September 25, 2021

Double Podium For VisionTrack Ducati At Oulton

The VisionTrack Ducati pairing of Josh Brookes and Christian Iddon got the Bennetts British Superbike Championship Showdown underway in fine style at Oulton Park this afternoon with second and third place finishes respectively in the opening race of the weekend.

The results were all the more crucial with championship leader Jason O’Halloran crashing out with two laps to go and the title standings have now closed up considerably, Iddon now just 29 points off the series lead.

 

The weekend started positively from the outset and after topping the times during Friday’s free practice sessions, held in good, dry conditions, Brookes was able to do it in the damp too. Indeed, an inspired decision to fit an intermediate rear tyre in this morning’s qualifying session enabled him to claim pole position for the afternoon’s race with Iddon heading up the third row in a solid seventh.

 

Conditions were perfect for the race and although positions changed on a number of occasions in the first half of the 14-lapper, it was Brookes who led more often than not from O’Halloran, Iddon, Tarran Mackenzie and Lee Jackson.

As the race entered its final third, O’Halloran took the lead and looked to make a break but in doing so, he pushed a little too hard and crashed out at Hizzy’s which put Josh back into the lead.

 

However, he still had Mackenzie, Christian and Jackson for close company and it was O’Halloran’s team-mate Mackenzie who edged ahead at Hizzy’s on the final lap. He held on for the win from Josh and Christian but their podium finishes, and O’Halloran’s demise has put them right back into title contention with eight races of the Showdown still to go.

 

Josh Brookes: “Irrespective of wins and podiums, I’m just pleased to be back in the fight again and it’s nice to be racing hard at the head of the field. I felt good leading and although Jason got by on a few occasions, it was never more than for a few corners although I could see he was making a few mistakes. When the attack came from Taz, I didn’t have the grip to fight with him and couldn’t get close to even attempt a pass, but I can’t complain with second. At the same time, now I’m back in the fight, I want to win races again, so we’ll keep pressing on and see what tomorrow brings. It’s a good start to the Showdown especially for the team with two bikes back on the podium.”

 

Christian Iddon: “Third place is a good start to the Showdown and our title hopes. I got a good start from the thirdrow which made my life that little bit easier and could see Jason and Josh were battling hard at the front. Taz and I were also battling hard but not enough to lose any ground and when Jason crashed, it changed the complexion of the race. I’m not sure why but the pace slowed quite a bit and I didn’t quite have the package to push any harder. After an average qualifying session though, a podium is fantastic and it’s all to play for now.”

 

Johnny Mowatt, Team Coordinator: “On the one hand, I’m a little bit disappointed we didn’t get a win today but on the other hand, second and third place finishes is a good start to the Showdown – and with Jason’s demise, we’re right back in there. You don’t want to get your results due to your main rivals’ misfortune but when the opportunity is handed to you, you have to grab it with both hands. We’ve done exactly that and fair play to both riders, especially Josh for hanging on in there. He was a long way adrift three to four rounds ago but has clawed his way back and anything’s possible now. It looks like the grip levels weren’t there in the closing stages, particularly in sector two, despite running the harder tyre but our overall pace is good. The package is working well so we’ll look to do it all again – and hopefully go one better – tomorrow.”

 

Sunday’s races are scheduled to take place at 13:10 and 16:15.

 

Bennetts British Superbike Championship – BikeSocial race one (14 laps)

1 Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha)

2 Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati)

3 Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati)

4 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)

5 Peter Hickman (BMW)

6 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)

 

Championship Positions

1 O’Halloran 1071pts

2 Mackenzie 1066

3 Iddon 1042

4 Bridewell 1034

5 Hickman 1026

6 Brookes 1022

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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