Bradley Ray, British Superbike Champion, will join the FIM Superbike World Championship grid in 2023, racing a Yamaha R1 during the European rounds for the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team.
After a stellar title-winning BSB season that included nine wins and 23 podiums, Ray will now have the opportunity to show his talents on the world stage, with the British rider’s campaign set to begin at the championship’s third round at Assen.
Ray enjoyed an impressive junior career, both nationally and internationally, finishing seventh overall as a 15-year-old in the 2012 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, while he took his maiden victory in the championship the following year. In 2014, he finished fourth in the final standings, faring well against the likes of MotoGP’s Jorge Martin and Joan Mir, as well as Yamaha’s 2021 WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu.
Following several strong performances in Europe, Ray focused his attention back on national racing in 2016, and quickly established himself as a title challenger in the British Supersport Championship. On board a Yamaha R6, the youngster ended his rookie campaign third in the final standings, earning him a step-up to the British Superbike category for the following season.
In that maiden year, Ray was a regular top 10 finisher and scored a first podium at Oulton Park, placing an impressive 11th in the final standings. With experience behind him, Ray enjoyed an explosive start to the 2018 season, winning the opening two races at Donington Park, before going on to break into the Championship Showdown, eventually finishing sixth overall.
More podiums followed over the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons, but it wasn’t until this season – racing a Yamaha R1 bike for the first time – where Ray could extract his full potential. The 25-year-old never finished a race outside the top six when he reached the checkered flag and wrapped up the title at the Brands Hatch finale.
It won’t be the first time that Ray has contested the WorldSBK championship, with the Kent-born racer scoring points as a wildcard at the 2018 Donington round, but he now has the chance to challenge for strong results on championship-winning machinery with the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team.