BSB 2025: Bradley Ray Breaks Records to Top Snetterton Practice

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The 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship returned to action at Snetterton for Round 3, and it was Bradley Ray who lit up the timesheets on Friday, setting a new lap record to finish fastest overall and secure his spot in Q2.

Back on his Raceways Yamaha, Ray picked up right where he left off in FP1 by immediately posting competitive times in the second session. Dipping in and out of the pits to fine-tune his setup, he eventually unleashed a stunner — a 1:46.861 lap — the first sub-1:47 effort ever recorded at the Norfolk circuit. His run not only shattered the previous benchmark but also reasserted his presence at the front after a brief stint off the top.

Before Ray’s final charge, it was Kyle Ryde (OMG Nitrous Competitions Yamaha) who had taken over provisional P1. Running on fresh rubber, Ryde posted a strong 1:47.134 to lead briefly, but had to settle for second once Ray made his move. Still, his pace was impressive, just 0.273 seconds off the leader.

Skinner Leads the Ducati Charge, Haslam and Cook on the Rise

Rory Skinner put together an encouraging Friday for Cheshire Mouldings Ducati, ending the day in third with a 1:47.418. Unlike FP1, where he improved late, this time the Scotsman made an early statement and held his place among the frontrunners.

Veteran Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati) made a big step in the closing stages of FP2, climbing ten positions to snatch fourth. Mirroring Haslam’s rise, Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) also surged up the order late in the session to claim fifth, earning bragging rights as the top Kawasaki rider of the day.

Mixed Fortunes for AJN Steelstock and Honda Riders

Christian Iddon, Cook’s teammate at AJN Steelstock, had looked solid for most of the session but was eventually bumped down to sixth after his teammate’s late flyer. Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) recovered from a disrupted FP1 to finish seventh, an impressive result considering he lost valuable track time earlier in the day.

Glenn Irwin, nursing illness throughout the day, experimented with several setup changes aboard his Hager PBM Ducati. Despite the discomfort, he managed eighth, narrowly ahead of long-time rival Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK), who matched Irwin’s time of 1:47.943 but was classified ninth on countback.

Danny Kent (McAMS Yamaha) wrapped up the top ten. He spent much of FP2 in the garage after setting his time, banking on his early effort to hold — and it did.

Rogers and Jackson Seal Final Q2 Spots as Brookes Misses Out

Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) made a brief but effective push early in FP2 to slot into P11. The final rider to book a direct path to Q2 was Lee Jackson (DAO Racing Honda), who timed his lap to perfection as the clock hit zero.

That left Josh Brookes on the wrong side of the cutline. The Australian veteran fell just 0.137 seconds short of Jackson’s time and will have to navigate Q1 on Saturday aboard the second DAO Racing machine.

Late Drama Hits Stacey, McPhee, Sykes, and Swann

Storm Stacey’s session ended prematurely after his bike came to a stop at Turn 7, sending him tumbling down the order in the final ten minutes. He wasn’t the only one to suffer misfortune.

John McPhee (MasterMac Honda) saw his FP2 ruined by technical issues, becoming the only rider not to improve in the second session. The team had already endured problems earlier in the day with Nesbitt’s bike, compounding a tough outing.

Former WorldSBK Champion Tom Sykes also faced a mechanical setback, while rookie Scott Swann crashed late at the Bomb Hole. Despite the tip-off, Swann remained the top-performing rookie of the day for Send My Bag Racing by IWR Honda — a small silver lining as his direct rival McPhee was sidelined.