he starting to slip down the grid and eventually came home in 12th place.

All is not with four races next time our at Donington Park before the showdown begins, but with a four point defect to overturn it is an unusual situation for Ray to find himself in backing led all season to this point.

It will provide the rider from Lydd work plenty of food for thought in the two weeks until they head to Donington Park.