April 8, 2023

Podium Joy For Bridewell In Silverstone Opener

The BeerMonster Ducati team got their 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship campaign underway in fine style at Silverstone this afternoon with the opening race of the weekend seeing Tommy Bridewell and Glenn Irwin claim second and fifth place finishes, respectively.

Both riders had run consistently in the top ten during the three practice sessions aboard the F23-specification BeerMonster Ducati V4R machines, but Bridewell really shone in qualifying to not only lap two tenths of a second inside the lap record but also give the Penrith-based team their first pole position since September 2021 as Irwin qualified in fifth.
 
That gave the duo plenty of confidence ahead of the 22-lap BikeSocial Sprint race around the 1.64-mile National circuit and it was Bridewell who led in the early stages with Irwin slotting into fifth, as it quickly became a six-rider battle for the lead.

Positions continually changed but Bridewell never dropped lower than fourth and in the closing laps, he dug deep to move back into second, crossing the line 0.444s behind race winner Kyle Ryde. Teammate Irwin, meanwhile, ran in sixth for the middle third of the race but overhauled Jack Kennedy for fifth in the closing stages to make it two BeerMonster Ducatis in the top five.
 
Tommy Bridewell: “It was a good race and I’m proud of the team after the hard times they’ve had so for me to come in and give them a pole position and a podium straightaway has ticked a lot of boxes. After qualifying we knew we had good pace but until you get into the race, you can never be quite sure, but I really enjoyed it. When I saw there were seven laps to go, I knew I needed to pull my finger out and I was able to put the bike where I wanted and make the passes where I wanted. I felt strong and translating pole position into a podium is really good, so it bodes well for tomorrow.”
 
Glenn Irwin: “It was a good first race for me back on the Ducati and it was most definitely a learning race, but we were in the mix throughout and know what changes we need to make for tomorrow. The power delivery is one thing we’ll alter, particularly for turn three but if we’d have been offered two top fives in the first race, we’d have bitten your hand off. The F23 V4R looks to be a good step forward from the previous model and hats off to Tommy for putting it on the podium so with longer races tomorrow, I’m confident of improving upon today’s result.”
 
Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s been a great start to the season and after qualifying went well, both riders put in two strong rides. Tommy’s not known as an out and out qualifier but fair play to him for taking pole and you could see how settled he looked in the race. He picked his moments to pass and was able to push on in the closing stages so with an extra eight laps tomorrow, it looks good. For Glenn, it was a learning race as he gets used to the Ducati once more, but he wasn’t a million miles away and, again, the signs are very good. Full credit to the boys and to Ducati and the team. Ducati have given us a great package in the F23R and whilst the last few weeks have been challenging with some long hours, the team have pulled it out of the bag so it’s great to have started in the manner that we have.”
 

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race one – BikeSocial Sprint (22 laps)
1 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
2 Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)
3 Josh Brookes (BMW)
4 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)
5 Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
6 Leon Haslam (BMW)
 
Images courtesy of Double Red: Tommy Bridewell (46) and Glenn Irwin (2) in action at Silverstone.

