Bradley Ray extended his lead in the British Superbike Championship after winning the opening race at Cadwell Park.

In the opening British Superbike race of the weekend at Cadwell Park, Bradley Ray returned to winning ways for the first time since Race One at Brands Hatch.

The 2022 British Superbike Champion held off the 2024 British Superbike Champion, Kyle Ryde, and beat his fellow Yamaha rider by 0.087 seconds at the chequered flag.

Ray and Ryde set blistering pace throughout the opening race of the weekend, which the Raceways Yamaha rider described as 'phenomenal' and 'stupidly fast'.

"To be honest, the pace was phenomenal," Ray said after winning the opening race of the weekend.

"The first few laps were 1:25s, and I felt comfortable doing that. At the start, I had +0 on my board, so I kept pushing on and got it to +0.8.

"The laptimes were stupidly fast, to be honest. But the gap was not growing; it got to 2.1, and then Kyle started to reel me in at the end. I was pushing on, but I think the start of the race hindered on the tyre.

"For the last three laps, I basically just backed off, so I could save something for the last lap of the race. I defended really well, I knew that there were not many places to pass around Cadwell Park.

"I had to defend the best I could up the back straight, and in certain areas where I thought he could make a pass.

"But there are a few things to improve on for tomorrow [Monday], I haven't been back here since 2022, it was an important race, we gained a lot of data, and we will have another crack tomorrow."