McAMS Yamaha and Bradley Ray rode to an impressive double podium at this weekend’s trip to TT Circuit Assen, as the ninth round of the British Superbike Championship got underway to mark the start of the 2026 season showdown.

For McAMS Yamaha, the weekend at TT Circuit Assen kicked off with encouraging sensations. Aboard the Yamaha R1, Ray topped both Free Practice sessions, clocking a 1:35.492 to sit under the lap record ahead of Pre-Qualifying.

A small crash in the opening stages of Pre-Qualifying left the 29-year-old eleventh at the chequered flag, scraping into Qualifying 2 by the skin of his teeth. With the issue diagnosed and clear pace already on the board, the R1 crew headed into race day in confident spirits.

The challenges continued as Saturday got underway. Despite further adjustments to the R1, tricky wet conditions and a mis-judged tyre choice in Qualifying 2 left Ray thirteenth on the grid for the weekend’s opening race.

Despite a shaky start that saw him slip to sixteenth early on, Ray fought his way back through the field with real determination, picking off eleven riders to bring home a fifth-place finish.

That opening-race charge also earned him a spot on the second row for Sunday’s Sprint, giving the team plenty to smile about after a trying Saturday at the Dutch circuit.

Sunday afternoon’s 12-lap Sprint Race was delayed and shortened after a technical failure on Rory Skinner’s R1 triggered a red flag before the lights had even dropped.

Starting from fourth on the grid for the reduced 10-lap race, Ray made his intentions clear early, passing Ryan Vickers on Lap 3 to move into podium contention. He set the fastest lap of the race that same lap, banking pole position for the weekend’s final race with a 1:36.060 – but he wasn’t finished yet.

Chasing down Scott Redding and Kyle Ryde ahead of him, Ray began eating into the gap to second place, taking tenths at a time off Ryde before completing the pass on Lap 7 as rain began to fall. Worsening conditions then brought out the red flag on Lap 8, handing Ray and the team an early but well-earned runner-up finish.

The third and final race of the weekend produced a sensational three-way battle between Ray and rivals Ryde and Redding, ultimately ending with Ray claiming second place to cap off the weekend with a double podium.

Starting from pole position, the McAMS Yamaha R1 rider remained in the front fight throughout, slipping back to second in the early stages before applying pressure on Ryde ahead.

Showing clear intent to pass and take control of the race, Ray made several attempts on the lead. The #28 rider worked hard to make an overtake stick, but once ahead, struggled to keep Ryde at bay for more than a few corners, as Redding watched the pair trade positions from third.
With the front three running elbow to elbow as the pack began the final lap, the win was anyone’s for the taking. Overtaken by Redding and now sat in third, Ray rode with intent while Redding pushed Ryde hard for the lead.

A last-gasp dive for victory at the final chicane didn’t pay off for Redding, who ran wide and compromised his drive to the line. The McAMS Yamaha rider seized his chance on the run to the flag, storming through to claim second place after 17 laps of intense battle.

As Donington Park awaits for the penultimate round of 2026, Ray remains third in the overall standings, 42 points behind Redding in second. With the series returning to UK soil in two weeks’ time, McAMS Yamaha remain hungry to close out the year on a high note.

In the Quattro Group British Supersport camp, Currie and Truelove wrapped up Friday in seventh and twelfth overall respectively, both making steady progress but keen for further improvement with the Yamaha R9.

Braving wet conditions on Saturday morning, Currie went on to claim twelfth at the flag with a 1:48.709. Truelove, meanwhile, struggled to find a competitive lap time in worsening rain and ended the session on the final row of the grid.

Come lights out for Race 1, the pair showed encouraging intent to progress through the field. Truelove, starting from the back row, made up ten positions in the opening lap alone and brought the Yamaha R9 home in a hard-earned sixteenth, narrowly missing out on points.

Currie also enjoyed a strong race, taking the flag in eighth to secure an improved ninth-place grid spot for Sunday’s Feature Race.

Despite an improved grid position for Race 2, it wasn’t meant to be for the Australian, with a tumble on Lap 4 ending his race prematurely – despite showing improved pace and setting his fastest lap of the weekend by over half a second. Teammate Truelove fought through the pack to bring home a strong eighth place finish to round off the weekend.

Heading to the penultimate round of the season at Donington Park in two weeks’ time, Truelove and Currie sit sixth and seventh respectively.