September 1, 2023

Frank Bird In Search Of Another Win At Hockenheim

The 2023 Fanatec GT Europe season resumes this weekend when the series travels to Hockenheim for the third round of the Sprint Cup campaign. 

In amongst a 41-car field which will tackle a pair of 60-minute races at the 4.6km circuit in Baden-Württemberg is Cumbrian driver Frank Bird who will again be in action for the German-based Haupt Racing Team in the PBM and Hager-backed Mercedes-AMG GT3.
 
It follows a five-week summer break whereby Penrith-born Bird, and Australian teammate Jordan Love, will be hoping to continue where they left off in Misano last month when they scorched to victory in the Silver Cup class.

The pair also took a double podium in the opening round at Brands Hatch earlier in the season so hold second place in the Silver Cup standings as a result, just three points behind the leaders Lorenzo Patrese and Alex Aka (#99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi) ahead of the two races which take place at the German track over the weekend.
 
Free Practice gets underway tomorrow (Friday) at 09:30 CET with Pre-Qualifying at 14:20. Saturday sees Qualifying 1 take place at 09:50 for the opening race which starts at 14:00. Sunday’s Qualifying 2 gets underway ay 09:55 with the second race scheduled for 14:35. 
Frank Bird, #77Mercedes-AMG Team HRT: “It will be good to get back racing and to blow the cobwebs off as it’s been a long break since Misano and it’s important we carry that momentum forward. I’m looking forward to teaming up with Jordan again and hopefully we can keep the pressure on the leaders as there’s only a couple of rounds of the Sprint Cup to go after this weekend. Hockenheim is a track that has suited the Mercedes in the past so the plan is to be competitive from the start and to give ourselves the best chance in the races with a decent qualifying position and hopefully we can get a pair of good results. The PBM BeerMonster Ducati team did well at Cadwell Park in BSB last weekend so I’m hoping to carry that form on.” 
 
For further information including a live stream, please visit https://www.gt-world-challenge-europe.com/watch-live.  Pictures courtesy of www.gt-world-challenge-europe.com

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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