The first round of the 2024 WorldSBK championship has concluded at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia.
Bradley Ray, competing for the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team, placed seventeenth in yesterday’s Superpole and started Race 1 from the sixth row before crossing the line twenty-first, largely due to the fact he crashed after another rider made contact.
This morning brought cool and sunny conditions, with Ray back on track for the Superpole Race, which runs over a distance of ten laps. Bradley made a very fast start and made up some positions, but unfortunately he then fell victim to a crash during the course of lap five. The Brit was nevertheless able to get back on the bike and cross the line twenty-first. In race 2 he again got away well but the red flag came out on lap four and suspended the race. Restarted a short time later, the race was reduced to just eleven laps. The Englishman made another very strong start but the front tyre of his R1 began to deteriorate after just a few laps which caused him to drop back. Bradley nevertheless finished the race fifteenth, scoring one championship point in the process.
The next WorldSBK round will take place on 22-24 March at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in Spain.
“We completed our first non-European round today with the satisfaction of scoring one point, at the end of a very difficult weekend. I want to thank the whole team for their hard work and for showing that they’ve matured.”
“The day didn’t start well as although I made a good start in the Superpole Race I then crashed at turn 6. I finished the race but didn’t score a good result of course. In Race 2 I started strong but soon found myself dealing with premature front tyre wear that forced me to slow down and lose positions as a result. I was able to reach the points zone anyway, and that makes for a positive weekend overall. I’m pleased with the path we’re on and confident as we look ahead to the next round in Catalunya. I want to thank the whole team for their hard work.”
