Seventh for rookie Irwin at Oulton

MCE British Superbike rookie Glenn Irwin enjoyed a strong weekend aboard the Be Wiser Ducati in the second round of the series at Oulton Park.

Saturday morning’s wet practice session was the first time the Carrickfergus rider had ridden his Panigale R superbike in the wet but it didn’t deter the 26-year-old, who showed decent pace in both wet and dry conditions.

Qualifying was cruelly cut short for Irwin as he was unable to complete a lap after a clutch failure in Q1. This left him to start at the back of the grid for the first race but getting his head down, he picked his way through the pack to finish 13^th.

Moving up to the fifth row of the grid, Irwin got a better start in race two to break into the top ten and eventually cross the line in a strong seventh place to take the best result of his superbike career so far.

“It was a challenging weekend as I’ve never raced the bike in those kind of conditions, but I’m pleased with the progress made and I’ve definitely moved forward again,” said Irwin.

“I was quick in all conditions and thought I could have a real good go in the second race but possibly respected the people around me a bit too much after I’d moved up to sixth place. Shakey came by me but I can’t be too disappointed with seventh. I’ve finished all four races so far inside the points and both me and the team are happy with the progress we’re making.”