BSB: Upbeat Glenn Irwin taking positives from Thruxton

PBM Be Wiser Ducati rider Glenn Irwin remains upbeat after he was unable to translate his performance in qualifying into Sunday's Bennetts British Superbike races at Thruxton.
Glenn Irwin on the PBM Be Wiser Ducati at Thruxton.Glenn Irwin on the PBM Be Wiser Ducati at Thruxton.
Glenn Irwin on the PBM Be Wiser Ducati at Thruxton.

The Carrick man and his younger brother Andrew made history when they became the first siblings to qualify on the front row for a BSB race, taking pole and third respectively on the Panigale R.

However, although the Ducati was fast over a hot lap, it proved a more difficult proposition over a race distance.

In the opener, Glenn finished in fifth place after Andrew crashed out on lap four, escaping unhurt.

Josh Elliott won the Superstock 1000 race on the OMG Suzuki.Josh Elliott won the Superstock 1000 race on the OMG Suzuki.
Josh Elliott won the Superstock 1000 race on the OMG Suzuki.

Race two was equally as tough and Glenn crossed the line in ninth place, while Andrew finished 14th.

Glenn said: “Thanks to the team for all the efforts this weekend. We were fast and confident but unfortunately we struggled to get the Ducati to work over a race.

“The next five tracks are all good for us and myself. It wasn’t all bad this weekend – we learned a lot.”

Irwin is fourth in the championship standings after the first seven rounds.

Series leader, Leon Haslam, won the first race on the JG Speedfit Kawasaki from Jake Dixon (RAF Reserves Kawasaki) and Peter Hickman on the Smiths BMW.

In race two, Josh Brookes took the win on the McAMS Yamaha from Hickman, with Dixon third ahead of Haslam.

Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty was brought down in race one. The Toome man finished 13th in race two.

Meanwhile, Ballinmallard’s Josh Elliott (OMG Suzuki) returned to the top step as he won a dramatic Pirelli National Superstock 1000 race by 0.2 seconds from Taylor Mackenzie.

Elliott said: “It’s an amazing feeling to be standing on the top step again. Thank you to everyone at OMG Racing for giving me what I needed to do the business this weekend.”

Tyco BMW’s Keith Farmer finished fifth but still leads the championship by 14 points over Joe Collier, who took the flag in sixth place.

“It’s been a tough weekend, everything we tried didn’t seem to give me the feeling on the bike that I was after,” Farmer said.

“Having said that, we still managed to extend our championship lead.”

Lisburn’s Carl Phillips, riding the Morello Kawasaki, finished 16th.

EHA Racing’s Andy Reid from Jordanstown crashed in free practice on Friday and fractured both wrists.

In the British Supersport Championship, Jack Kennedy finished fourth overall on Saturday, with David Allingham seventh.

Alastair Seeley crashed out unhurt on the MV Agusta and also failed to finished race two.

Kennedy was second overall in Sunday’s race and the first Supersport rider home behind Josh Owens, who won the GP2 race.

Eunan McGlinchey twice finished second in the Junior Supersport races.

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