July 21, 2024

Valuable Points For Battling Irwin At Brands Hatch

Glenn Irwin put in a heroic ride in the final Bennetts British Superbike Championship race at Brands Hatch today, fighting through the pain barrier to come from 23rd on the grid to seventh on the Hager PBM Ducati.

Irwin, who finished fourth in the opening race of the sixth round of the series yesterday, suffered a first corner crash in the first race today which looked like it would end his weekend. But, having been cleared by the medical staff to race in the final outing, dug deep to fight his way through the field and pick up nine valuable points.
 
The weekend started with hot temperatures, but Glenn had a strong day of practice on Friday, putting the Hager PBM Ducati Panigale V4R in second place on the timesheets and he took that form into qualifying the following day with third place giving him a front row start for the first 20-lap race.

The slightly cooler weather saw Yamaha’s Ryan Vickers take a dominant win with Glenn embroiled in a four-rider battle for second with fellow Ducati rider Christian Iddon and the Hondas of Tommy Bridewell and brother Andrew Irwin. Positions changed hands regularly and Glenn had to settle for fourth place just over a second adrift of second place.
 
With the fourth fastest lap of the race, Glenn started from the head of the second row for Sunday’s 12-lap race but, unfortunately, his race was over before it had even begun. Pushed wide going into the first corner, another rider then crashed out and collected Glenn as he slid across the track, the end result seeing the Ulsterman barrel-roll through the gravel trap and stretchered away.
 
However, despite being in considerable pain, the 34-year-old Ulsterman was able to line up on the grid for the third and final race of the weekend, albeit on the back row. Held over 20 laps once more, Glenn gained five places on the opening lap and was up inside the points a lap later, steadily moving forward from there on in. His reward was seventh place which saw him end the weekend in second overall in the championship standings, 19 points adrift of Bridewell.
 
Glenn Irwin: “It’s no secret we tried something different with the rear shock for Saturday’s race and although it didn’t work as we’d hoped, we’re continually trying to develop the bike. We persevered but realised it wasn’t the right solution so went back to what we knew for Sunday, and I felt good in morning warm-up despite the damp conditions. My confidence was high but, unfortunately, another rider’s mistake caused a crash, and I genuinely thought my season may have been over. Full credit to the BSB medics and my own physio, they got me ready for the race and I showed the fight and resilience in me. I had some right arm fatigue, which I guess was my body overcompensating for the neck pain, but we didn’t lose too many points and are closer to the championship lead than we were this time last year. We’ll regroup and come out fighting at the next round.”
 
Frank Bird, Team co-owner: “All things considered, the weekend has ended on a positive note, and I don’t think there are many riders who could come through from the back of the grid to seventh so full credit to Glenn. That ride showed just how much grit and determination he has. Full credit to the team as well for getting the bike ready. It’s been a bit of damage limitation but we haven’t lost too much ground in the standings and whilst the next round is at Thruxton, a circuit that hasn’t been the kindest to us over the last few years, we’ll work hard between now and then, keep developing the bike and look to get back onto the podium.”
 
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race one (20 laps)
1 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
2 Tommy Bridewell (Honda) +7.334s
3 Andrew Irwin (Honda) +7.520s
4 Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) +8.678s
5 Christian Iddon (Ducati) +9.095s
6 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha) +10.708s
 
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (5 laps)
1 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
2 Tommy Bridewell (Honda) +1.188s
3 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha) +1.237s
4 Andrew Irwin (Honda) +2.566s
5 Leon Haslam (BMW) +2.749s
6 Christian Iddon (Ducati) +3.077s
DNF Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati)
 
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three (20 laps)
1 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
2 Christian Iddon (Ducati) +3.073s
3 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha) +3.322s
4 Tommy Bridewell (Honda) +4.316s
5 Andrew Irwin (Honda) +8.015s
6 Lee Jackson (Honda) +9.997s
7 Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) +12.599s
 
Championship Points (after six rounds)
1 Bridewell 217pts
2 Irwin 198
3 Iddon 193
4 Ryde 185
5 Kent 148
6 Vickers 146

Pictures (courtesy of Double Red): Glenn Irwin in action at Brands Hatch.

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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