May 6, 2024

Treble Joy For Irwin At Oulton

Glenn Irwin and the Hager PBM Ducati team enjoyed a superb second round of the 2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park over the Bank Holiday weekend as they claimed a stunning hat-trick of wins at their local circuit which were the first victories for the new-look team.

Fastest in Saturday’s practice session signalled Glenn’s intentions and he took that form into qualifying the following day with second place and a front row position for Sunday’s opening 18-lap race.  A strong start saw him slot into second place behind Yamaha’s Ryan Vickers but on lap three Glenn took the lead for the first time and never looked back. Controlling the race from the front, he duly led for the remaining 15 laps and took the chequered flag just over a second clear of fellow Ducati rider Christian Iddon.
 
Victory, along with the fastest lap meant he lined up for today’s 12-lap ‘Sprint’ race on pole position with conditions slightly cooler at the Cheshire venue and this time it was an even more impressive performance from Irwin as he led from start to finish. Consistently maintaining a lead of around 0.4s, Irwin took the win by 0.352s from former team-mate Tommy Bridewell with Iddon again on the podium in third.

Starting the third and final race from second on the grid, the Northern Irishman had to sit behind Iddon for two thirds race distance but on lap 12, he made his move and took the lead at the Hizzy’s chicane. The race went all the way to the end though with Glenn doing battle with Iddon, and the Yamahas of Vickers and Danny Kent but he kept his rivals at bay once more to complete his hat-trick and with it the championship lead.
 
Glenn Irwin: “Sunday’s race was very enjoyable and races like that, when you lead for so long, are the sweet ones. We did the hard work learning the bike through testing and practice so set the pace from the front. I like to lead and control the race from there so with the fastest lap of the race as well, it couldn’t have worked out better. We stayed focused for today which we needed to do as we were constantly making changes to the bike and we improved a number of key factors which we needed to win – resilience, determination and precision being three. We had to show our character too and boxed professionally this weekend so the treble was nothing short of what the team deserved. It sets us up nicely for a busy two weeks with the North West 200 next and then Donington Park BSB so a big thanks to Jordan, Frank and the whole team.”
 
Frank Bird, Team Co-Owner: “It’s been a dream weekend and to take a hat-trick for the next generation of PBM is superb. After Navarra, we’ve regrouped and come back with a bang and to do it at our local circuit, in front of many of our sponsors as well as family and friends, is the icing on the cake. Both Glenn and the bike were on point all weekend and the team have worked incredibly well so hopefully it can give us some momentum and there’s no reason why we won’t be adding more wins this year. The last time we were here was for Dad’s memorial last September so to return to the venue and take all three wins is perfect – we’re continuing racing in his memory so all the wins are dedicated to him.”
 
Bennetts British Superbike Championship Race One (18 laps)
1 Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati)
2 Christian Iddon (Ducati)
3 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
4 Tommy Bridewell (Honda)
5 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
6 Danny Kent (Yamaha)
 
Bennetts British Superbike Championship Race Two (12 laps)
1 Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati)
2 Tommy Bridewell (Honda)
3 Christian Iddon (Ducati)
4 Danny Kent (Yamaha)
5 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
6 Jason O’Halloran (Kawasaki)
 
Bennetts British Superbike Championship Race Three (18 laps)
1 Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati)
2 Christian Iddon (Ducati)
3 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
4 Danny Kent (Yamaha)
5 Leon Haslam (BMW)
6 Tommy Bridewell (Honda)
 
Championship Positions (after two rounds)
1 Irwin 74
2 Vickers 68
3 Iddon 67
4 Kent 64
5 Ryde 55
6 Bridewell 47
 
Pictures (courtesy of Double Red): Glenn Irwin in action and with the team after a hat-trick of historic victories.

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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