February 20, 2023

Frustration For Frank Bird In Abu Dhabi

Following on from two solid points scoring outings in the opening rounds of the 2023 Asian Le Mans Series in Dubai last weekend, young Cumbrian driver Frank Bird, after a great drive in race one, endured a disappointing final race in the final two rounds which took place at the YAS Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Once again driving for the German-based Haupt Racing Team, the Penrith-born driver was at the wheel of the team’s #6 Paul Bird Motorsport-backed Mercedes-AMG GT3 along with teammates Arjun Maini from India and Frenchman Michael Blanchemain for the pair of four-hour races.
 
The team got off to a good start by posting 12th fastest time in the opening Free Practice session which they bettered to tenth in FP2. Qualifying saw the team’s amateur driver Blanchemain place the car in 19th out of the 23 GT cars ready for Saturday’s opening four hour race.

Frank made a great start by setting fastest lap out of the three teammates, where they were challenging up the order when, after swapping drivers, the Frenchman damaged a wheel bearing meaning the team lost six laps in the pits. Despite the handicap, they crossed the line in 13th place, and had it not been for the delay in the pits, Bird and the team could have been challenging for a podium finish.
 
Starting Sunday’s race from a lowly 40th on the grid, Frank drove the first stint and courtesy of another fastest lap, he was soon up to second in class as the race progressed whereby he handed over to his teammates. Sadly, however, the team suffered a techical failure which led to them retiring after 79 laps.
 
Despite the disappointment, Frank finished the four-round series in a battling 15th place overall in the GT Drivers’ class.
 
Frank Bird: “Seeing the car retire was an unfortunate way to end the 2023 Asian Le Mans Series with a DNF. I had great fun at the start of the final race, going from 20th in the GT class up to second and finally showing what we could do. When swapping over to my teammate during the race, we encountered a technical problem which forced us to retire. It’s not how we had it planned out but nevertheless I loved my time out in the UAE so thanks to the team for a mega job over the two weeks and to my teammates and of course to our sponsors and my dad."
 
Frank will be back in rally action this forthcoming weekend in the PBM team’s Silkolene, Hager and Mac Tools-backed Ford Fiesta Rally 2 as he contests the Reed Group East Riding Stages Rally which comprises the opening round of the Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship in association with Motorsport News.

 
Images: Frank Bird in action in the Asian Le Mans Series in Abu Dhabi

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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