BSB: Bird 'chuffed to bits' with historic sixth title

Be Wiser Ducati boss Paul Bird was lost for words after Shane Byrne took the team to an unexpected sixth MCE British Superbike title at the weekend.

Byrne and the PBM squad were on the back foot heading into the final race of the year at Brands Hatch, but a dramatic fightback saw them clinch the crown by three points ahead of Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha’s Josh Brookes while Leon Haslam, who led the championship going into the finale, crashed out after his brakes failed.

The title isn’t just Byrne’s sixth BSB crown, but also the PBM team’s.

The Penrith squad have won five titles with Byrne and another with Steve Hislop back in 2002 making them the most successful team in BSB history.

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“I’m lost for words, when it’s unexpected you just don’t know what to say,” Bird said. “We had such a small chance of this happening this weekend but as the weekend went on the chance became more realistic.

“The way in which it turned around in the first two races, it almost became ours to lose so the pressure was on the guys as we had to give him a good bike to bring it home. Big credit to the team for that, they’ve done a fantastic job. This is PBM’s sixth BSB title, which I think is the most any BSB team has ever won so I’m absolutely chuffed to bits. Shakey is a class act.” 

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