ThePitcrewOnline

Category: Crew On Two

  • Glenn Irwin joins PBM Ducati for the 2023 British Superbike Campaign: Rules out Isle of Man TT.

    Paul Bird’s British Superbike Ducati team have announced the signing of Glenn Irwin for the 2023 British Superbike season.

    Glenn Irwin PBM Ducati – Image Courtesy Double Red Photography

    The Northern Irishman retuning back to a team he has previously ridden for between 2016 and 2018, alongside series legend Shane Byrne before a short stint with FS-3 Kawasaki Racing, and then settling in the Honda camp for 3 seasons.

    Glenn has been very vocal about his desires to continue racing with the Honda brand but after being approached by Paul Bird recently, Irwin has decided a move over to Ducati machinery aboard the updated for 2023 Ducati Panigale V4R is the move that he believes will take him to British Championship success.

    In an interview given to the BBC Sport website, Glenn confirms he will not attend the Isle of Man TT in 2023 as a competitor, with PBM Ducati. “I love doing the event but I don’t love it as much as my kids”.  It would seem for now after a desperately sad year, where 6 people lost their lives at the TT and with the recent tragic passings of Chrissy Rouse and Victor Steeman that perhaps Glenn has decided to stick with the safer of the 2 events, BSB over the Isle of Man TT.

    Irwin believes he has a better chance of winning the BSB title in 2023 with PBM, even if it means he has to sacrifice entering the Isle of Man race where PBM won’t make an appearance. With this in mind it seems to have aided Glenn in choosing the best option for him for the season, after all his earnings and security come from the British Superbikes and I say fair play to someone thinking of their family first.

    On the move, Glenn says “Re-joining PBM after four years apart is something I’m relishing as I feel I’ve improved as a rider and as a person during that time. The experience away has taught me a lot and to be coming back to the most successful team in the paddock is a fantastic opportunity. I’m in a stronger position now and we both know how each other works so the timing is perfect. I want to win, and Birdy wants to win and with Tommy as a very strong teammate, it will drive us all on. I’ve proved I can challenge for the title this year, so the plan is to go one better next season.”

    Team Owner Paul Bird “With Glenn joining Tommy, I think we have an unbelievable line up for 2023 with the riders that finished second and third in this year’s championship. It’s great to have Glenn back as we have had a lot of success together in the past and he’s probably left what I would regard as one of the best, if not the best, team in the paddock to come to us. After a disappointing season for PBM, it will be good to be back at the sharp end.”

  • Tommy Bridewell joins Paul Bird Ducati for 2023 British Superbike title attack

    Tommy Bridewell joins Paul Bird Ducati for 2023 British Superbike title attack

    Seemingly the worst kept secret in silly season is finally announced. Tommy Bridewell will race with the Paul Bird Motorsport squad for 2023 in the British Superbikes.

    Tommy Bridewell PBM Ducati – Picture courtesy PBM Ducati / Double Red Photography

    Bridewell had been rumoured to be joining the PBM Ducati lineup for a few weeks now and the rumours gained traction when Steve Moore, Team Principal of the Oxford Products Ducati team, which Bridewell has ridden with for the last 4 years, took to Twitter to say “Thank you Tommy Bridewell, Stacey Jo and the Bridewell family for a mega 4.5 years. They said we’d never get along, but the results made our team! I’m so proud that he was in demand from several big factory teams. He has earned his place. Now we’ve got to try to beat him.”

    On the same day Bridewell was quoted by Ducati on social media “It was nice to end the @OfficialBSB season on some strong results. It was my last race with @MotoRapidoBSB, I’d like to wish them every success in their future and a huge thank you for everything they have done for me.”

    On signing with PBM Ducati, Bridewell said “This is my best shot at winning the title with a team that knows all about winning British Championships. I’ve known the team for a long time and this represents a fantastic opportunity as I’ve strived for years to beat them. There was a consensus that we should work together and PBM can guide me towards our goal. I’m confident in my riding and the team can give me the technical support I need. The job comes with added pressure but it’s one I’m relishing.”  

    Team owner Paul Bird said “I’m delighted to have Tommy joining the team for 2023. He came up to me in the paddock as a 15-year-old when he was just starting out and told me he would ride for me one day and now it’s going to happen. He’s done a great job on a Ducati over these past couple of years and has been one of our toughest rivals so to have him on board with us is fantastic and we can’t wait to get started.”

