BSB: Rookie Irwin takes debut podium

Glenn Irwin celebrated his debut MCE British Superbike podium at Thruxton this weekend after intelligently conserving his tyres in the second race. 

The Northern Irishman endured a tough race one with his tyres dropping off after the restart, but a mature approach to the second race saw him drop back and sit outside the top ten to conserve his tyres before a late race charge.

Filtering through the pack as the riders on the softer tyre slipped backwards, Irwin made his way up to third position and tried to close down second-placed Jason O’Halloran in the closing stages of the race. 

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The podium comes as no surprise after a strong start to the season for the BSB rookie, whose mature approach has impressed over the first six rounds. 

“We made a few changes in morning warm up which worked not just for one lap but for a good deal longer and that put me in a good position for the first race,” he said. “We sacrificed the result in the first race to make sure we got a good starting position for the second and it definitely worked although it was certainly a strange first race with the lack of grip. The team did a really good job this weekend and I’m delighted to have got my first podium. I perhaps could have gone quicker earlier than what I did but to be standing here now in third, after being way off the pace at the beginning of the season is brilliant. The Ducati’s not just an iconic motorcycle, it’s a very fast one too!”

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