August 11, 2024

Tough Weekend At Thruxton For Irwin

Round seven of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship proved to be a difficult one for Glenn Irwin and the Hager PBM Ducati team as they came away with just three points from the three races at Thruxton this weekend.

The Hampshire track hasn’t been a happy hunting ground in recent years for neither Irwin nor the team and 2024 proved to be no different as the weekend started with the Ulsterman only posting 17th fastest time in the combined free practice sessions on Friday.
 
Yesterday saw the twice runner-up in the series start the opening race from row five of the grid but despite around two seconds covering the top 15 riders for much of the race, he couldn’t make inroads into the pack and finished in 14th place to score two points.

A front row start in today’s sprint race heralded more of a chance for Irwin but a huge crash on the first lap caused a red flag and he was unable to take part in the re-run as he was checked out in the medical centre.
 
Glenn was declared fit for the third and final race of the weekend but had to start from the back of the grid but despite his best efforts, could only manage a 15th place finish after the 20-lap race in the hot temperatures to salvage another point.
 
The results from the weekend saw him slip back to fourth in the championship standings, 47 points behind leader Tommy Bridewell, going into the next round at Cadwell Park over the Bank Holiday weekend.
 
Glenn Irwin: “I’ve had some big highsides before but the second or third gear ones definitely hurt more! Starting from the front row for the Sprint race gave us a great chance of a podium but the mistake cost us and it was a missed opportunity. It made the final race 50/50 but I felt OK so gave it a go and although I was annoyed to lose a couple of places towards the end, we got some points. We have struggled with the front tyre all season, but we have more things to test ahead of the next round and some more ideas. We’re 47 points adrift of the lead but I’m not too concerned. There are plenty of races to come and plenty of points, all at good tracks for us so we’ll go again.”
 
Jordan Bird, Team co-owner: “When you look at the crash, to come back from that and make it on track for the final race is testament to both Glenn and the team. We got the absolute maximum out of everything in that last race. We knew Thruxton was going to be a difficult meeting for us but Glenn and the team never stopped working and we couldn’t be prouder of their efforts. We head to Cadwell next, a circuit that has been a happy hunting ground for both Glenn and the team so we’ll look to build our confidence up and get our title challenge back on track.”
 
 Bennetts British Superbike Championship race one (20 laps)
1 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha) 
2 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha) +0.168s
3 Jason O’Halloran (Kawasaki) +0.502s
4 Tommy Bridewell (Honda) +0.650s
5 Billy McConnell (Honda) +1.044s
6 Leon Haslam (BMW) +1.358s
 14 Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) +9.612s
 
 Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (10 laps)
1 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
2 Max Cook (Kawasaki) +0.531s
3 Danny Kent (Yamaha) +0.873s
4 Josh Brookes (BMW) +1.613s
5 Billy McConnell (Honda) +1.889s
6 Christian Iddon (Ducati) +2.298s
 DNF Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati)
 
 Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three (20 laps)
1 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
2 Danny Kent (Yamaha) +0.150s
3 Billy McConnell (Honda) +2.103s
4 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha) +2.999s
5 Charlie Nesbitt (Honda) +3.016s
6 Tommy Bridewell (Honda) +6.253s
 15 Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati)
 
Championship Points (after seven rounds)
1 Bridewell 248
2 Ryde       223
3 Iddon       213
 4 Irwin       201
5 Vickers  198
6 Kent    178 
 
 Pictures (courtesy of Double Red): Glenn Irwin in action at Thruxton)

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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