BSB Snetterton Race 1 Results | Ray takes over at top with crushing win

Bradley Ray strengthened his status as the form man of the British Superbike Championship (BSB) rider with a confidence boosting fifth win of the season in race one at Snetterton.

The final round before the three-event Title Showdown kicks off, Ray’s success continues a rich vein of form that has seen him score two wins and seven podiums in each of the last seven races.

A dominant display from the RICH Energy OMG Yamaha rider, Ray made the most of a strong start that lifted him from fifth to third straight away to pick off Christian Iddon and then team-mate Kyle Ryde before the field had reached the end of the back straight.

From here Ray wasn’t bothered again as he stretched his advantage out over the competition, crossing the line almost three seconds ahead of Tarran Mackenzie on the sister McAMS Yamaha.

With Ray’s spike in form coming amid a lull for title rival Jason O’Halloran, it means that not only has the 25-year old consolidated his lead in the overall standings, he has also moved ahead in terms of podium credits for the Showdown.

Indeed, with Ray already safely through to the Title Showdown, podium credits - which are translated into the extra points added onto an arbitrary 1000 point starting position from the next round onwards - count for more. As such, Ray now has 51 points (1051) to O’Halloran’s 48 (1048).

Coming into the weekend as one of several riders still fighting it out for the remaining Title Showdown spots, Mackenzie gave his hopes a big boost with a solid run to second place.

The reigning champion’s cause was helped along by Tommy Bridewell, who was running second when he curiously slowed on the home straight mid-way through the race. Coming to a stop, though Bridewell got the Ducati going again, he would finish a distant last.

His exit opened the door for Kyle Ryde to secure a much needed podium return on the second of the OMG Yamahas. The rider most at risk of losing his Showdown spot in eighth, Ryde stood a good chance to protect his spot after turning his front row start into an early lead.

However, after Ray came by on lap one, Ryde began to be picked off steadily and had slipped to as low as sixth when Bridewell began to slow up ahead and Glenn Irwin ran off course at Brundle. 

Recovering third from pole man Christian Iddon late on, Ryde’s Showdown bid was strengthened further when Danny Buchan - just 14 points behind him in ninth place after his two wins at Cadwell Park - crashed out on the opening lap in a skirmish with Ryan Vickers and Josh Owens.

Iddon collected his best result of the season in fourth, ahead of Leon Haslam, the 2018 BSB champion enjoying a superb fight back from 21st on the grid.

Lee Jackson secured his Showdown spot with a solid sixth place, which he picked up late on when Andrew Irwin fell at Nelson. He was the only FS-3 Kawasaki rider on course after Rory Skinner elected to sit out the first race following a fall in qualifying.

Tom Sykes equalled his best finish of the season in seventh place, ahead of Peter Hickman and the recovering Irwin, while Danny Kent rounded out the top ten.

Elsewhere, erstwhile championship leader O’Halloran’s troubled day continued, the Australian on the back foot from 19th on the grid and unable to ascend any higher than 12th at the flag.

In the fight for the Title Showdown spots, despite his off while running fourth, Honda's Irwin has along with Jackson formalised his place in the final stages of the season, leaving three more entries to play for with two races remaining.

However, with a maximum haul of 50 points remaining and Buchan losing ground following his DNF, Mackenzie, Bridewell and Ryde look fairly safe now holding 42, 37 and 30 point buffers respectively over the Synetiq BMW rider.,

2022 British Superbike Championship | Snetterton | Race 1 RESULTS