July 22, 2023

Bridewell Increases Championship Lead At Damp Brands Hatch

BeerMonster Ducati rider Tommy Bridewell further extended his lead in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship today following a wet race at Brands Hatch despite only managing a seventh-place finish.

After scorching to pole position as the rains came for round six of the series, Bridewell was confident going into the 12-lap Bike Social Sprint race and hit the front from the start.
 
However, he started to slip back as he suffered a misted visor and was holding seventh place when the red flags came out due to an oil spillage and because of the extent which needed an extensive clean up operation, the race was declared as of seven laps and half points awarded.

Teammate Glenn Irwin also struggled in the wet conditions and after starting seventh on the grid for the opening race, he settled into eighth place in the early stages as the rain continued to fall. But like Bridewell, he too suffered with issues during the race with a lack of grip and when the race was stopped early, he was classified in tenth place.
 
Tommy Bridewell: “Today’s race was very much damage limitation as we had a few issues which held us back. In qualifying the bike was brilliant, as it was in the dry, but in the race, I was struggling as I couldn’t physically see from the second lap onwards. I couldn’t see my pit board and could only really see the red light from the bike in front of me, so it wasn’t pleasant at all. It was disappointing as I felt I could have won the race but there’s a bit of joy too as none of the riders in front of me are championship rivals and with Glenn finishing behind me, I increased my lead slightly. Tomorrow’s another day and the weather looks good so I’m confident of being in a better position in the races.”
 
Glenn Irwin: “Everything’s gone well in the dry and in both FP3 and FP4 I was strong and although seventh on the grid wasn’t ideal, I felt confident of moving forward in the race. However, I also felt confident Tommy could win as he looked so strong but we both struggled in the race, and it felt like I had no grip. Fortunately for me, Tommy was only a couple of places ahead of me and with the half points, I’ve only lost marginally to him in the standings. It could have been a lot worse but tomorrow’s looking dry although I’m 14th on the grid for the first race so will have to pull some big moves to make up ground.”
 
Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “All in all, it’s been a positive weekend so far and both riders have shown exceptional pace in the dry, both over one lap and over longer race runs. They worked hard again in the practice sessions but obviously the rain came along which presented a different challenge but Tommy rode well to get pole position. Glenn opted for the harder tyre initially which was the wrong way to go and lost him time but both riders were confident for the race. Conditions were worse and both experienced problems in their first race on the bike in the wet but used their heads, rode solidly, and picked up more points than their main rivals. Tomorrow looks dry so we’ll go again then.”
 
The result sees Bridewell extend his lead in the series to 26.5 points over Irwin who in turn increased his lead in second place to 23.5 points ahead of Kyle Ryde going into tomorrow’s two races over 20 laps each.
 
 British Superbike Championship – BikeSocial Sprint race (7 laps)
1 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
2 Danny Kent (Honda)
3 Christian Iddon (Ducati)
4 Jack Kennedy (Yamaha)
5 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)
6 Leon Haslam (BMW)
 7 Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)
10 Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
 
 Championship Positions
 1 Bridewell 221.5pts
2 Irwin 195
3 Ryde 171.5
4 Brookes 169.5
5 Haslam 169
6 O’Halloran 138.5
 
Pictures courtesy of Double Red: Glenn Irwin (2) and Tommy Bridewell (46) at Brands Hatch

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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