Latest news with #PBMDucati
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Team switch gives Glenn Irwin a new leash of life: ‘It's so refreshing'
Yesterday, Irwin finished 16th in the opening race of the weekend at Thruxton after qualifying 14th. The Carrickfergus man and the celebrated English team parted company following a 'point of conflict' relating to Irwin's planned return from injury this weekend at Thruxton. PBM team management felt that Irwin's comeback should be 'deferred until at least after round seven at Cadwell Park', which takes place from August 22-24. Irwin suffered injuries including fractures to his hip socket and pelvis after a big crash at Snetterton in June. He underwent an operation on his sacrum (pelvic area) shortly after the incident and was expected to be out of action for some time. However, the 35-year-old recovered faster than anticipated and announced his desire to race at Thruxton. PBM Ducati team co-owner Jordan Bird did not hold the same view, preferring Irwin to wait, and as a result they ended their agreement by mutual consent. Irwin's deal to ride for reigning British champions Nitrous Competitions Racing alongside Kyle Ryde was quickly announced and he was passed fit to race at Thruxton by the BSB chief medical officer on Friday. England's Scott Redding, who won the BSB title for the PBM Ducati team in 2019, will continue with the team for the remainder of the season after leaving his World Superbike rider with the MGM Bonovo Racing Ducati squad. Redding – 11th yesterday – rode the PBM Ducati at Knockhill in Scotland on his return to BSB in July and clinched the team's first win of 2025 last month at Brands Hatch. Irwin is now focused on adapting to the Yamaha after completing his first laps on the R1 in free practice on Friday. 'I think it's quite clear that maybe things where I was weren't ideal for everyone and I started to have a little look at what was going around,' Irwin said. 'There was a little joke: 'hey, you could ride a Yamaha at Thruxton', and I was like, 'yeah, good one', and it wasn't really in the pipeline. 'But things obviously developed and every cloud has a silver lining, and as it was becoming more and more clear that I wouldn't be racing here with original plans, this opportunity came to life and it's so, so refreshing.' Joint team boss Jordan Bird said she wasn't comfortable with Irwin's wish to return from injury this weekend, which had led to a 'disagreement'. 'Unfortunately we've just had a little bit of a disagreement between both parties,' she said. 'I felt more comfortable asking Glenn to wait for a couple of rounds to return to full fitness, let's say. go and I respect that, and he decided that it was time to go elsewhere. 'We support him in that decision, he's got to look after himself, his family, and his future, so the full focus for us now is on Scott.' Irwin first joined the late Paul Bird's team in 2016 and returned to the fold for a second stint in 2023. The 11-time North West 200 Superbike winner won 19 BSB races on Ducati machinery. Saturday's race was won by reigning champion Ryde, who edged out Danny Kent (McAMS Yamaha) by 0.179s. Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) took a close third. Andrew Irwin was fifth behind his Honda Racing UK team-mate Tommy Bridewell, while Scott Swann came home in 17th on the Send My Bag/IWR Honda. Richard Kerr from Kilmacrennan in Co Donegal was 20th for Michael Laverty's ROKiT BMW team. Donegal's Rhys Irwin (Gearlink Bike Performance 15 Suzuki) took the win in the opening Supersport race from Randalstown's Eugene McManus (MMB Racing Ducati). Reigning champion Jack Kennedy (Honda Racing UK) finished fourth. In the first National Superstock 1000 race, David Allingham from Eglinton sealed a podium finish in third on the SMS/Nicholl Oils BMW behind championship leader Ilya Mikhalchik (ROKiT BMW), who was pipped to the win by only 0.090s by Josh Owens (SAF Holland Honda). The second BSB race on Sunday is at 1:15pm with the final race of the weekend at 4:15pm.
