Brad Ray and the Raceways Yamaha team are taking the positives from Brands Hatch this weekend, which paid host to Round 5 of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

The weekend started in strong fashion for Ray, who targeted his first podium finish at the Kent venue in the BSB class. Ending the opening Practice session second, the #28 rider made a positive step forward in Friday’s Free Practice 2 session, ending the day quickest by 0.247 seconds.

Another promising Free Practice 3 on Saturday morning set the tone for another solid day for the Fleetwood-based camp. Venturing out for Qualifying 2, Ray instantly laid down the gauntlet, leaping to the top of the times with a 1:24.792. A brief Red Flag midway through the session allowed him to regroup before blasting in a 1:24.418 to leave him 0.444 seconds clear of Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions OMG Racing) in second.

The weekend’s first of three races got underway in challenging conditions following a sharp shower earlier in the afternoon, but, thankfully, the 2.4-mile circuit remained dry.

A strong getaway from pole, Ray set the pace from the off, gradually extending his lead over the chasing pack. However, just a few laps from the end, the Raceways Yamaha ran into a minor technical problem, resulting in him having to control the pace to the end. Managing the race superbly, he lost just one second to the chasing Scott Redding, who couldn’t get close enough to the Yamaha rider on the final lap, rewarding Ray and Steve Rodgers’ team their tenth win of the season.

After topping Sunday’s Warm Up, Ray launched from second on the grid for the Sprint Race. Another superb start saw him take the lead into Paddock Hill Bend, slotting ahead of Redding once again.

Pushing on in the early stages, the Yamaha man was unable to shake off the chasing pack but started to find his rhythm when a Safety Car intervention was deployed.

Getting back underway, Ray looked to push on once more, but a mistake at Westfield on Lap 8 saw him slide out of the Race, unharmed.

With a rebuild job on the hands of the experienced crew, Ray returned to battle in Race 3 where he’d once again start from pole.

Another strong launch saw him clear of the chasing pack into Paddock Hill Bend with Redding and Danny Kent slotting in behind.

Controlling the race out front, Ray quickly found himself under pressure from Danny Kent, who took the lead just moments after a Safety Car period on Lap 5. In the process, he also slipped behind Kyle Ryde.

Unfazed, the 28-year-old continued to push on, but also used his head as the laps ticked down.

Unable to fend off Redding much longer, the rider from Ashford dropped to fourth, where he took the flag, adding valuable points to his and the team’s Championship tally.

In the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship, Ash Barnes faced a challenge-enduring weekend. Qualifying at the head of Row 3, Barnes made a good start and cemented himself in the leading group. Despite demonstrating good pace, Barnes was shuffled back to eighth by the midway stage, where he took the flag for a crucial dose of points.

Heading to Thruxton, the circuit of speed, in two weeks, Brad Ray remains in control of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship with a 34-point lead. Yamaha and Raceways Yamaha remain top of the constructors and teams’ table with Ash Barnes lying seventh in the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship.

Bradley Ray
Raceways Yamaha
Championship: 1st (222 points)

“All-in-all it was a positive weekend despite the negative of the DNF in Race 2. It was nice to come to Brands and take the step and be able to qualify strong and have good pace throughout the races. I made a mistake in Race 2 which led to a crash and honestly really annoyed me, but it is what it is and we were able to regroup to 4th in Race 3 despite a few little issues. Can’t grumble with a win and a fourth and the crash is all a part of racing.”

Ash Barnes
Raceways Yamaha – Pirelli National Sportbike Championship
Championship: 6th (92 points)

“It was a tough weekend but it’s important to take points and that’s what we did. We gave it our everything all weekend and it was nice to be fighting throughout Sunday’s race. Of course I’d like more, but we took some points and can move onto Thruxton where we’ll aim to be back on the podium.”

Steve Rodgers
Team Owner

“You have highs and lows in racing and this weekend we had them both. Brad had a really strong weekend once again. The slip off in Race 2 put a slight damper on things but it’s racing; these things happen. We’ve faced some challenges with the R1 this weekend, but we’re still leaving Brands with a trophy and some more important points in the bag.

“For Ash, it was a tougher weekend for him, but the grit and determination he has spurred him on to another solid points haul in the Race on Sunday. We’re now fully focused on Thruxton, which we know is a strong track for the R1 and for Ash on the R7.”