Raceways Motorcycles will make a sensational return to the Bennetts British Superbike Championship in 2025 with an eleventh-hour entry for 2022 champion Bradley Ray on a Yamaha R1.
The move sees Raceways, one of the most successful teams in recent Bennetts BSB history, make a shock return to the paddock after team owner Steve Rodgers took a decision to scale-back his racing activities in 2023. Racing as the McAMS Yamaha team between 2017 and 2023, Raceways amassed a total of 42 BSB victories, 107 podiums and the 2021 teams, manufacturers and riders’ crowns with Tarran Mackenzie.
The last-minute deal follows the sudden withdrawal of OMG Racing, which left 2022 champion Ray without a ride on the eve of the 2025 season. Ray, who won the championship for Yamaha with OMG in 2022, is an 11-times BSB race winner, having stormed to the title in 2022 with nine victories and 23 podium finishes.
Ray said: “I am super happy and grateful to Steve Rodgers and Yamaha Motor UK for putting together this opportunity for me at the very last minute, it has been a bit of a whirlwind!
“Obviously it has been a very difficult couple of weeks and there has been a lot of uncertainty, but when Steve rang me with the opportunity I couldn’t say no as it’s as close as we could be to the original plan for the year – remaining with Yamaha on an R1 in BSB, which is amazing. I can’t wait to get the 2025 season started as soon as possible and be back fighting for wins up the front.”
Steve Rodgers, Team Owner, concluded: “It was never really my plan to return to racing, but following what has happened with OMG it was a huge shame to see the riders facing 2025 without a ride. We came close to signing Brad as McAMS Yamaha back in the day, so when it became clear we could do something to get him on the grid this year I couldn’t quite resist the opportunity.
“Thanks to Stuart Higgs and the team at MSV, plus the guys at Yamaha Motor UK for helping us make it happen. It’s not a simple task setting up a BSB team in a couple of weeks, but we’ll give it a go!”
The new team, ‘Raceways Yamaha’ will debut on track for the first time at the R&G Official Test at Donington Park (18/19 April), ahead of the final pre-season test at Oulton Park (23/24 April) with the first round of the season taking place at the Cheshire venue on the May Bank Holiday weekend (3/4/5 May).