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Glenn Irwin makes steady return to British Superbike action after injury lay-off
Irwin has been out of action since a nasty crash at Snetterton in June and is approaching his comeback at round six at Thruxton this weekend with 'controlled expectations'. The 35-year-old was 14th overall after the opening two free practice sessions as he rode the Yamaha R1 for the first time. Irwin was 19th quickest in FP1 before improving to 14th in FP2, just under eight-tenths of a second down on Friday leader Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha). Irwin's new team-mate and reigning BSB champion Kyle Ryde was fourth fastest behind Kent, Storm Stacey (Bathams BMW) and Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK), with the top four on the time sheets covered by only 0.275s. Irwin was passed fit on Thursday to take part in FP1 and, following a further assessment afterwards, the two-time BSB title runner-up was cleared to compete for the rest of the weekend. 'Thank you to everyone who has got me to this point and assisted with my recovery,' Irwin said. 'A big thank you to Nitrous Competitions and OMG Racing for giving me this opportunity.' Irwin has joined the reigning BSB champions until the end of the season after parting company from PBM Ducati in a surprise split. The Ulsterman recovered faster than anticipated after undergoing surgery on his sacrum (pelvis area) shortly after his accident at Snetterton, which left him with fractures to his hip socket and pelvis. However, Irwin's former team said his comeback target at Thruxton was a 'point of conflict', with PBM management stating that he should not return until 'at least' after the seventh round at Cadwell Park later this month. In a live interview on social media during the week, Irwin – who won 19 races as a PBM rider – said he didn't feel wanted by the team, who have signed former BSB champion Scott Redding for the rest of the campaign. 'There is one bike, the budget is tight and cash isn't flush – (PBM) are running the team without the support from their grandfather and purely on sponsorship,' said the 11-time North West 200 Superbike winner. 'It's been tough behind the scenes, not the racing or garage morale – that's been incredible – but racing is a job and you go racing to earn a living and that part was becoming tough to do.' He continued: 'I rang Jordan (Bird, co-owner PBM Ducati) with the good news that I had been passed (fit to ride) and I didn't feel like it was good news to her. 'I don't believe that the team believes I'm unfit. I am fit, I wanted back riding with my team and it wasn't mutual.' Irwin will need time to adjust to the Yamaha R1, which is a very different package to the Ducati Panigale V4 he has been riding since re-joining the team in 2023, after initially signing for Paul Bird back in 2016. He will be aiming to make further progress on Saturday in qualifying ahead of the weekend's opening race at 4:30pm the same day. Sunday's two BSB races are scheduled for 1:15pm and 4:15pm. Irwin's brother Andrew was 16th fastest on the Honda Racing UK Fireblade, while Co Antrim's Scott Swann (Send My Bag/IWR Honda) was 11th, one place ahead of PBM Ducati's Redding.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Irwin questions former team's loyalty after split
Glenn Irwin believes PBM Ducati "weren't prepared to wait for me" after his surprise exit from the British Superbike Championship 35-year-old suffered fractures to his hip socket and pelvis as a result of a practice crash at Snetterton in June and had surgery on his sacrum (pelvic region) as part of his initially targeting the round at Cadwell Park at the end of August, Irwin said he was declared fit to race at he next event at Thruxton from 8-10 August. However, on Thursday, PBM Ducati announced that Irwin had left the team "as a result of a point of conflict" over the immediacy of the Northern Ireland rider's questioned the loyalty of his former team, which he felt had not been reciprocated after he held off on contract negotiations with other outfits at the end of 2023 after PBM faced an uncertain future following the death of its owner and founder, Paul Bird, earlier that said he was a "very loyal person" and was "a bit hurt" by his exit."I didn't sign a contract for 2024 until that March [while waiting for PBM to get up and running under Bird's daughter, Jordan]. I was committed and trusting," Irwin told BBC Sport NI."PBM did get going and I sat there waiting. I don't think they were prepared to wait on me this year."Irwin added that the last week had been "one of the toughest moments of my career but also in my life."The injury was one thing, and having to deal with what comes next but there was also a lot of other things to deal with."I got passed orthopedically fit in all the stage one examinations that are required and got second and third opinions as well, but the team, for whatever reason, didn't value that." Irwin made his BSB debut with PBM Ducati in 2016 and was in his second spell with the team after rejoining in wished Scott Redding, the 2019 BSB champion who replaced Irwin while he was injured, all the best for the remainder of the season and said there were people at the team who would be "friends for life".After his exit from PBM, Irwin will return to the grid at Thruxton after agreeing a deal with OMG Racing, who run reigning riders' champion Kyle three-time BSB runner-up said he "can't go too much" into the reason for his departure but said: "It's an expensive sport, maybe that has something to do with it, I don't know"."There's one bike and this sport is expensive. It's a big ask to put two Ducati's out," Irwin added."It's been really tough. When you work so hard to come back from injury you want that encouragement when you get positive news. "When you go to trusted medics, I certainly value what they say. These are the guys you are trusting with your life."I know what I've been doing in training and it's been great. I'm fit to ride and hopefully we can show that this weekend." Irwin 'can't rule out' NW200 return Irwin's deal with OMG Yamaha is a "short-term deal" for the remainder of the BSB season and said he is currently negotiating for a seat for the 2026 was also spotted having lunch with the North West 200's Mervyn Whyte, and Irwin said he would not rule out a return to the event in is an 11-time winner in the Superbike class but announced his retirement from road racing due to the dangers of racing on closed public roads. "We spoke about lot of things about the North West, including safety improvements," Irwin said on his lunch with Whyte."My reason for not racing there was the danger, with having a family, but if these guys can make the event even safer then you never know."If they can keep making steps then I couldn't rule it out for next year."If we go back it's to do the same job we done before, it's not for anything else."
