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Belfast Telegraph
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
British Superbike meeting at Oulton Park cancelled after ‘catastrophic' 11-rider crash in Supersport race
The accident happened on the first lap of the British Supersport race, resulting in an immediate red flag. BSB Series and Race Director Stuart Higgs said the remainder of the May Bank Holiday meeting – the opening round of the 2025 championship – had been called off due to the 'severity' of the crash. The decision was taken after racing had been initially suspended. 'There was a severe and catastrophic incident coming off Turn 1 at the start of the British Supersport race,' Higgs told broadcaster TNT Sports. 'There were 11 riders involved, which naturally led to an immediate red flag and full medical response given the severity of the incident. 'The medical response is still technically ongoing and as a result of that, we have confirmed that the event is now cancelled and there will be no more racing today.' A statement issued shortly afterwards by event organisers MSVR (MotorSport Racing Vision) said: 'At the start of the Quattro Group British Supersport Championship race at Oulton Park, exiting turn one on the first lap there was a major chain reaction incident involving 11 riders. The race was immediately stopped and medical services attended. 'Due to the extent of the incident and following medical intervention which is ongoing, it will not be possible to continue the event and therefore the remainder of the race event is cancelled.' MSVR said a further statement would be issued 'in due course'. The final BSB race of the meeting did not take place. Northern Ireland's Glenn Irwin finished as the runner-up earlier in the afternoon in the 12-lap Sprint race. Irwin started from second place on the front row of the grid but lost a few places on the opening lap. As he did in Sunday's race, the Hager PBM Ducati rider worked his way through and began to chase down leaders Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) and Leon Haslam. Irwin, who finished third overall in the standings last season, squeezed past Ray – Sunday's opening race winner – on the final lap but was unable to prevent former champion Haslam taking the win on the Moto Rapido Ducati. 'First of all, Leon really deserves that victory,' said Irwin, who was speaking before the incident in the Supersport race. 'He done well to bridge Brad's first-lap attack – I think we knew that would be the plan of the Yamaha. 'I had no rear brake the whole race and between the two chicanes, I was losing so much. Even trying to get the bike to stop on corner entry we use the rear brake a lot now, so it was tough. 'We adapted and started to come strong. Hat's off to the team and after Saturday we definitely would've taken two seconds at this stage.' Irwin also claimed the runner-up spot in the opening race on Sunday after starting from 14th place following a spill in qualifying. BSB rookie Scott Swann finished 14th in the Sprint race on the Send My Bag by IWR Honda. In the National Superstock 1000 race, David Allingham (SMS Nicholl Oils BMW) was denied a winning start to the season when he was pipped on the final lap by Luke Mossey (Milenco by Padgett's Honda). The second round of the British Superbike Championship takes place prior to the Isle of Man TT at Donington Park from May 16-18.
Belfast Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Beaming Glenn Irwin on why runner-up finish in British Superbike opener ‘feels like a win'
Irwin's qualifying hopes were blown when he crashed on the Hager PBM Ducati, but the Carrickfergus man scythed his way through the field before getting the better of former champion Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati) for second place. Bradley Ray, the 2022 BSB champion, made a winning return to the series after racing in World Superbikes for the past two years. The Raceways Yamaha rider also smashed the lap record as he wrapped up victory in the opening race by just under two seconds from Irwin, who is concentrating on winning the BSB title in 2025 after announcing his retirement from road racing. Irwin will start Monday's 12-lap Sprint race (1.15pm) from second place on the front row and says he will 'take the fight' to Ray. 'It feels like a win, and I know Brad won the race and fair play because he did a great job… he knows he's very fast over one lap and used that strategy and broke the guys,' Irwin said. 'I don't have much to say other than a huge thanks to the team. 'We arrived here after three great tests, and some new parts – the same parts but just fresher – were put in for this weekend and the bike yesterday was so hard to ride. 'It was very slow, we tried to give it more power and then it was a monster – really couldn't understand it. 'So, then they changed the engine, they changed nearly everything they could change and then I threw it down the road in qualifying, which was completely my fault. 'The first thing I did was apologise to Jordan (Bird, team co-owner) when I came in, but we got the head down. 'I changed my training programme this winter and I feel very fit, very calm on the bike in that race, and we look forward to tomorrow. 'This guy (Ray) has done a great job to win the race and it's nice he's back in from World Superbike, but we will take the fight to him tomorrow.' Honda Racing's Andrew Irwin has been withdrawn from the rest of the Bank Holiday meeting after suffering a shoulder injury in a crash in qualifying on Sunday. Scott Swann, making his BSB debut for the Send My Bag by IWR Honda team, finished 12th, with Richard Kerr from Co Donegal in 16th on the ROKiT BMW. After the Sprint race on Monday afternoon, the final 18-lap race of the weekend is set for 4.15pm. In the Supersport class, Eugene McManus from Randalstown finished third on the MMB Racing Ducati in the Sprint race on Sunday. Luke Stapleford took a narrow win ahead of reigning champion Jack Kennedy from Dublin. Meanwhile, Jonathan Rea was left empty-handed as he made his return to the World Superbike Championship following injury at Cremona in Italy. The six-time champion has been out of action since sustaining multiple fractures to his left foot in a crash during testing at Phillip Island in Australia. Rea was 19th on Saturday, 16th in the Superpole race yesterday and 18th in Race Two. The 38-year-old said his comeback was more challenging than he had expected. 'It's been a tougher weekend than I expected, but I knew we had to start somewhere,' said Rea. 'The target of the weekend in my own mind was just to try and commit to racing, get passed fit and do my best to complete all three races with no mistakes. 'We completed that target. Of course, I wasn't as competitive as I wanted to be, but considering I was only fully weight-bearing and walking without my air boot three weeks ago, I can accept that.' Italy's Nicolo Bulega ( Ducati) won all three races from Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW) to increase his lead in the Championship to 34 points ahead of the Fifth Round, which takes place at Most in the Czech Republic from May 16-18.
