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.

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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