August 15, 2022

Sykes Salvages Another Top Ten At Thruxton

It was another challenging day at Thruxton on Sunday for the Lake District-based MCE Ducati team with the two Bennetts British Superbike Championship races seeing Tom Sykes claim tenth and 12th place finishes whilst teammate Josh Brookes scored a single point for 15th in the opening race of the day.

With another hot day in the Hampshire sunshine, Yorkshireman Sykes started the first race from eighth position and a superb start on the factory-supported and MCE Insurance-sponsored PBM Ducati Panigale V4R enabled him to complete the opening lap in fifth place. By lap ten, half race distance, he’d slipped back to seventh but hopes remained high of a top six finish. However, in the final third of the race, his pace dropped, and he eventually took the chequered flag in 12th place.

 

Starting the final race of the weekend back in 13th, another good start meant the former World Superbike champion advanced four places forward on the opening lap and, continually moving forward, he was up to sixth by half race distance. The second half of the race was a lot more challenging and for the final third of the race, his pace again dropped, and the end result was tenth place.

For Australian teammate Brookes, it was another challenging day, but he dug deep in the opening race and, after starting from 24th on the grid, he moved forward throughout the race and was rewarded for his efforts with 15th and a hard-earned championship point.

 

After his best showing of the weekend, the 2015 and 2020 BSB champion lined up for the final race of the weekend from 18th on the grid and again looked more competitive than earlier in the weekend. He was soon up inside the points and looking good to climb up into the top ten, but all hopes were dashed when the bike slowed on the fourth lap and he was, unfortunately, forced to retire.

 

Tom Sykes: “It’s disappointing to finish tenth and 12th as that’s not what I came to BSB for but I’m not able to do any better than that at present. It was obviously nice to be at the sharp end and run in the top six for most of each race but there was little grip left at the end in either race. I rode conservative at the beginning and waited before making my move but when the time came, there wasn’t the grip to allow me to make that move. I know both my own and the team’s capabilities, so we’ll keep working hard as it’s not in our ethic to do anything but that.”


Josh Brookes: “To come away today with just a single 15th place finish is massively disappointing but we made progress in each race and whilst it’s obviously come a bit too late, I was really happy with the bike in the last race. It was chaotic in the first few laps, like BSB often is, but I out drove some riders at the back of the track which was a real thrill as I hadn’t been able to do that all weekend. The changes to the set-up worked and the bike was working really well but all of a sudden, it stopped, like the ignition had been turned off or something. It’s frustrating that we couldn’t show the improvements in an end result, but I never give up and my spirits have improved so I’ll come out fighting at Cadwell.”


Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “After a top ten finish yesterday, hopes were high for Tom improving upon that today but although he ran as high as the top six in each race, he had no grip for the last five laps, and he dropped back. It’s a shame as it was the best form he’d shown all season. For Josh, he ended the weekend a lot more optimistic as the changes he and the team made for the final race worked as they’d hoped. He was definitely on course for his best result of the weekend, but it wasn’t to be, and we’ll need to check the bike and data to find out what happened. He never stopped trying, which is typical of Josh but, unfortunately, we haven’t given him the tools for the job and one point from the last five races means getting into the Showdown will be a mammoth task.”

 

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (20 laps)

1 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)

2 Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha)

3 Bradley Ray (Yamaha)

4 Peter Hickman (BMW)

5 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)

6 Glenn Irwin (Honda)

12 Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati)

15 Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati)

 

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three (20 laps)

1 Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha)

2 Bradley Ray (Yamaha)

3 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)

4 Glenn Irwin (Honda)

5 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)

6 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

10 Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati)

DNF Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati)

 

Championship standings (after six rounds)

1 O’Halloran 331pts

2 Ray 307

3 Jackson 219

4 Skinner 199

5 Irwin 192

6 Ryde 173

13 Brookes 88

14 Sykes 75

 

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

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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