North West 200 Superbike record holder Glenn Irwin retires from road racing

The Carrickfergus man won all three Superbike races in May to extend his unbeaten run to 11 successive victories around the 8.9-mile ‘Triangle’ course.

Irwin said he has taken the decision to concentrate on winning the British Superbike Championship.

The 34-year-old has twice finished as the title runner-up and was in the mix again this year until the final round, with Irwin eventually finishing third overall.

Irwin announced his decision on his social media on Sunday night.

“I believe this news will help shape my career in search of my first British Superbike title,” Irwin said.

“Thirty-four may seem young but I achieved so much more than what I ever dreamed of.

“It’s the chequered flag on my road racing career. Is it the missing piece of the puzzle in my quest for my first British Superbike title? Only time will tell.”

Irwin said he was also taking the decision with his young family in mind.

“In my career I have always rode within my limits. I have never suffered a crash in road racing and I have also been very consistent in short circuits,” he added.

“In 2017 I broke my neck, shoulder and elbow when a handlebar snapped at me at Knockhill. In 2020, I suffered a break failure in Andalucia in Spain in a high speed crash which, although it had a big run-off, led to a number of fractures in my back and several other bones.

“More recently at Brands Hatch, I suffered a blown oil cooler which led to an unavoidable crash for myself and also my brother Andrew, who was following behind.

“All these three crashes would take a miracle to survive in road racing, and I believe I have had chances.

“I am a father of three children and a partner of Laura and we have just bought our dream home.

“The road racer in me knows that we could be successful at the North West 200 for years to come and I also believe that I could remain unbeaten for many years.

“But the dad in me knows I have had a good time of it, I have achieved success that I have never dreamed of achieving.”

In addition to his North West 200 success, Irwin won the Macau Grand Prix in 2017 and finished on the podium in the Supersport class at the Ulster Grand Prix.

He also became the fastest newcomer ever when he made his Isle of Man TT debut in 2022, lapping at 129.85mph.