September 20, 2021

Iddon And Brookes All Set For Showdown Battle

The battle for the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship starts in earnest this weekend when the title-deciding Showdown commences at Oulton Park with both VisionTrack Ducati riders Christian Iddon and Josh Brookes in contention.

After a season of contrasting fortunes, both riders secured their places in the top eight who will fight for the crown over the next three rounds starting with Paul Bird’s Lake District-based team’s local round this weekend.

 

Originally from the Peak District but now residing on Tyneside, Christian Iddon will be hoping for more success at what he considers to be his local track also. Iddon currently occupies third in the title race aboard his factory-supported VisionTrack Ducati Panigale V4 RR having taken two wins already this season.

 

He is just 45 points adrift of series leader Jason O’Halloran and arrives at Oulton Park with an enviable record having finished second in the last five races to be held there. However, three of those second places came back in June when he had to follow O’Halloran home on all three occasions so will be looking to turn the tables this time and get that elusive victory.

Teammate and defending champion Josh Brookes secured his place in the Showdown in the very last race of the main season at Silverstone two weeks ago and after a tough season, now looks to have turned the corner having scored his first podiums of the year last time out.

 

The Bedfordshire-based Australian knows he needs a huge slice of luck if he’s to add to his two BSB titles already as he is 69 points behind the series leader and in need of a number of victories. But if anyone can do it, it’s Brookes as he’s already won eight times in his career at Oulton Park and been on the podium a further 19 times so will need to add to those statistics in all three races if he’s to remain in the hunt.

 

Christian Iddon: “We are returning to a track we’ve already raced at this season and the earlier meeting at Oulton Park was a really good one for us. I’m hoping we can replicate that podium success and even challenge for some wins. It’s the first round of the Showdown so it’s now all to play for and the championship positions have been condensed dramatically. It’s vital to have a good, solid first round of the Showdown so I’m really looking forward to it. We have some great settings that work on the bike there so we’ll be dialling them back in and see how we feel and hopefully we can take some big points away from this round again.”

 

Josh Brookes: “We got over the first hurdle which was to get into the Showdown and that positive energy will carry us forward into these last three rounds. The progress we have been making over these past few rounds is very promising, but Oulton Park is a very different prospect. My hopes are high of continuing with the better results and providing we can continue where we left off at Silverstone, there’s every chance I can win some races this weekend. If we can do that, then the end of the season is going to be interesting for sure, especially with the autumn weather playing a part. My attitude is the same as always, which is to keep persevering and never give up.”

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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