    We are still awaiting confirmation of who will fill the second seat alongside Tommy Bridewell. Lots of rumours are floating around at the moment but until it is confirmed, we have to keep biting our nails and waiting for news.

    Follow me on Twitter @RacingArmchair for daily racing chat and updates.

  • Round 10 WorldSBK San Juan, Argentina, Race 2

    Round 10 WorldSBK San Juan, Argentina, Race 2

    The earlier superpole race was won by Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha), followed by Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati), and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki KRT).

    Track temperature was a lot higher compared to race 1, which meant it would start to feel greasy for the riders, and tyre management would surely be a big factor for the race.

    Lights out for race 2 then, and it was Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati) with a great start, followed by the Kawasaki team mates of Rea and Lowes in 2nd and 3rd, Bautista 4th, and Toprak in 5th. An unhappy Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), got a shove from Bassani (Motocorsa Ducati), which sent the Frenchman ploughing into the gravel, and his race was over. Bassani would no doubt receive a penalty for that incident.

    Next lap and Rea ran wide losing positions and ended up in 6th. Lowes was having a great start to the race, and was attacking Bautista, the two of them fighting for 2nd. Toprak was now up to 4th.

    With 19 laps to go positions were as follows; 1. Rinaldi 2. Lowes 3. Bautista 4. Toprak 5. Vierge (Honda HRC) 6. Rea. It was the Northern Irishman who then put in the new fastest lap with a 1:38.3.

    Next lap and Bautista was finding his rhythm and came through on Lowes to move into 2nd. Toprak was next to come through Lowes, and moved into 3rd. Meanwhile further back it was Redding (BMW Motorrad) 10th, Laverty (Bonovo Action Ducati) 11th, and Vd Mark (BMW Motorrad) 12th.

    With 16 laps to go, it was Lecuona (Honda HRC), who set the new fastest lap with a 1:38.2, impressive from the ex-MotoGP rider, as it was his first visit to San Juan. Bautista took over the lead from his team mate, and Toprak wasn’t about to let Bautista clear away, and moved through on Rinaldi into 2nd. Further back it was the Kawasaki team mates of Lowes and Rea, in 4th and 5th respectively. Bautista held a gap of 0.2s to Toprak.

    Next lap and Toprak put in the new fastest lap of the race with a 1:37.923. The leading two of Bautista, and Toprak were pulling away from the rest, and had pulled out a significant gap. Rinaldi then ran wide allowing both of the Kawasaki team mates through. Positions were as follows; 1. Bautista 2. Toprak 3. Lowes 4. Rea 5. Rinaldi.

    With 13 laps remaining, Bautista had increased his lead to 0.5s. Toprak was doing all he could to stay with the Ducati, and set a new fastest lap of 1:37.890. Would we see team orders come into play, forcing Lowes to let Rea through? The GRT Yamaha team mates, Gerloff and Nozane, were having a disappointing weekend and found themselves way down in 16th and 17th.

    With 11 laps remaining, Bautista was once again ramping up the pace and set the new fastest lap of the race with a 1:37.789. He now held a gap of 0.8s to Toprak, who was doing everything he could to keep in contact. Meanwhile further back Locatelli (Pata Yamaha), came through on Redding into 9th. Bassani had caught the Honda team mates of Vierge, and Lecuona in 6th, and 7th respectively.

    Over half distance now, and Bautista had increased his lead to 0.9s to Toprak. Bautista then put in the new fastest lap of the race with a 1:37.660.

    With 7 laps to go positions were as follows; 1. Bautista 2. Toprak 3. Lowes 4. Rea 5. Rinaldi.

    With only 4 laps to go, Rea did come through on Lowes into 3rd, Lowes didn’t try to respond, knowing his team mate needed the extra points. Rea wouldn’t be able to catch Toprak who was well away. There was then a three-way battle for 5th between Rinaldi, Vierge, and Lecuona. Meanwhile, Bassani was given a long lap penalty for his earlier incident with Baz, which he failed to take, and was subsequently given an additional long lap penalty. He rejoined the race down in 20th.