Belfast Telegraph
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
I'm fit to race... Glenn Irwin's parting shot as he and PBM Ducati part ways
The Carrickfergus man will be entering uncharted territory on Friday in free practice, when he will ride a Yamaha R1 for the first time. Irwin, who has twice finished as the BSB title runner-up — including agonisingly missing out on the crown by only half-a-point to his then PBM Ducati team-mate Tommy Bridewell in 2023 — will make his comeback following injury. The 35-year-old required surgery after sustaining fractures to his pelvis and hip socket in a heavy fall at Snetterton in June. Irwin later underwent surgery and has recovered faster than anticipated, with the record 11-time North West 200 Superbike race winner announcing recently that he intended to return at Thruxton this weekend in the sixth round of the championship. However, in an unforeseen twist, his PBM Ducati team felt Irwin should wait 'until at least after Round 7 at Cadwell Park', which takes place from August 22-24. This appears to have been the crux of the disagreement between Irwin and his former team, and the decision to go their separate ways 'by mutual consent' was confirmed yesterday morning. A further announcement that Irwin would join reigning BSB champion Kyle Ryde in the Nitrous Competitions OMG Yamaha team for the remainder of the 2025 season quickly followed. 'There are good people in this world and the racing paddock is full of them! Thanks all (at) Nitrous Competitions OMG Racing,' Irwin posted on social media. 'FP1 will be the first time I've ever sat on an R1 and coming back from a few weeks off we will chip away!' OMG Racing team owner David Williams said he was confident he had the 'strongest pairing' on the BSB grid after signing Irwin alongside Ryde. 'Nitrous Competitions OMG Racing are excited to have Glenn join the team,' he said. 'Between him and Kyle, we believe we have the strongest pairing on the current grid, and are entering the second half of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship season with a stronger sense of optimism than ever.' PBM Ducati said the team's management felt that Irwin's early return risked the possibility of a 'further, complicated injury'. 'Hager PBM Ducati and Glenn Irwin have announced that their contractual relationship has been terminated by mutual consent,' a statement read. 'Following Glenn's serious accident at Snetterton in June and period of recovery, it was the opinion of the team that his return should be deferred until at least after Round 7 at Cadwell Park. 'This decision was taken by the team management on the ground of managing competition expectations and a duty of care to Glenn as despite recovering to a position where 'fitness to ride' could potentially be achieved, the team felt that risks remained in this early period of recovery that a subsequent fall could result in a further, complicated injury. 'As a result of a point of conflict, the parties have agreed to terminate their contractual relationship, and Glenn is free to pursue other opportunities to fulfil his insistence to immediately return to competition.' Irwin, who won 19 races with the team across six seasons, swiftly issued a response, in which he repeated his position that he was fit to resume racing. 'Upon reading the statement I want to reiterate that I have been declared orthopedically fit and have passed all the stage one single leg examinations and I have been returned 100% to full duties of riding bikes in the last seven days,' he said. 'Training has been as normal the past week, but I do want to go on record and thank PBM for all the success we achieved together, all their efforts, their time and their support shown to me and my family — I wish them all the best for the future.'
Sunday World
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- Sunday World
Glenn Irwin involved in practice crash
Northern Ireland rider has slipped down the championship standings as a consequence Glenn Irwin was taken to hospital for assessment Glenn Irwin's hopes of winning the British Superbike title suffered a blow yesterday after the Northern Ireland rider was ruled out of the opening race at round three following a crash at Snetterton. Irwin was high-sided from his Hager PBM Ducati machine during the final free practice session in the morning. The 35-year-old was taken to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for assessment after initial checks at the circuit medical centre did not show any obvious damage. A statement issued by the organisers said: 'Glenn Irwin was taken to the circuit medical centre after a crash in Free Practice 3 (FP3). 'Following x-rays on his hip and right leg at the circuit medical centre where nothing was visible, he has been taken to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for further scans and is unfit for Qualifying. 'Further updates will follow when available.' Should Irwin be passed fit to race in today's two BSB races, he would have to start from the back of the grid. John Mowatt, PBM Ducati team coordinator, said: 'It was unfortunate. In the 10-minute FP3 session we had set a fairly quick lap on the first flyer and then we were bedding ourselves into it. Unfortunately, he's high-sided at turn 9 on the right-hand side. 'He took a bit of a heavy impact to the right-hand side of his body.' Irwin has now dropped from second in the championship to fourth after missing the first race of the weekend and is 30 points behind former champion Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha), who dominated yesterday's opener. Ray is back in BSB this year after two seasons competing in the World Superbike Championship and has picked up where he left off, winning five out of the six races held this year to underline his title credentials. The English rider set a new lap record and won by 5.380s from reigning champion Kyle Ryde (OMG Nitrous Competitions Yamaha), with Tommy Bridewell sealing his first podium of 2025 in third for Honda Racing. Ulsterman Scott Swann finished 14th on the Send My Bag/IWR Honda, while Donegal's Richard Kerr was 16th (ROKiT BMW). Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) did not finish after coming together with Lee Jackson. The BSB Sprint race today is at 1:20pm, with the final race of the weekend at the Norfolk circuit scheduled for 4:30pm. In the Supersport opener, Dublin's Jack Kennedy won from Rhys Irwin. Also yesterday, the fifth round of the Ulster Superbike Championship was held at Kirkistown in Co Down, where Derek Sheils (Roadhouse Macau BMW) won both races from Carl Phillips (SBT Ireland Kawasaki). Graeme Irwin was a double winner in the Supersport class on the Magic Bullet Ducati, and Christian Elkin won both Supertwin races.
