British Superbikes – Brands Hatch Race One: Ray Reigns at Home with Emotional Victory

Bradley Ray delivered a career milestone on Saturday at Brands Hatch, claiming a sensational win in Race One of the fifth round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship. The victory marked not only his tenth triumph of the season but also his long-awaited first win at his beloved home circuit.

Starting from pole position on the front row, Ray wasted no time asserting himself as the race leader, diving confidently into Paddock Hill Bend. Riding for Raceways Yamaha, he was immediately under threat in the opening laps, first from Christian Iddon, then from Kyle Ryde, and ultimately from a fast-charging Scott Redding in the closing laps.

But Ray had done just enough in the middle portion of the race to build his characteristic buffer. Despite a mysterious issue with the Yamaha’s sound—Ray noted afterward in parc fermé that it “sounded different” for a lap late on—he stayed composed, managed the gap, and crossed the line with a comfortable 1.085-second lead.

A Home Win With a Personal Touch
To cap off the emotional moment, Ray’s grandmother presented him with his winner’s trophy, earning a warm cheer from the Brands Hatch faithful. She made a quick exit before the celebratory Prosecco was unleashed by the top three finishers on the podium.

Redding Charges to Second With Late Heroics
Scott Redding, making only his second appearance back in BSB since returning from World Superbike duties, started from the front row and initially found himself sitting in fourth. The Hager PBM Ducati rider bided his time before making his move on lap eleven, passing Ryde at Hawthorns to snatch third. He then pulled off another smart move on the following lap at Surtees to take second place.

Once in clear air, Redding found his rhythm and began reeling in Ray, pushing hard in the final laps and clocking the fastest time of the race—earning him pole position for Sunday’s Sprint Race. Though he ran out of laps to make a serious bid for the win, it was a clear sign that the former MotoGP rider is back in business.

Ryde Hangs On for Podium After Difficult Start
Kyle Ryde had a mixed race aboard the OMG Nitrous Competitions Yamaha. He struggled off the line and had difficulties through the tighter sections of the track—particularly braking into Druids. But strong pace through the faster second half of the circuit allowed him to hold firm and claim the final podium spot, rounding out a solid if slightly scrappy performance.

Iddon & Kent Show Progress
Christian Iddon brought home a season-best fourth place for AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, showing marked improvement and enjoying his most competitive outing of 2025 so far. Right behind him was Danny Kent, who continues to show upward momentum for McAMS Yamaha with a confident ride to fifth.

Bridewell Top Honda Again
Tommy Bridewell once again proved to be the quickest of the Honda runners, finishing sixth in what’s becoming a familiar role for the 2023 BSB champion. Behind him, Max Cook put in a clean performance to take seventh on the second AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, followed by Rory Skinner in eighth.

Skinner, riding for Cheshire Mouldings, had shown early promise by surging from seventh on the grid to third on the opening lap. However, repeated off-track moments caused him to drop through the field, eventually settling for a top-ten finish after a spirited recovery drive.

Brookes & Jackson Battle to Complete Top Ten
Veteran Josh Brookes struggled for pace throughout the weekend but managed to salvage ninth after a late-race push. The DAO Racing rider made a pair of crucial overtakes in the final two laps, taking advantage of a relatively static race to make up ground late on. Lee Jackson, having held a solid mid-pack position for much of the contest, was pushed back to tenth by his teammate to close out the top ten.

Points for the Rookies and Returnees
Further down the field, Andrew Irwin finished eleventh for Honda Racing UK, well clear of Charlie Nesbitt in twelfth. Knockhill podium finisher Fraser Rogers collected more valuable points with 13th for TAG Honda.

Young rookie Scott Swann continued to impress, taking 14th for Send My Bag Racing by IWR Honda and outpacing his closest rival John McPhee, who finished 17th. Luke Hedger rounded out the points scorers in 15th for Whitecliffe CDH Racing Honda.

Images: Respective Teams