READY TO POUNCE
2021 championship position WSB – 10th These guys are set to throw a spanner into the works…
The hype is building around Bradley Ray once again following the Rich Energy OMG Racing team’s decision to ditch BMW for Yamaha in 2022. Suddenly, Ray is on arguably the best bike on the grid, a bike which secured 21 victories, 21 podiums, and the BSB title in 2021.
People’s eyes are beginning to shift back towards Ray, who has struggled in the last couple of years after bursting onto the scene with Suzuki in 2018. He was held in high regard by Suzuki back then, competing at the Suzuka 8-hour and riding a MotoGP bike. Sadly, his form didn’t last, but perhaps all of the above came a little too soon.
Ray still took two podiums last year and often got more out of the old S1000RR than the other BMW riders did in 2020. But it’s time to permanently lock those BMW memories away and move on to brighter times with the new bike.
Ray has been fast on the Yamaha from day one. He broke the lap record at Cartagena, before doing the exact same at the Snetterton test. Simply put, he looks comfortable on a bike once again. It’s not the first time Ray’s enjoyed racing a Yamaha either. In 2016, he finished third in the British Supersport Championship onboard the R6.
“I already feel at home,” Ray told MCN during testing. “The R1 really does feel like a big R6 to me, and it’s got amazing potential. It’s great to be back up at the sharp end [during testing] and I’m feeling confident again – I feel much better mentally going into this season.
“I just want to get back to enjoying it, back to smiling, winning races and being at the front – and I think this team can do that for me. That’s the main aim and we’ll see where we are after that.”
And that’s key. Ray is happy again and is enjoying being in the paddock. He’s smiling, playing around, and joking with his crew. Ray sums it up perfectly: “You could have the best bike on the grid, but if you’re not happy then the results won’t be there.”
There’s no doubt about it, Ray should be considered as a dark horse this season. It’s easy to see him podiuming and winning races and he should easily make it into the Showdown given his talent and the bike’s ability. A third contender may have been added to the already exciting Yamaha duel.