A win for Irwin at Thruxton BSB last month saw the Be Wiser Ducati team improving their owl-like team spirit. Joint championship points with a debut podium position for this Carrickfergus-born rider. This is an achievement for Ducati riders as a whole, but also Irwin himself. A first on the podium is a real memorable career moment for his first BSB season.
Irwin’s second place success only came to him for race two of the Thruxton BSB. He didn’t manage his goal of finishing in the top ten for the first. An unfortunate Datatag Qualifying session, with a Q1 crash, placed him at 24th on the grid and eleventh after the flag. Perhaps it was frustration at missing his aim or determination to succeed for the second race? Whatever fuelled his fire – Irwin beat top rider Leon Haslam. Did this add to his sense of achievement?
Glenn Irwin reflects on his success
“I could then see people dropping back to me as I was able to maintain my pace and then when I saw Leon [Haslam] I knew I could get ahead of him. I was taking the time out of him with every lap and I know he is such a hard rider so I didn’t want to chance trying to make a move on the final lap as he wouldn’t want to give it up easily.” – This seemed a real battle for Glenn, a proud one. 
“…You had to show maturity in that race to conserve the tyres and I think that makes the result even better for me as it shows I have moved forward.”
There were triumphs all round back at Thruxton BSB when Shakey Byrne kept to his usual hungry-for-the-win attitude and wowed riders by riding the fastest lap in the free practice; an even more exciting feat on his home track.
Irwin won race two, who took centre stage for the first?
Race one of the Thruxton BSB found Byrne leading Linfoot and Bridewell with a powerful performance from Billy McConell who reached third by the end of lap two. The Hampshire circuit is home to high-speeds and this race wasn’t straying from the norm. Laverty left Linfoot and McConell in their dust as he overtook the second and third in the race. Later in the race, lap eight to be precise, Jackson and Mossey pushed for the positions.
By lap nine the first rider crashed out. Stuart Easton was positioned out of the race after crashing the ePayMe Yamaha with a technical glitch. Following the glitch there was a race restart and following the restart O’Halloran skilfully made his way to the front. Laverty fended him off as hard as he could until lap twelve of the restart when O’Halloran made a break through to first. The riders weren’t only contending with each other, grip was slowly decreasing as the remaining track became smaller.
Who fought the hardest fight and passed through in first?
O’Halloran’s lead didn’t last and he finished in sixth. Shakey Byrne managed to stabilise, even with the lack of tyre grip, and finished in first with Laverty in second and Mossey occupying the third and final podium positon.
Kiyonari, unknowingly then, rode his penultimate weekend for Bennetts Suzuki in the top ten. Irwin finished in eleventh.
The Thruxton BSB ended with some happy riders, how about the following Brands Hatch GP – a challenging step forward from the previous Brands Hatch Indy races of the season? Then there’s the next Summer Bank Holiday weekend (27/28/29 August for those of you without the dates) hosted by Cadwell Park.
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