October 15, 2023

Bridewell Claims Dramatic British Superbike Title For BeerMonster Ducati

BeerMonster Ducati’s Tommy Bridewell clinched his maiden Bennetts British Superbike Championship crown at Brands Hatch today as he defeated teammate Glenn Irwin by just half a point to make it the closest end in the history of the championship.

It was Irwin who took both race victories on the day, his ninth and tenth of the season, but Bridewell’s brace of second-place finishes saw him come out on top and with it, give the PBM team an unprecedented ninth BSB title, a fitting tribute to their late team boss Paul Bird.
 
The results of Saturday’s thrilling BikeSocial Sprint race meant Glenn and Tommy lined up in second and fourth respectively for today’s opening 20-lap encounter, which saw Irwin grab the lead at the second corner as Tommy dropped back to sixth.

However, he soon regrouped and as Glenn continued to lead, Tommy moved up to third at half-race distance and when Kyle Ryde ran wide on lap 15, he took over second. For the remainder of the race, the two teammates ran nose to tail but despite the pressure he was under, Glenn held firm to take the victory ahead of Tommy.
 
It meant Tommy went into the final race of the season with a 5.5-point lead from where he lined up on pole with Glenn on the second row. What followed was nothing short of sensational as positions changed frequently in the race and, with it, the championship lead which exchanged hands on no less than eight occasions.
 
The race went right down to the wire and although Glenn did all he could by taking the win, second for Tommy was enough for him to take the title with a brave pass on Kyle Ryde on the last lap.
 
Tommy Bridewell: “Everything in my life has been built towards this and I’ve dedicated every day to my late brother Ollie and to become BSB champion, so for it to finally happen has made my life complete. Full credit to Glenn, he’s brought both the best and worst out of me and he’s pushed me like no teammate has ever done before – he’s an unbelievable rider and certainly knows how to ride a bike! When Paul Bird took me on, I told him I’d give everything, so the title is dedicated to both him and Ollie and I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in the team for the opportunity. Today was tough and tense, but we got it done.”
 
Glenn Irwin: “The maths were simple today; I had to win both races and although I did that, it wasn’t quite enough so hats off to Tommy. I tried every trick in the book, especially in the last race, and positions changed regularly, sometimes in my favour and sometimes not. The most important thing though was that I gave it everything and that’s all I can ask so full respect to Tommy. You had two guys from the same team giving it everything and all for the same reason and whilst there were ups and downs along the way, you could see today the respect we have for each other. Saturday’s race was probably what cost me, but I feel in the form of my life and a 1-2 in the championship is the best possible outcome for the Birdman.”
 
Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “What a day and what a weekend! Tense wouldn’t do it justice but after the 3-4 in yesterday’s race, it made things a bit simpler for the final day and Glenn knew he had no option other than to go for two wins with Tommy knowing he needed two seconds if that happened. As it turned out, that’s how the race panned out and maybe Glenn will regret not making his move a lap later but what’s great has been to see the lads fight it out on track cleanly and with great respect. To see them congratulate each other at the end shows what sportsmen they are. It’s been a surreal year, probably the strangest I’ll experience but the bottom line is we took 18 wins, finished 1-2 in the championship, and won both the team and manufacturer awards all after losing the boss. We had a few bumps along the way, but I can’t thank the team enough for their hard work every single weekend.”
 
Bennetts British Superbike Championship – race two (20 laps)
1 Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
2 Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)
3 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
4 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
5 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)
6 Leon Haslam (BMW)
 
Bennetts British Superbike Championship – race three (20 laps)
1 Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
2 Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)
3 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
4 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
5 Leon Haslam (BMW)
6 Christian Iddon (Ducati)
 
Final Championship standings (after 33 races)
1 Bridewell 455pts
2 Irwin 454.5
3 Ryde 422
4 Jackson 376.5
5 Haslam 369
6 O’Halloran 365.5
 

 
Pictures courtesy of Double Red: Tommy Bridewell is the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Champion with Glenn Irwin finishing runner-up.

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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