No victories, but 'dream' Honda Racing debut for British Superbike title leader Glenn Irwin at Donington Park

The only thing missing for new Honda Racing signing Glenn Irwin at Donington Park was a race victory after a ‘dream’ weekend for the Carrickfergus man.
Glenn Irwin (left) and his brother Andrew were in red-hot form at Donington Park over the weekend.Glenn Irwin (left) and his brother Andrew were in red-hot form at Donington Park over the weekend.
Glenn Irwin (left) and his brother Andrew were in red-hot form at Donington Park over the weekend.

The 30-year-old twice lost out to his younger brother and team-mate Andrew after two successive final-lap duels at the shorter National circuit as the Ulster siblings did Northern Ireland proud at the weekend.

In race three, Oxford Products Ducati rider Tommy Bridewell prevented a clean sweep of wins for Andrew, who crossed the line in second place after once again getting the better of Glenn in the closing stages.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, the 25-year-old was later disqualified from the result in the wake of his clash with Australian rider Josh Brookes, who came off his VisionTrack Ducati at the top of Hollywood.

Glenn was promoted to the runner-up spot and also took over the lead of the championship by 10 points from Andrew after the opening round.

It was an outstanding performance by both riders on the all-new Fireblade and Glenn is now looking forward to round two at Snetterton (August 21-23).

“It’s just a dream weekend,” he said.

“No victories, but the points are important in the championship and I’m really chuffed, for the opportunity and for my family.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But onwards to Snetterton. I don’t know how it will be, but we’ll keep our feet on the ground.

“When we tested at Snetterton there had been some cars testing there before us, so it was a bit like a motocross track to be honest and we rode some really weird lines,” he added.

“But we learnt more about the Fireblade and it was probably one of our best tests because we learnt a direction to go in, because we perhaps went the wrong way at that test. So I’m looking forward to going back with where the bike is now.

“I didn’t race at Snetterton last year, so I guess for me it was nice to refresh it in my memory, but I’m looking forward to getting back on track and working with my Honda Racing crew.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I’m looking forward to banging bars with these boys because the level is fantastic and I can’t thank everyone who has stuck by me. This weekend has lifted me out of the realms of last season and it’s a distant memory now, so we look forward.”

Irwin has 50 points with Andrew in second place on 40 following his exclusion from race three due to ‘avoidable/unfair contact’ with Brookes.

The former World Supersport rider will also have to start race one at Snetterton from the rear of the grid after receiving six penalty points, three of which are suspended for the duration of the 2020 season.

Meanwhile, Buildbase Suzuki’s Keith Farmer was out of luck as he made his BSB return at Donington, over a year since he broke both legs in a crash at Knockhill in Scotland.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The four-time British champion crashed in qualifying and missed all three races at the weekend with a shoulder injury.

“It’s so frustrating because we really found something this weekend and the bike started to really feel like my bike,” said the Co Tyrone man.

“We worked with the clutch and the engine-braking, as that has such an effect on the whole balance of the bike, and we could then work on the chassis.

“In the qualifying session we made some changes as we went and after putting in a new rear tyre I set my fastest lap of the weekend, but going into Redgate the rear came round and I lost the front and I had a pretty big crash,” Farmer added.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I’ve got what they’ve called a phase two injury of my ACJ which can be six weeks recovery time, but I’m hoping to see a specialist this week and hopefully we can get that down.

“The team were doing a good job and it’s a real shame, but hopefully we can get back on track soon.”

* A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. To subscribe, click here.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.