PODIUMS, POINTS AND PRIZES FOR HAGER PBM DUCATI

May 18, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati team heads home from Donington Park fired up for the rest of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike season after rider Glenn Irwin clinched a second and a third in today’s two races. Irwin narrowly missed out on what could have been two wins at the iconic Derbyshire track – but he and the team leave feeling excited about the rest of the year after a strong performance. It had been a tougher start to the weekend as the team struggled with a few niggling issues, but after topping Friday’s timesheets, Irwin clocked the third quickest time in Qualifying to line up on the front row for Saturday’s race. Moving into second position at Turn One, he settled into a good rhythm and as he found himself in a three-way battle, took the lead on Lap Eight. However, a few issues struck in closing laps which left him unable to hold off his rivals and he slipped back to fourth. Determined to make amends on Sunday, Irwin once again started from third on the grid. Getting a good start, he was up to second by the end of Lap Two and quickly began reeling in leader Bradley Ray. A move for the front at the Fogarty Esses on the fourth lap didn’t pay off but he wasn’t giving up, quickly closing back in on his rival. On Lap Eight, he tried again to dive down the inside at the same spot but wasn’t able to make it, running down the slip road and slipping back to fourth. He fought hard in the remaining four laps to catch the bike ahead, making the move into the chicane on the final lap to secure third place. It was another front row start for the final race and he held third place into Turn One, settling into position for the opening laps. By Lap Eight he was challenging Rory Skinner for third and as the race reached the halfway point on Lap 10, he made the move into Turn One and moved into second position. More than two seconds adrift of leader Ray, Irwin put his head down and pushed hard, quickly reducing the gap and with three laps to go was just 0.296 behind. Once again, he tried a move at the Fogarty Esses but wasn’t able to make it work and despite pushing on, wasn’t able to pass. He crossed the line just 0.396secs behind his rival and picked up another strong haul of points. He also set a new lap record, with a 1min 28.832s on the penultimate lap. Glenn Irwin: “We’ve had a fourth, a third and a second so we’re going in the right direction. Race one was really, really tough. We had a limiting factor with the bike on Friday and Saturday which wasn’t rectified until Sunday morning, and it was a good chunk better today. “I think the Sprint race was one that we could’ve won but we made a mistake. I think in the last race we played the right game, we were patient and again we could perhaps have won. I made a similar mistake at the same corner and it left us a lot of work to do with two laps to go. “Setting a new lap record on Lap 19 was good and we may have lost a couple of points but at this stage of the year, two points here or there is nothing and I’m quite happy either way. “Hats off to the team because they worked very hard this weekend and they gave me something that was missing and it’s so much better now. We now have a bit of a break, I’ll head to the TT for 10 days and chill out but keep training hard, working harder and trust that the wins will come.” Frank Bird Jnr, Team Co-owner: “It’s been a very positive weekend, very consistent, which is obviously a good sign. We got there with the bike setup, I think we’ve found what we were missing at Oulton Park. “It’s still only the second round so everyone is still getting into it, learning the bike, learning the new tyre but thank you to all the boys, they’ve been mega all weekend and have really worked hard. “Glenn rode his heart out in all three races and we are definitely in the mix…now we will just keep going and look forward to the rest of the season.” The championship now takes a break until mid June, when the pack will resume duties at Snetterton.

ROUND TWO BECKONS FOR HAGER PBM DUCATI

May 14, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati squad is heading to Donington Park this weekend as the second round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship roars into action at the iconic track. The team and rider Glenn Irwin will be looking to build on their success at the opening round, where the Northern Irishman clinched two second place finishes, putting him third in the championship chase but equal on 32 points with his rivals sitting first and second. It’s been a tough fortnight where the racing community has mourned the loss of riders Owen Jenner and Shane Richardson – and the team has been particularly affected by the death of Owen, a close friend of owners Jordan, Frank and other team members. Now, hopes are high that the team and Irwin can deliver a string of podium finishes this weekend, with performances which both boys would be proud of. Glenn Irwin, rider: “Looking ahead to the weekend you almost feel a little bit guilty, because obviously we all want to continue to pay our respects to Owen and Shane’s families, and when we look back at Oulton Park, the whole event is overshadowed by this sadness. “But if I was to look just purely at the riding side of things and the teamwork, I felt we did a good job. We had some difficult moments but we did well to come from 14 th to second in Race One and particularly Race two, after four laps we were 3.3 off and eight laps later to only be 0.1 off the win was very pleasing. “I think as riders, we all know what we achieved in terms of race pace over the two races, we only ever took time out of Bradley (Ray) and Leon (Haslam) and for me that was confidence inspiring. I think we fired our own warning shots without winning races which is important for our own confidence and important to cement ourselves in the thoughts of our rivals as well. “This weekend and the whole championship in general is going to be close. The three of us who were in it at Oulton will be there, I expect Kyle (Ryde) to be there and Danny Kent to also join the party this weekend…it’s going to be a good one.” Jordan Bird, Team Co-owner: “As usual, we are ready for business this weekend - although this one is a little different. We race at Donington Park for Owen and Shane. “Of course, we have a job to do but our thoughts will never be far away from both of them and we continue to send our love and best wishes to their families. “We know it’s going to be a tough weekend in many ways for the team and for the paddock as a whole but we look forward to doing the best job we possibly can in memory of Owen and Shane.”  Round Two of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship gets underway at Donington Park this Friday, May 16 with two free practice sessions ahead of Qualifying and Race One on Saturday, followed by two further races on Sunday, May 18.
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