Bradley Ray “sat back, waited for it to unfold” in BSB Assen Race 3

Bradley Ray had started from pole for the final race but was soon in a battle at the front with title rival Kyle Ryde in the final BSB race at Assen.

Speaking to British Superbikes after the race, Ray opened his Podium Reactions interview by discussing how he felt the need to make sure he was near Ryde and the front of the race as his pit board was telling him there was no safety net of a gap behind:

“I was trying the whole race. I got past Ryan and I was sat behind Kyle and I thought I’m going to try ‘cause I had, obviously, plus zero on my board and I knew at some point Scott would be there or Ryan would try and pass me back.I wanted to try and get through to Kyle, to be in more of a safe zone”.

Ray had several attempts of the longer distance at the Assen TT track to get passed the championship leader but the McAMS Yamaha rider could not make any of them stick and Ryde was determined to lead, adding:

“Every time I made a move, Kyle would get me back. Made another one, Kyle will get me back the next corner, so it was a bit of a cat and mouse, I had my strong points on the track and after a few moves, Kyle defended a little bit more and knew where my strong points were, so it made it a little more difficult.

Managed to get through - I thought, right, if I can get through into this chicane and onto the start/finish - I might be able to get a clear lap in front and then got passed into there and then Scott passed me over the start line into turn one and I thought “ right, this is going to be a difficult last lap”. I could see from a few places what Scott was trying to do”.

The former champion had made his own plans for how he wanted to get ahead on the last lap, but it was not to be, instead choosing to see how the big move Scott Redding was lining up on Ryde would play out, a wise move which allowed the Yamaha man to swoop for second even though he ran out wider in the run to the line:

“I tried lining up turn 15, but as I was lining Scott, Scott was lining Kyle, and I thought there’s no way three of us are going to make it through here.

So I sat back, waited for it to unfold, and just done my normal line, tried to get a good drive, I just see Scott get a wheelie, and I don’t know where I was going, I was off to the edge of the track, but I just kept it pinned, and thought, yeah, that’ll do. I’m happy with that. Can’t complain with racing like that -any of us could have won that.

Fair play to Kyle, every time I attacked, he attacked back. So yeah, nice for the fans and nice for the spectators at home watching”.