May 22, 2022

Solid Points For Brookes And Sykes At Donington

The MCE Ducati team ended round three of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Donington Park today in a positive fashion with Tom Sykes and Josh Brookes racking up solid points in both races inside the top eight.

The results from yesterday’s eBay Sprint race meant that the duo lined up in 12th and 13th on the grid for today’s opening 26-lap race with ex World Superbike champion Sykes the higher placed of the two riders and with good conditions all around the 1.97-mile National circuit, they both gained a place on the opening lap.

 

Positions remained static for much of the race although Sykes did get as high as ninth on the factory-supported and MCE Insurance-backed Ducati Panigale V4R but by half race distance, the PBM pairing were running close together around the fringes of the top ten. In the closing stages, former double BSB champion Brookes managed to overhaul his teammate and so it was the Australian who claimed tenth with Yorkshireman Sykes taking his second successive 11th place of the weekend.

The final race saw the two riders start alongside each other on the fourth row and although they slipped back in the early stages, a safety car period allowed them to close back up to the group ahead and from lap ten onwards they steadily moved forward.

 

A couple of laps later, they were both running inside the top ten with Brookes moving up to seventh on lap 18. It looked like he’d secure the position, but Huddersfield’s Sykes had other ideas and he took over the position in the closing stages of the race to take his best result of the season. Brookes took the chequered flag right behind in eighth which moved him up into the top ten of the championship standings at this early stage of the season.

 

Tom Sykes: “We’re continually making changes to understand the bike more and find solutions so a big thanks to the team and whilst we know we’re not where we want to be, everyone’s staying patient. The final race of the weekend was obviously the best and, in some sectors, I was quicker than some of the other riders and able to make some clean passes. With a clear track, I was able to ride more naturally with strong lap times right up until the end of the race. We’ve two strong riders in the team and there’s no doubting the capabilities of anything, anywhere so we’ll keep improving as I’m very keen to taste the champagne again!”

 

Josh Brookes: “We’ve made marginal progress today, but it’s been progress nonetheless and the bike felt better in the final race. The grip was better and for the first time in a while, I was able to battle with other riders, so it was nice to pass people and race people again! We know we’ve several issues that still need to be resolved and whilst it’s hard to be excited with eighth and 11th, it’s still nice to make a step forward and close the gaps. There’s a long way to go so we’ll keep trying as we all want to be back at the sharp end.”

 

Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s been a positive end to the weekend and nice to see the riders end their weekend on a bit of a high. We’ve a few fundamental limitations with the bike at present so can’t be happy with the results and whilst the way Tom and Josh ride is totally different, their lap times are ultimately similar. We need to get to the bottom of the issues and address them fully whilst we also need to be stronger in qualifying as grid position is really hindering us.”

 

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (26 laps)

1 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)

2 Bradley Ray (Yamaha)

3 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)

4 Peter Hickman (BMW)

5 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

6 Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha)

10 Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati)

11 Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati)

 

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three (26 laps)

1 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)

2 Bradley Ray (Yamaha)

3 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)

4 Rory Skinner (Kawasaki)

5 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)

6 Christian Iddon (Suzuki)

7 Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati)

8 Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati)

 

Current standings

1 Ray 158pts

2 O’Halloran 130

3 Jackson 125

4 Ryde 117

5 Skinner 116

6 Irwin 107

10 Brookes 52

14 Sykes 32

 

 

Pictures courtesy of Double Red: Josh Brookes (25) and Tom Sykes (66).

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.
More Posts