The sixth Superbike World Championship round drew to a close at the Donington Park circuit today.
For British rider Bradley Ray, competing for the Yamaha MotoxRacing WorldSBK Team, this was perhaps the most important event of the season, in that he was racing in front of his fans at his home track. Yesterday Ray finished sixteenth in Superpole, which meant he lined up on the sixth row of the grid in what turned out to be a very unlucky race, in which Bradley was involved in an accident at the first corner and forced to retire as a result.
The Superpole race ran this morning over a distance of ten laps. Ray made a very strong start and was immediately able to make up some positions. Maintaining a very fast pace,
the Yamaha MotoxRacing WorldSBK Team rider crossed the line in twelfth place. A great result considering his starting position. Race 2 got underway in the afternoon but was immediately brought to a halt on lap one following a crash involving three riders. Ray was able to get off the line fast when the race restarted, moving into fourteenth place. His rapid pace and the fact he made no mistakes allowed him to finish thirteenth, which meant he scored three more championship points.
The next WorldSBK round will take place on 14-16 July at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola in Italy.
“I’m pleased with today’s races. We’ve further reduced the gap that separates us from the front, and we’ve scored more important points. It was only a pity about yesterday’s race 1 crash.”
“Our hard work paid off today. I finished twelfth in the Superpole race and could have scored the same result in race 2 if the tyres hadn’t lost grip in the final stages. I’m very happy, not just with the results but also our constant progress, which leaves me optimistic for the rest of the season, starting with the very next round at Imola. Another important one for us of course, as we’ll be racing in Italy.”
