October 1, 2023

Bridewell And Irwin Still Top The Table After Difficult Donington

Despite a very testing weekend at the penultimate round of the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Donington Park, the BeerMonster Ducati duo of Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell endured another difficult day today but still lead the series in first and second position going into the final round at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time.

After yesterday’s lottery of tyre choice in the changing conditions which saw neither rider score points in the BikeSocial Sprint race, hopes were high for today’s opening race despite Irwin starting from row four and Bridewell on the back of the grid.

Both riders made excellent starts with Glenn up to second at the end of the opening lap and Tommy already in 15th. Glenn soon took the lead as Tommy continued to move forward, working his way up into the top ten on lap four and then into the top five four laps later. By then, spots of rain were falling, and less than two seconds covered the leading seven riders as Bridewell hit the front followed by Irwin.

But as the lead continued to change, going into the Melbourne Hairpin, Bridewell clattered into the back of his teammate sending the pair crashing out and adding no points to their tally for a second race running. Yamaha’s Kyle Ryde took the win from Leon Haslam (BMW) which meant 33.5pts covered the four riders in the points table.


The final race of the weekend, held in fully wet conditions, saw the pair line up on the grid next to each other in fourth and fifth but Glenn’s race was over almost straightaway, retiring at the first corner with a technical issue. Tommy, meanwhile, ran in fifth in the early stages before dropping back and with the race ending early after Haslam’s bike expired, he claimed ninth at the flag which saw him reclaim the championship lead.


The race was won by Yamaha’s Jason O’Halloran ahead of Christian Iddon (Ducati) and Josh Brookes (BMW) to leave Bridewell in the lead of the series, 7.5 points ahead of Irwin with Ryde in third a further 27.5 points back and Haslam in fourth. The three races at Brands Hatch offer 35 points each for a win.

Glenn Irwin: “This weekend has highlighted the highs and lows of racing, particularly the latter but it’s part of the job and it’s left the championship on a knife edge. I felt good in the first race and was pretty much in cruise mode until the spots of rain began to fall which led me to back off a bit. The incident with Tommy happened but I bear no resentment, we put it behind us and moved on to the last race. I had a good feeling in the wet but, unfortunately, a throttle sensor went so we ended the weekend with no points. The points table could have looked a lot different but I’m only 7.5pts behind Tommy and mentally I feel in a good place and I’m so fortunate to ride for such a good team.”
 
Tommy Bridewell: “I’m sore after today’s crash and worn out emotionally after the weekend. Without doubt it’s been a tough day and a rollercoaster of a meeting and whilst the incident in the first race was bad for all of us, it was just a racing incident, but I apologised to Glenn and his team as it was obviously disappointing for both of us. I felt so strong on the bike and to come from last on the grid to lead after eight laps is almost unheard of in BSB so it’s a real shame it happened. In the final race, I had a few visibility issues, but I came here half a point behind in the championship standings and I’m leaving 7.5pts in the lead so I’m feeling positive going into the final round at Brands.”


John Mowatt, Team Co-Ordinator: “It’s been a tough day in a manner of ways but with the way the results went today, I think we’ve dodged a bullet as the championship table could be a lot closer than what it is. What happened in the first race was a racing incident and could have happened to anyone, it’s just more unfortunate when the person you take out is your teammate. No-one intends to do that in racing and at the end of the day, they’re human beings competing in a pressure situation and today Tommy made a mistake with both riders paying the price. After six wins on the bounce, it’s a shame the run has ended the way it has but we can be grateful that we’re still first and second in the championship and still with a bit of a buffer to the rest of the field.”


Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (16 laps)

1 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)


2 Leon Haslam (BMW)


3 Christian Iddon (Ducati)


4 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)


5 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)


6 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)


DNF Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)


DNF Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)


Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three (15 laps)


1 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)

2 Christian Iddon (Ducati)

3 Josh Brookes (BMW)

4 Charlie Nesbitt (Honda)

5 Jack Kennedy (Yamaha)

6 Storm Stacey (Kawasaki)

9 Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)


DNF Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) 


Championship Standings (after ten rounds)


1 Bridewell 368pts


2 Irwin 360.5


3 Ryde 333

4 Haslam 327

5 Jackson 324.5

6 O’Halloran 317.5



 
Pictures courtesy of Double Red: Glenn Irwin (2) and Tommy Bridewell (46) at Donington Parkrk.

