Bradley Ray Tops Rain‑Hit Cadwell Park Friday as Weather Plays Havoc

Cadwell Park’s famous bank holiday weekend got underway in chaotic fashion as the heavens opened, turning a promising start into a wet and slippery scramble for lap times. When the showers finally settled, it was Bradley Ray who emerged fastest — the McAMS Yamaha rider capitalising on a brief dry spell to set the pace and head straight into the Superpole qualifying session as the man to beat.

Revised Schedule as Rain Threatens Action

With forecasters warning of persistent heavy rain throughout the day, organisers made the call to bring forward the timetable. Practice sessions were shifted to an all‑Saturday schedule, and FP2 was moved forward by a full hour in a bid to dodge the worst of the downpours. It was a move that would pay dividends for those sharp enough to seize their chance — but leave others watching from the pit wall as conditions deteriorated rapidly.

FP2: Dry Spell Proves Crucial

When the lights went green for the second session, the track was still largely dry and the riders wasted no time in turning up the wick. Nobody managed more than four laps before the clouds burst, however, meaning only those who went out immediately and set their best times in the opening minutes would see any improvement.

Bradley Ray had already laid down a marker in FP1, and he went even quicker in the brief dry running that followed. His best lap — a 1:25.674 — was good enough to put him clear at the top of the combined timesheet and carry the number one spot straight through to the Superpole qualifying shootout. It was a timely show of strength from the Yamaha man, who had already spoken confidently ahead of the weekend, declaring Cadwell Park “will be a good track for us”.

Right on Ray’s tail was championship leader Kyle Ryde. The Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions rider was out for barely two laps in FP2, yet still carved out a time just 0.440s adrift of Ray’s benchmark — an ominous sign for the rest of the field as the title fight heats up.

Slotting into third place was Ryan Vickers. Fresh from a sensational double victory at Thruxton last time out, the Honda Racing UK rider had already set a strong baseline in FP1. He ventured back out once the rain arrived but, predictably, couldn’t improve — though his early dry lap kept him comfortably in the top three. It maintains the momentum Vickers has built, having openly admitted he “couldn’t be in a better place” heading into round eight.

Fourth spot went to BSB rookie Joe Talbot aboard the AJN Steelstock Bimota. Just over a second off Ray’s pace, Talbot’s top‑four finish underlined his potential — and remarkably meant four different manufacturers occupied the opening four positions, showing just how competitive the 2026 grid has become.

Combined Standings: FP1 Times Prove Decisive

With the rain ruining almost everyone’s running in FP2, times from the opening session became the deciding factor for much of the order. Under Cadwell’s unique Superpole format, the top twelve combined times progress straight through to the qualifying shootout — and several riders who stayed in the pits once the weather turned found their FP1 efforts were more than enough to carry them through.

Storm Stacey was one such rider. Having topped the unofficial test at Cadwell the previous day, the Bathams AJN Ducati man didn’t even venture out in FP2, yet his FP1 time was good enough to edge ahead of Christian Iddon and claim sixth. Iddon, riding for Sencat Yamaha, improved his position in the second session but still had to settle for fifth on combined standings.

Seventh went to Leon Haslam aboard the Moto Rapido Ducati, while Glenn Irwin moved up to eighth after finding some improvement in the wet second session on the second Nitrous Competitions machine.

Rory Skinner had a moment to forget, sliding off at Park Corner just as the rain began to fall. The Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha rider was unhurt, and his lap set moments before the incident secured him a place inside the top ten — enough to advance to Superpole.

Tension at the Cut‑Off: Brookes and Mikhalchik Claim Final Spots

Further down the order, Josh Brookes had work to do after falling in FP1. The DAO Racing rider made amends in the second session, improving enough to take eleventh overall and grab his spot. The final place in the top twelve went to the ROKiT BMW of Ilya Mikhalchik, who squeezed through ahead of the chasing pack.

Just missing out in thirteenth was Max Cook aboard the Bimota. The Thruxton round had seen him hospitalised after a heavy race one crash, and while he returned to action here — and improved to eleventh in FP2 — his wet‑weather laps couldn’t match his dry pace from earlier, leaving him agonisingly outside the cut.

It was a similar story for former champion Scott Redding. The Hager PBM Ducati rider found himself sixteenth once the rain took hold. He improved slightly to fourteenth in FP2 on wet tyres, but it wasn’t enough to shift him up the combined standings — leaving him with work to do in the opening qualifying stages.

Day One Summary

When the dust — and the rain — settled, it was Bradley Ray who held the bragging rights. Conditions for the rest of the weekend remain uncertain, but if the track stays dry, we are looking at a three‑way showdown between Ray, Ryde and Vickers that could go right down to the wire. If the skies stay open, however, all bets are off — and as we saw on day one, fortunes can change in the space of a single lap.

Images: Nitrous Competitions Racing, Brad Ray Racing, Kyle Ryde Racing