Irwin Makes History: Hager PBM Ducati Secures Maiden Win in Thrilling British Superbikes Opener
Glenn Irwin etched his name into the annals of British Superbikes lore by clinching a poignant first victory for the Hager PBM Ducati in their new era. From the onset, Irwin surged to the forefront of the pack, seizing the lead on lap three and steadfastly fending off the relentless pursuit of Christian Iddon to bask in the glory of victory.
At the race’s outset, Ryan Vickers catapulted off the line to spearhead the charge, closely followed by Kyle Ryde, Glenn Irwin, and Christian Iddon. Determined and resolute, Irwin swiftly ascended to second position at Shell Oils corner on the opening lap, before executing a decisive maneuver to claim the lead from Vickers at Hizzys just a lap later.
As Irwin maintained his grip on the lead, Iddon launched his assault, surging from fourth to second by lap four with a bold overtake on Vickers at Old Hall. The battle for supremacy between the two Ducati rivals ebbed and flowed throughout the race, with the gap between them fluctuating. Yet, despite a heart-stopping last-lap moment, Irwin emerged triumphant, granting the PBM team an emotional maiden victory under the stewardship of Jordan and Frank Bird.
Iddon celebrated a commendable second place, while a fierce tussle ensued for the final podium position between the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing duo and the determined Tommy Bridewell. Ryde surged into third place on lap 12 at Lodge, establishing a slender advantage. However, Bridewell remained in contention, seizing fourth place with five laps remaining and relegating Vickers to fifth.
In a nail-biting duel, Vickers and Danny Kent engaged in a battle for fifth, exchanging positions until the very last corner, with Vickers ultimately clinching the advantage over his McAMS Racing Yamaha rival by a mere 0.093 seconds at the chequered flag.
Jason O’Halloran successfully repelled the earlier challenges from Rory Skinner to secure seventh place, with Josh Brookes and Leon Haslam rounding out the top ten in a fiercely contested opener to the British Superbikes season.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Race 1 result:
- Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati)
- Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +1.069s
- Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) +2.069s
- Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +2.588s
- Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) +5.885s
- Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) +5.978s
- Jason O’Halloran (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) +8.150s
- Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings BMW Motorrad) +10.501s
- Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) +12.726s
- Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) +12.894s
Picture MSVR Press Release