PODIUMS, POINTS AND PRIZES FOR HAGER PBM DUCATI

May 18, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati team heads home from Donington Park fired up for the rest of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike season after rider Glenn Irwin clinched a second and a third in today’s two races. Irwin narrowly missed out on what could have been two wins at the iconic Derbyshire track – but he and the team leave feeling excited about the rest of the year after a strong performance. It had been a tougher start to the weekend as the team struggled with a few niggling issues, but after topping Friday’s timesheets, Irwin clocked the third quickest time in Qualifying to line up on the front row for Saturday’s race. Moving into second position at Turn One, he settled into a good rhythm and as he found himself in a three-way battle, took the lead on Lap Eight. However, a few issues struck in closing laps which left him unable to hold off his rivals and he slipped back to fourth. Determined to make amends on Sunday, Irwin once again started from third on the grid. Getting a good start, he was up to second by the end of Lap Two and quickly began reeling in leader Bradley Ray. A move for the front at the Fogarty Esses on the fourth lap didn’t pay off but he wasn’t giving up, quickly closing back in on his rival. On Lap Eight, he tried again to dive down the inside at the same spot but wasn’t able to make it, running down the slip road and slipping back to fourth. He fought hard in the remaining four laps to catch the bike ahead, making the move into the chicane on the final lap to secure third place. It was another front row start for the final race and he held third place into Turn One, settling into position for the opening laps. By Lap Eight he was challenging Rory Skinner for third and as the race reached the halfway point on Lap 10, he made the move into Turn One and moved into second position. More than two seconds adrift of leader Ray, Irwin put his head down and pushed hard, quickly reducing the gap and with three laps to go was just 0.296 behind. Once again, he tried a move at the Fogarty Esses but wasn’t able to make it work and despite pushing on, wasn’t able to pass. He crossed the line just 0.396secs behind his rival and picked up another strong haul of points. He also set a new lap record, with a 1min 28.832s on the penultimate lap. Glenn Irwin: “We’ve had a fourth, a third and a second so we’re going in the right direction. Race one was really, really tough. We had a limiting factor with the bike on Friday and Saturday which wasn’t rectified until Sunday morning, and it was a good chunk better today. “I think the Sprint race was one that we could’ve won but we made a mistake. I think in the last race we played the right game, we were patient and again we could perhaps have won. I made a similar mistake at the same corner and it left us a lot of work to do with two laps to go. “Setting a new lap record on Lap 19 was good and we may have lost a couple of points but at this stage of the year, two points here or there is nothing and I’m quite happy either way. “Hats off to the team because they worked very hard this weekend and they gave me something that was missing and it’s so much better now. We now have a bit of a break, I’ll head to the TT for 10 days and chill out but keep training hard, working harder and trust that the wins will come.” Frank Bird Jnr, Team Co-owner: “It’s been a very positive weekend, very consistent, which is obviously a good sign. We got there with the bike setup, I think we’ve found what we were missing at Oulton Park. “It’s still only the second round so everyone is still getting into it, learning the bike, learning the new tyre but thank you to all the boys, they’ve been mega all weekend and have really worked hard. “Glenn rode his heart out in all three races and we are definitely in the mix…now we will just keep going and look forward to the rest of the season.” The championship now takes a break until mid June, when the pack will resume duties at Snetterton.

ROUND TWO BECKONS FOR HAGER PBM DUCATI

May 14, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati squad is heading to Donington Park this weekend as the second round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship roars into action at the iconic track. The team and rider Glenn Irwin will be looking to build on their success at the opening round, where the Northern Irishman clinched two second place finishes, putting him third in the championship chase but equal on 32 points with his rivals sitting first and second. It’s been a tough fortnight where the racing community has mourned the loss of riders Owen Jenner and Shane Richardson – and the team has been particularly affected by the death of Owen, a close friend of owners Jordan, Frank and other team members. Now, hopes are high that the team and Irwin can deliver a string of podium finishes this weekend, with performances which both boys would be proud of. Glenn Irwin, rider: “Looking ahead to the weekend you almost feel a little bit guilty, because obviously we all want to continue to pay our respects to Owen and Shane’s families, and when we look back at Oulton Park, the whole event is overshadowed by this sadness. “But if I was to look just purely at the riding side of things and the teamwork, I felt we did a good job. We had some difficult moments but we did well to come from 14 th to second in Race One and particularly Race two, after four laps we were 3.3 off and eight laps later to only be 0.1 off the win was very pleasing. “I think as riders, we all know what we achieved in terms of race pace over the two races, we only ever took time out of Bradley (Ray) and Leon (Haslam) and for me that was confidence inspiring. I think we fired our own warning shots without winning races which is important for our own confidence and important to cement ourselves in the thoughts of our rivals as well. “This weekend and the whole championship in general is going to be close. The three of us who were in it at Oulton will be there, I expect Kyle (Ryde) to be there and Danny Kent to also join the party this weekend…it’s going to be a good one.” Jordan Bird, Team Co-owner: “As usual, we are ready for business this weekend - although this one is a little different. We race at Donington Park for Owen and Shane. “Of course, we have a job to do but our thoughts will never be far away from both of them and we continue to send our love and best wishes to their families. “We know it’s going to be a tough weekend in many ways for the team and for the paddock as a whole but we look forward to doing the best job we possibly can in memory of Owen and Shane.”  Round Two of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship gets underway at Donington Park this Friday, May 16 with two free practice sessions ahead of Qualifying and Race One on Saturday, followed by two further races on Sunday, May 18.
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