August 27, 2023

Irwin Gets Back To Winning Ways At Cadwell Park

BeerMonster Ducati rider Glenn Irwin reminded everyone that he was still a major contender in the fight for the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship when he scorched to a superb victory in today’s BikeSocial Sprint race at Cadwell Park.

Having started on the front row of the grid following the 15-minute Omologato Superpole qualifying session, the Carrickfergus, County Antrim rider had to fend off a concerted challenge from his rivals to land his fifth victory of the year around the 2.18-mile Lincolnshire circuit.


With sporadic rain affecting the day’s proceedings, the 12-lap race took place in cloudy but dry conditions and saw Irwin lead from start to finish in his 200th race as he brought the factory supported BeerMonster Ducati home to a deserved victory and in doing so, reduced the gap to series leader and teammate Tommy Bridewell to 19.5 points.

Bridewell, meanwhile, managed to claim fifth place following on from him starting the race on row three of the grid on the second of Paul Bird’s bikes as he looked to improve after a tough start to the weekend.


The Devizes, Wiltshire rider got a good start although a clash with another rider early on set him back, but he gamely battled back to challenge the leading bunch but had to settle for fifth at the chequered flag.


Glenn Irwin: “It’s been a while since I won a race, so it was about time! We’ve been plugging away all weekend and I knew I had the pace to win, but I had to ride defensively at times. I got a good start and felt comfortable after we’d made some changes to the bike. Cadwell is tough to pass at and I was expecting a challenge, but it never really came. I’m feeling good, that was my first win here at Cadwell so hopefully we can maintain the momentum into tomorrow’s races.”


Tommy Bridewell: “It’s proving to be a tougher weekend than what I expected if I’m being honest. We’re getting a lot closer to getting me feeling comfortable on the bike and when you put it into perspective, fifth place just over a second and a half off the win isn’t a disaster. I’ve surrendered a few points to Glenn, but the key here is to get a good start so hopefully we can work on the data and improve tomorrow and get our championship challenge back on track.”


Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “A fantastic result for everyone connected to PBM BeerMonster Ducati, which was just what we needed after a difficult Thruxton, and what a perfect way to bounce back. Tomorrow’s races will be every bit as close, with at least five or six riders in the mix for the race win including both Glenn and Tommy so hopefully we can repeat today’s victory.”


Bridewell enjoys that 19.5-point lead over Irwin, who in turn, extended his advantage over third-placed Jason O’Halloran to 30 points going into tomorrow’s two races over 18 laps each.


British Superbike Championship – BikeSocial Sprint race (12 laps)


1 Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)


2 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)


3 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)


4 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)


5 Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)

  
6 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)


Championship Positions


1 Bridewell 274pts


2 Irwin 254.5


3 O’Halloran 224.5

4 Ryde 224


5 Haslam 201


6 Jackson 195.5


Pictures courtesy of Double Red: Glenn Irwin (2) and Tommy Bridewell (46) at Cadwell Park

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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