Cyberpunk Harry Potter. That dilator and those glasses make Bradley Ray look like a joke created by a novelist, rather than like a rider. But, by contrast, he’s a rider and he’s even very fast. So fast that he won the masters of the championship where he competes. The magician against the senators of BSB.
TOP SUZUKI – Moreover, Ray won at Donington Park with Suzuki, a manufacturer that decided to neglect World Superbike and managed to beat all the opponents in BSB. Somebody may say that Shane Byrne would have overtaken Ray and won Race 1, if it was a little longer, but in the final lap Ray did a great job and contained Shakey’s recover. At the chequered flag, “Young Gun” – as he’s called by the English press – won Race 1, while Leon Haslam and other masters of BSB struggled. Race 2 went even better for Ray, since the Suzuki rider immediately pulled away on the wet track and dominated the race from the first till the last lap. There’s some kind of irony in this 20-year-old rider (but he will soon turn 21), who said at the end of the first race just one word: «Unbelievable». For us, what’s unbelievable is the grit he showed on the track. He showed that also at the last lap, when he nearly fell. Normally a rider calms down, after such a risk, but Ray didn’t do it: he restarted pushing and he fought for the win till the last lap.
MILKY BAR KID – “Milky Bar Kid” (his nickname)? No, he rather looks like Billy the Kid. Even the logo that appears on his official website (a little blond sheriff with glasses, inspired to an old commercial of 1980s) confirms that. The time of nicknames and jokes is over: now the long awaited “maturity” has been reached. This is also the opinion of Stuart Hicken (Buildbase Suzuki Team Owner), very surprised by how Ray stayed cool till the end of the race: «He showed a great maturity in that situation, since he led the race for so many laps. I was very nervous, but now I’m over the moon for him: he’s very talented and we hope we will make the way to the top easier. We think he can win the championship and we will give our best to do it. We’re the most experienced team in British Superbikes. We haven’t won a title yet, but we’re closer and closer to the goal. It would be wonderful to do it this year».
IS HE THE MAIN FAVOURITE? – Did you understand? Now the kid is an adult. In pure British style, he describes himself with just few words: «Work hard, play hard». The others are alerted: a new “little” sheriff has come to town.
Massimiliano Garavini