October 11, 2021

Iddon And Brookes Head For Title Decider At Brands Hatch

The final round of the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship heads for Brands Hatch this week with VisionTrack Ducati rider Christian Iddon still very much in with a shout of the title.

After a brilliant triple podium performance at Donington Park last weekend, Iddon has moved to within 15 points of the series leader Tarran Mackenzie to arrive at the final round as one of four riders realistically in contention.

 

The Tyneside-based rider won at Brands Hatch earlier in the year so is feeling confident ahead of the triple-race finale where if he wins, it will be a third straight Bennetts BSB crown for Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team after the successes of Scott Redding in 2019 and Josh Brookes last year.

Iddon, who finished third in last year’s title race in his debut season for PBM, has scored a podium at each of the past three rounds so is one of the form riders coming into the season finale where 75 points are up for grabs over the weekend’s three races.

 

Teammate Josh Brookes will be handing over the crown he won last year as he can no longer retain it after a disappointing season. The recently-married 38-year-old Aussie couldn’t maintain his recent good form and after a disappointing weekend at Donington Park, is now 80 points adrift of the series lead.

 

But Bedfordshire-based Brookes will be aiming to end the season in style as he celebrates his 300th start in BSB at a track where he has enjoyed much success in the past including winning 19 races at the Kent track over the years.

 

Christian Iddon: “It’s hard to believe we are at the final round already; it’s come around really quickly. We are in a good position just 15 points off the lead and after outscoring our rivals in the past few races, that’s what I need to do again this weekend. I’m fully aware of what I have to do, and I need to get a really strong result in Saturday’s race to take the fight to my rivals on Sunday. Brands is a track I seem to go well at, and the Ducati works well around there. There are lots of things that can happen, but I’ll just do my best to control what I can and see what happens come Sunday night.”

 

Josh Brookes: “After the disappointment at Donington, things can only improve for Brands. We can only hope to finish the season on a high, but it’s been tough to get the results we’ve been looking for all season. I know this weekend won’t be any easier. We had a good feeling with the bike there earlier in the year and I love the place so a combination of those factors could mean we have a good chance. It would be great to end the season well and we’ll have a better idea after we get started. The weather may also play a part as it’s that time of year so I’m feeling pretty positive.” 

 

Images courtesy of Double Red: Josh Brookes (25) and Christian Iddon (21) 

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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