Irwin Gets Back To Winning Ways At Cadwell Park
BeerMonster Ducati rider Glenn Irwin reminded everyone that he was still a major contender in the fight for the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship when he scorched to a superb victory in today’s BikeSocial Sprint race at Cadwell Park.
Having started on the front row of the grid following the 15-minute Omologato Superpole qualifying session, the Carrickfergus, County Antrim rider had to fend off a concerted challenge from his rivals to land his fifth victory of the year around the 2.18-mile Lincolnshire circuit.
With sporadic rain affecting the day’s proceedings, the 12-lap race took place in cloudy but dry conditions and saw Irwin lead from start to finish in his 200th race as he brought the factory supported BeerMonster Ducati home to a deserved victory and in doing so, reduced the gap to series leader and teammate Tommy Bridewell to 19.5 points.
Bridewell, meanwhile, managed to claim fifth place following on from him starting the race on row three of the grid on the second of Paul Bird’s bikes as he looked to improve after a tough start to the weekend.
The Devizes, Wiltshire rider got a good start although a clash with another rider early on set him back, but he gamely battled back to challenge the leading bunch but had to settle for fifth at the chequered flag.
Glenn Irwin: “It’s been a while since I won a race, so it was about time! We’ve been plugging away all weekend and I knew I had the pace to win, but I had to ride defensively at times. I got a good start and felt comfortable after we’d made some changes to the bike. Cadwell is tough to pass at and I was expecting a challenge, but it never really came. I’m feeling good, that was my first win here at Cadwell so hopefully we can maintain the momentum into tomorrow’s races.”
Tommy Bridewell: “It’s proving to be a tougher weekend than what I expected if I’m being honest. We’re getting a lot closer to getting me feeling comfortable on the bike and when you put it into perspective, fifth place just over a second and a half off the win isn’t a disaster. I’ve surrendered a few points to Glenn, but the key here is to get a good start so hopefully we can work on the data and improve tomorrow and get our championship challenge back on track.”
Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “A fantastic result for everyone connected to PBM BeerMonster Ducati, which was just what we needed after a difficult Thruxton, and what a perfect way to bounce back. Tomorrow’s races will be every bit as close, with at least five or six riders in the mix for the race win including both Glenn and Tommy so hopefully we can repeat today’s victory.”
Bridewell enjoys that 19.5-point lead over Irwin, who in turn, extended his advantage over third-placed Jason O’Halloran to 30 points going into tomorrow’s two races over 18 laps each.
British Superbike Championship – BikeSocial Sprint race (12 laps)
1 Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
2 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
3 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
4 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)
5 Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)
6 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)
Championship Positions
1 Bridewell 274pts
2 Irwin 254.5
3 O’Halloran 224.5
4 Ryde 224
5 Haslam 201
6 Jackson 195.5
Pictures courtesy of Double Red: Glenn Irwin (2) and Tommy Bridewell (46) at Cadwell
Park
