September 16, 2024

Irwin Back To Winning Ways At Oulton Park

A win and a second place at Oulton Park this weekend saw Glenn Irwin and the PBM Hager Ducati team thrust themselves firmly back into contention for the title at round nine of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

Fourth in qualifying got the weekend off to a good start for Irwin and it looked like it would get better still in Saturday’s opening race, held over 18 laps in dry conditions, when he took the lead from Josh Brookes on the third lap.
 
Up to eight riders were disputing the lead at one point but Glenn kept them all at bay until lap 16 when Yamaha’s Kyle Ryde overhauled him. By this time the pack had been reduced to five riders but despite his best efforts, the Carrickfergus rider was unable to get back to the front and he had to settle for second place behind Ryde.

It was his first podium finish since Snetterton in July, but Sunday saw extremely different conditions, with wet weather seeing racing delayed by more than two hours and the first race cut to 10 laps. Starting from fourth, Glenn was quickly into the lead on the opening lap but lost time avoiding the fallen Christian Iddon meaning he dropped back to sixth. However, he fought back superbly and took the lead from BMW’s Leon Haslam on the final lap to take a brilliant victory.
 
Starting the final 15-lap race from pole position, held in damp conditions, Glenn slipped back to fifth in the early stages but as rain began to fall once more, the red flag came out on lap eight. Re-started over five laps, Irwin had to settle for ninth place at the flag but the results over the weekend have reduced the gap to the two riders ahead of him in the title chase. Glenn is now just 45 points behind series leader Tommy Bridewell with two rounds and six races remaining with battle recommencing at Donington Park in two weeks’ time.
 
Glenn Irwin: “A brilliant weekend to take a second place in the dry and then a win in the wet which I reckon was one of the best rides of my career. I thought we could go on and repeat that in race three but the track conditions changed and made it difficult. But we scored the most points out of everyone over the weekend and to take our seventh victory of the season means we are right back in the title race. The plan is to maintain the championship challenge and to keep exerting pressure on my title rivals. It was also very fitting to get the victory which I dedicated to Paul Bird, who we paid tribute to at Oulton Park this time last year, so that was very special.”
 
Frank Bird, Team co-owner: “After a few tricky rounds, it’s been great to get back to winning ways especially at our home circuit and to take 15 points out of competitors makes it doubly pleasing. We knew it was one of our strong tracks and Glenn was back to his best; he was on rails in the wet race, and it was a sublime performance. Yes, we could have been even closer to the top two, and at one stage the points gap was less than 30, but the conditions were really tricky in the last race so whilst ninth wasn’t ideal it was more points on the board. The bike is great in both the wet and dry but trickier in the mixed conditions, but it’s been a positive weekend overall and we’ll keep pushing on and never give up.”
 
 Bennetts British Superbike Championship race one (18 laps)
1 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha) 
 2 Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) +0.303s
3 Lee Jackson (Honda) +0.423s
4 Josh Brookes (BMW) +0.705s
5 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha) +1.147s
6 Leon Haslam (BMW) +4.297s
 
 Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (10 laps)
 1 Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati)
2 Danny Kent (Yamaha) +0.679s
3 Leon Haslam (BMW) +3.000s
4 Tommy Bridewell (Honda) +3.618s
5 Lewis Rollo (Aprilia)  +3.706s
6 Jason O’Halloran (Kawasaki) +4.472s
 
 Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three (5 laps)
1 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
2 Tommy Bridewell (Honda) +5.965ss
3 Storm Stacey (Kawasaki) +6.487s
4 Max Cook (Kawasaki) +12.345s
5 Danny Kent (Yamaha) +12.760s
6 Christian Iddon (Ducati) +12.766s
 9 Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) +14.790s
 
 Championship Points (after nine rounds)
1 Bridewell 334pts
2 Ryde 328
 3 Irwin 289
4 Iddon 245
5 Kent 234
6 Vickers 228
 
Pictures (courtesy of Double Red): Glenn Irwin in action at Oulton Park)

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.

IRWIN AND HAGER PBM DUCATI END SUCCESSFUL SECOND TEST ON TOP

April 19, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati team continued its strong testing form at Donington Park as rider Glenn Irwin once again ended the two days fastest overall. Although the team is still not concentrating on lap times, Irwin picked up where he left off at Circuito de Navarra earlier this month as he led the way on Friday before going even quicker on Day Two with an impressive fastest lap of 1min 27.015s in the final session. After a strong first test where he topped the timesheets at Navarra, the team headed to the second R&G Official test at Donington Park looking to work on a number of different things. Irwin was consistently quick across the opening day, ending Friday fastest overall with a 1:27.022sec lap in the final session to end the day at the top of the timesheets with what was the fastest ever BSB lap of the iconic track. Along with most of the pack, he opted to sit out of Saturday morning’s first session due to track conditions, heading out for the second to work through a few more things. He again shot to the top of the timesheets with a lap of 1:27.468, before later going one better in the final session to clock his new fastest ever lap. Glenn Irwin: “It’s been really good, like Navarra, we’ve continued with a plan. Yesterday we had a really, really strong bike here and conditions were a little better. Today conditions were tougher with the wind but everyone still finds a way to go fast. “We probably persevered with a bike which is suited to the final sector, perhaps Turn One as well. As the day went on I realised we were losing a bit in some places but we stuck with it. “It’s pleasing because I would say that isn’t the bike of choice for here, perhaps maybe yesterday's bike was better, but to top today feeling like that, to do a lot of laps in the 27s with improved pace on old tyres is good. The test has definitely been a success.” John Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “I think it’s been a positive test where we’ve confirmed a number of test items over the two days. We had slightly better conditions yesterday than today but I think we’ve ticked a lot of boxes, gone fairly quick so it’s all positive – roll on Oulton Park. “The plan there is more of the same, just keep trying to understand the new tyre, try and work with it. I think longevity is going to be the key now for Oulton Park, we’ll do a couple of race runs, see how the tyre lasts and then get ready for Round One.” The team will now prepare for the final test at Oulton Park next Wednesday and Thursday, April 23 and 24 which will be the last chance to get everything ready ahead of the first round of the 2025 season at Oulton Park over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
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