Bradley Ray marked his return to the Bennetts British Superbike Championship in sensational style in the opening Bandero Café Shoot Out Qualifying session of the season at Oulton Park, setting the fastest ever Bennetts BSB lap of the circuit, to better his own record by 0.094s.
Ray rapidly came out of the blocks to set the fastest lap of the session on his first flying lap, giving the Raceways Yamaha team the Omologato Pole Position on their return to the series.
The lap put Ray 0.382s ahead of reigning champion Kyle Ryde on the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha and Leon Haslam, who claimed his first front row start on his return to Ducati with the Moto Rapido Ducati Racing team.
Max Cook will head the second row of the grid on the AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, moving ahead of Danny Kent on the McAMS Racing Yamaha and Charlie Nesbitt on the MasterMac Honda.
Christian Iddon will start from the third row of the grid on the second AJN Steelstock Kawasaki after a crash at Cascades in the final five minutes of the session.
Glenn Irwin was another rider to crash out during the Bandero Café Shoot Out Q2 before he had set a lap on the Hager PBM Ducati, when he lowsided at Brittens at the start of the session. He was able to return to pitlane, but will start 15th on the grid for today’s opening race.
Storm Stacey completes the second row for Bathams AJN Racing BMW, with DAO Racing Honda pairing Josh Brookes and Lee Jackson in ninth and tenth respectively. Meanwhile it was a tough Q2 for the Honda Racing UK team with Tommy Bridewell in 11th and his teammate Andrew Irwin crashing out at Island in the closing minutes.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Bandero Café Shoot Out, Qualifying result:
- Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) 1m32.851s
- Kyle Ryde (OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) +0.382s
- Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) +0.530s
- Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) +0.694s
- Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) +0.711s
- Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) +0.731s
- Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) +0.759s
- Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing BMW) +0.902s
- Josh Brookes (DAO Racing Honda) +0.968s
- Lee Jackson (DAO Racing Honda) +1.034s
For the full session result please click here