November 28, 2022

Battling Bird Claims Second Place On Winter Stages Rally

Rallying made a welcome return to Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire today where a huge crowd witnessed a superb battle for the victory in the Swift Signs and Shirts Winter Stages Rally but for Cumbrian driver Frank Bird, he just missed out on retaining his title.

In their Dom Buckley Motorsport-prepared and Frank Bird Poultry-backed Ford Fiesta Rally 2 with assistance from Hager, Dragon Energy and Mac Tools, Penrith-born Frank and County Durham co-driver Jack Morton ended the eight stages just nine seconds adrift of winners David and Katie Henderson in a similar car.
 
With mild temperatures but a wet track because of overnight rain, Frank was three seconds down on Henderson on the opening stage but clawed a second back on SS2 and then a further two seconds on the following test meaning they could not be separated after SS3. With the track continuing to dry, Frank dropped four seconds on SS4 going into the lunch halt.

The gap increased to five seconds after SS5, but Bird gallantly set fastest time by a second on SS6 but as darkness fell, Henderson stretched his lead on the final two stages to win by nine seconds with Frank and Jack having to settle for runner-up spot.
 
Frank Bird: “We didn’t come to finish second but that’s the best we could manage today and well done to David and Katie on their win. I was disappointed not to be able to defend my title, but we struggled a bit in the changeable conditions as the grip levels varied. It was tricky at times, but it was great to see rallying back at Croft and to see the event supported so well. Thanks to my team for another great job, to Jack and to all our sponsors, we’ve had a great year.” 
 
Results
 
Swift Signs & Shirts Winter Stages Rally
1 David Henderson/Katie Henderson, Ford Fiesta Rally2 - 51:43   
2 Frank Bird/ Jack Morton, Ford Fiesta Rally2 - 51:52   
3 Joe Cunningham/Joshua Beer, Ford Fiesta - 53:19   
4 Kevin Procter/Tom Woodburn, Ford Fiesta - 53:29
5 Daniel Roskell/Sion Cunniff, Ford Fiesta R5 - 54:54   
6 Paul Swift/Jessica Swift, Ford Escort Mk2 - 55:54
7 Martin Hodgson/Tony Jones, Ford Escort Mk2 - 56:22
8 Lyndon Barton/Dave France, Ford Fiesta R5 - 56:46   
9 Joe McKeand/Charlotte McDowall, Subaru Impreza - 57:12
10 David McMullan/Marc Melhuish, Mitsubishi Evo 6 - 57:13

HAGER PBM DUCATI FIRED UP AHEAD OF OULTON PARK SEASON OPENER

May 1, 2025
HAGER PBM Ducati and rider Glenn Irwin are all set and ready for the start of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike season, as the championship roars into action this weekend at Oulton Park. The team will head to its local circuit in Cheshire for the May Bank Holiday weekend, keen to get a strong start to its 2025 campaign and looking to emulate its success from two visits there last year, when Irwin celebrated four victories from six race starts. The opening round follows a solid pre-season testing programme for the team, with Irwin topping the timesheets in two of the three R&G Official tests. Over the three events, the squad worked through a busy schedule, testing a host of new components for its Ducati Panigale V4R and while not specifically chasing lap times, were never far from the top the board. Now, as they prepare for the first round at one of their strongest tracks, the team and Irwin are feeling quietly confident they can hit the ground running and emerge from Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday with a strong haul of points to get their championship off to a flying start. Glenn Irwin: “It’s fantastic to be finally going into the opening round at Oulton Park – it’s almost seven months since the last season ended so it’s been a long wait. But now it’s time to go and put everything we’ve done, everything we’ve learnt over the off-season into practice. “We’ve had a great testing programme, there’s a new addition on my side with my rider spotter which has been a nice refresh and I’ve also made some small adjustments to my own riding style. “The team has brought some new items this year which have been nice, not performance parts but parts which can equate to performance…it’s not as simple as an extra 10 bhp or anything like that, but it’s nice to go racing with something new. “I can’t wait for the weekend and to get going. My motivation is high, so let’s go and kick-off the year with the best possible points haul for the Hager PBM Ducati team.” Frank Bird Jnr, Team Co-owner: “It’s finally time to get going. A lot of hard work has been put in over this winter, the team has had three solid tests so we should be right in the mix from the word go – that’s the plan, anyway. “It’s felt like a long wait so it’s mega that the first round is finally here. I’d like to thank all our sponsors for helping us get here and we’re all hoping we can put on a good show and bring back some trophies. “It’s fantastic to be starting the season at Oulton Park, particularly on a Bank Holiday weekend. A lot of our sponsors are north-based, it’s also our local round as a family too, so it’s obviously an important one for us. Here’s to a strong weekend and kicking-off the season with three great race results.” The 2025 Bennetts British Superbike action opens with free practice on Saturday, May 3 followed by Qualifying and Race One on Sunday, May 4. The weekend will draw to a close following two further races on Bank Holiday Monday, May 5.

IRWIN AND HAGER PBM DUCATI WRAP-UP SUCCESSFUL TESTING PROGRAMME

April 24, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati team and rider Glenn Irwin have completed another successful R&G Official test at Oulton Park, with the opening round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship now just over a week away. Irwin and the team have spent the last two days at the Cheshire track, grabbing as much track time as possible in the final days on track before the season begins. After ending last weekend’s Donington Park test on top, the team was keen to continue to push in the final two days, working through a busy schedule and trying a host of new components and ideas. Irwin ended the test second quickest overall after clocking the best lap of Thursday afternoon’s final session, banking a 1min 33.313s lap on his last run. He leaves feeling confident about next weekend’s opening round and can’t wait to get back out. Glenn Irwin: “That’s us finished pre-season testing and I’m feeling good. We’ve been working, working, working and the bike felt better today but we still have a bit of work to do. “It’s been really, really enjoyable, we’ve tried a number of different things and I think now we’re finding a bit of a balance. Today we unlocked something in that middle session, I did a good few 33s in that run so I think we’re strong. “It’s definitely been very productive. We haven’t gone for lap times, we’ve been focussed on getting the bike right and when that happens, the lap times come. That’s what we’re starting to see and I think we’re in a good place to come back next week and start the season.” Frank Bird Jnr, Team Co-owner: “It’s a mega way to finish, this puts us in really good stead for the season and we’ve got a lot of boxes ticked off with the bike. All the boys are working well, we’ve got everyone back into the swing of things and Glenn seems to be riding well, so we’re in a good window for the first round. “It’s been a long winter but all the hard work seems to be paying off and we’re right in the mix. It means we can come here for Round One and we’re in a great place to start from.” The opening round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship roars into action at Oulton Park over the May Bank Holiday weekend, May 3-5.
More Posts