Solid Start To Moto2 Season For Bradley Ray

Lydd’s Brad Ray achieved a 20th and 16th place finishes in the first round of the European Moto2 Championship at Portimao this weekend. 

Brad arrived at the Portuguese circuit high in confidence after working hard in the pre season test’s, improving the set up of his Vyrus to give him more confidence on the front end. 

In the untimed free practice sessions on Friday, Brad worked hard with his team to gain more confidence on board his Moto2 machinery, focusing on the suspension and chassis.

Come Saturday and the qualifying sessions, Brad and his Vyrus Racing team made a further step forward. Brad put in his fastest lap of the session, in the second session posting a 1:49.7, to place him in 25th on the grid. 

Overnight, Brad worked with the team to improve the bike and they made further improvements ahead of the races. From the lights Brad got a great start and after lap one he had climbed nine places to 16th. But due to running on a stock engine, he had a lack of power coming out of the corners and down the straights. But Brad fought hard, eventually taking the flag in 20th position. 

Race two and Brad made a much better start from the line and was running with the group who were battling for 12th position. Due to the weather taking a turn for the worse during the race, Brad took advantage of the rain and made his way up to 14th, but then the red flag came out and it was declared a result from the previous lap, putting Brad back to 16th. 

After the weekend, Brad said: “I’m very happy with the progress of the bike and I’m extremely happy with how hard the team worked over the weekend. For me to be running close to the points in my first Moto2 race is fantastic, I just can’t wait to get back out there. 

“I just want to thank all my team and family, and everyone who helped me with this opportunity.”

Brad’s attention will now shift his attentions to the second round of the European Moto2 Championship, which takes place at Catalunya in June. 

Mechanical Issues Hinder Ray At Brands

Brad Ray suffered a difficult end to his weekend at Brands Hatch, after suffering mechanical issues in the race.

After a mad dash from his three days of testing his Vyrus Moto2 at the Potimao Circuit in Portugal, Brad made it to Brands Hatch in time for the second round of the British Superbike Championship, after agreeing to a one off ride for the Moto-Breakers Superstock 600 team.

From the start on Friday morning Brad worked hard on his setup, to achieve a better feeling with the bike, and in the free practice session Brad was only one second shy of the fastest man in the session, Ben Currie. An impressive start, to say it was Brad’s first time out on the bike. 

Prior to qualifying, Brad and the Moto-Breakers team worked hard to improve the setup on his Kawasaki ZX6-R and saw with Brad improving his time by eight tenths of a second, placing him in 22nd position and ahead of a number of well established stock 600 ridersCome the start of the race, drama struck with Brad’s gear selector breaking as he came to the grid, forcing him to start the race from the pit lane. But on the first lap, there was a four-rider crash, leading to a 90 minute delay. 

Come the restart, Brad lined up in his original grid position, but as soon as the race got under he realised his machine wasn’t the same. It wouldn’t even pull top gear and he lost down speed down the straights. But the youngster rode hard to take the 29th place. 

After the race, Brad said: “This weekend started well and I made good progress, and I started to improve my times. Qualifying went well and I was only six tenths behind the pole man. 

“I felt good in the race, but then the bike would just not pull away in top gear. But although I’ve enjoyed my weekend, and I can’t wait for this weekend where I start my CEV season at Portimao.” 

This weekend is the start of the Spanish CEV Moto2 Championship, where he will compete on the factory Vyrus.

Photography: 

Bonnie Lane

Dream Start To 2015 For Ray

Bradley Ray took to the podium twice this weekend at Donington Park, achieving his first win of the season.

After loaning a bike from Redline KTM prior to the weekend, the Kent teenager came into the first round of the British season in high spirits, confident of achieving two good results.

The weekend got off to the best of starts for the youngster, in a cold and cloudy free practice session. Brad put in a time good enough for second place, only half a second behind Taz Taylor.

The first qualifying session on Saturday afternoon saw Brad improve in time by 1.3 seconds, posting a 1:39.525. Only two tenths of a second behind the provisional pole man, Scott Deroue.

Come Sunday, Brad made improvements with the setup of his Redline KTM, but he couldn’t achieve pole position, and would start from second on the grid, for Sunday’s race.

With the sun blazing over the circuit for the first time all weekend, Brad made a great leap from the lights and battled with Deroue and Taylor for the lead. But after one lap, the Dutchman Deroue crashed leaving it to Brad and Taz Taylor to battle it out.

On the final lap Taylor pushed his way past on the back straight, but Brad regained the lead heading into the ‘Foggy’ esses with a late breaking move. And he held the lead all the way to the take the flag, to achieve his first victory of the 2015 season.

Come race two on Monday, in the hottest conditions that were seen over the three days, Brad made a great start and ran with the front two riders of Deroue and Taylor.

Constant over taking ensued throughout the race, but on the final lap back markers got in Brad’s way heading into the ‘Foggy’ esses. And after Taz Taylor made a mistake on the final lap, Brad just couldn’t catch Deroue in the run to the run to the line, and took the flag in second place.

After the weekend an ecstatic Ray said: “I was on the pace from the off, Taz was quicker than me in the first free practice and he tested here a couple of weeks ago. But after that I was always 0.2 or 0.3 seconds off first place, so I knew I’d have the race pace.

“Before the race I thought I wasn’t too far off but then when I got out there, there was quite a difference in speed between my bike and the factory KTM’s. Every breaking opportunity I had I was breaking later and pushing harder into the corner to make up the difference.

“It all worked out in the end but I knew I wasn’t going to win them both, but I knew I had the chance of a podium so I pushed hard and got second in race two, so I’m very happy.

“A massive thanks to Tim at Redline for loaning the bike this weekend and all the hard work put in by my Dad and everyone involved.”

Brad now turns his attention to his final test on the Vyrus Moto2 in Portimao next week, to put the final touches to his racing machine, before the first round at the end of April.

Photography: 

Bonnie Lane