March 31, 2023

BeerMonster Ducati Conclude Testing Ahead of BSB Series Opener

BeerMonster Ducati riders Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell concluded their on-track preparations at Silverstone yesterday ahead of the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship which kicks off there over the Easter weekend.

Aboard the F23-specification BeerMonster Ducati V4R machines, both riders spun some laps in the wet conditions which plagued the third of the official BSB tests around the 1.64-mile National Circuit and ruled out any meaningful lap times.
 
Buoyed by their successful test at Navarra in Spain earlier in the month, both Ulsterman Irwin and Wiltshire ace Bridewell recorded around 35 laps each on Wednesday at Silverstone after sitting out all of Tuesday’s action because of the weather but despite the inclement conditions, both riders are raring to go when the action starts in earnest on Good Friday.

Glenn won all three races at the season opener at Silverstone last season before going on to finish runner-up in the final standings whilst Tommy, who finished third in the title race in 2022, is looking to kick off the season with a debut Silverstone victory.
 
Glenn Irwin: “That’s pre-season testing done. We had an enjoyable time at Navarra and got great feeling with the bike with a clear understanding and then did a few laps in the wet at Silverstone. I’m reasonably happy as there are areas where the package is strong but there are some that we need to keep working on and to improve. Because of the weather in the UK, no one has had much dry track time so going into round one, everyone is unsure as to where they are at. Hopefully next Friday will be dry and we can all see where we are at so I’m looking for a strong start to the season.”
 
Tommy Bridewell: “I’ve got a really positive feeling ahead of the season and I’ve made a good transition to the PBM BeerMonster Ducati team. My priority has been to better understand the new Ducati V4R and the way it works. It’s a lot different to the previous model and a real breath of fresh air, it’s all that I’ve been missing. We’ve hardly changed the bike during the testing we did, we didn’t get too many laps in but it’s still been very productive. I’m glad we got some time in the wet conditions as that was a big positive for me too so I’m confident rolling into the opening round.”
 
John Mowatt, Team Co-Ordinator: “The Silverstone test proved to be tough with difficult conditions on both days. The track temperature on Tuesday was too low for us to attempt any meaningful laps but although it was still wet, it warmed up sufficiently for us to get a few laps in on Wednesday. It was important track time for both Glenn and Tommy on the new F23 bikes and we gained some valuable data. Now we start our final preparations for the opening round at Silverstone over Easter which the whole team is looking forward to and we can’t wait to go racing again.”
 
The opening round of the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Silverstone over the Easter weekend from 7/9 April. 
 
 
Images (courtesy of Double Red): Glenn Irwin (2) and Tommy Bridewell (46) finished pre-season testing in the wet conditions at Silverstone ahead of round one next weekend.

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.
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