    Last lap and Bautista crossed the line to claim his second win of the weekend, followed by Toprak 2nd. Rea 3rd, Lowes 4th, Rinaldi 5th, Vierge 6th, Lecuona 7th, Locatelli 8th, Redding 9th, Vd Mark 10th.

    It has been an amazingly dominant season for Bautista, who has now finished on the podium in 27 of 30 races so far.

    Next stop is Round 11 in Mandalika, Indonesia, and Bautista will be the World Champion if he outscores Toprak by 18 points, and Rea by a single point.

    Result top 5:
    1. Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati)
    2. Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha)
    3. Rea (Kawasaki KRT)
    4. Lowes (Kawasaki KRT)
    5. Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati)
    Championship top 3:
    1. Bautista – 507 points
    2. Razgatlioglu – 425 points
    3. Rea – 409 points

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK.com 

  • The fairytale continues for Ducati

    The fairytale continues for Ducati

    Qualifying:

    Clouds loomed large overhead on Saturday, but the sunshine prevailed.

    Down on the track Marc Marquez (Honda) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) managed to make their way through to Q2. Marquez kept his performance up and claimed 3rd place for Sunday, while Bagnaia unfortunately fell and could only manage 9th on the grid, ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia). Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) managed 11th place, after also crashing.

    Making up the rest of the front row was Enea Bastianini (Ducati) who took 2nd and pole went to Jorge Martin (Ducati), who did a phenomenal lap to not only take pole (his 4th this year and 2nd in a row) but also a new lap record – 1:57.790.

    Race:

    The weather remained the same through to Sunday and the pressure was mounting. With 20 laps till the end, the drama continued:

    Martin started well and kept hold of his lead, but it was Bagnaia who made a fantastic start going straight to 2nd by the first corner. He wasn’t the only one though – Fabio also managed to make up 6 places, but Espargaro fell back to 11th.

    Leading on the first lap was Martin from Bagnaia, Bastianini and Marquez.

    Leading the group. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

    The championship hunt was on!

    Lap 2 of 20 and Bastianini looked like he was ready to line a pass up on Bagnaia but would he? Ducati had already confirmed there were to be no team orders, but he would still need to be careful with his decisions.

    Martin soon took fastest lap and continued to lead, Bagnaia, Bastianini and Marquez. The leading group had started to break away from Quartararo in 5th.

    While some Ducati’s were soaring unfortunately Luca Marini (Ducati) had to retire from the race early on – the first time this season he hadn’t managed to finish a race.

    With 17 laps to go: Bastianini still looked menacing behind Bagania for second. Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha) took his long-lap penalty (which was enforced following on from qualifying sessions and rejoined the race in 10th) and Fabio managed to pass Marquez for 4th – keeping his championship hopes alive.

    Marquez in 5th looked like he was in trouble from the two Suzuki’s following closely behind him. On lap 7 Joan Mir managed to pass, forcing Marquez back to 6th. Behind them Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati) had also passed Alex Rins (Suzuki) for 7th.

    Yellow flags were suddenly waving and a Pramac Ducati was in the gravel – Martin had crashed out of first place on turn 5. All of a sudden, the championship leader was in the lead, with his 2023 teammate following closely behind. Fabio was also up to 3rd. The battle continued.

    Next lap Marquez passed Mir back, but Bezzecchi had better pace and managed to pass both riders to go to 4th. Could Bezzecchi help Bagnaia by passing Quartararo?

    With 13 laps to go, Bagnaia led Bastianini, Quartararo and Bezzecchi.

    Pecco led The Beast. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

    Gapping had started to appear between the top 4 riders – Bagnaia and Bastianini were 3.156 seconds ahead of Fabio who was 1.156 seconds ahead of Bezzecchi. But Bezzecchi was eating away at his gap to Fabio. Could he fight for a podium spot?

    Half-way through the race, Bastianini couldn’t hold back any further and on turn 4 he managed to make a move on fellow Italian Bagnaia to take the lead. Ducati had said no team orders, were they going to commit to this rule? Audiences were on the edge of their seats wondering what would happen next.

    With 7 laps to go Bagnaia re-passed Bastianini on the start-finish straight and managed to hold onto first place into turn 1 (lap 16). Every championship point counted, with only one round left.

    The lead for the two Italians at the front had decreased to Fabio in 3rd to 1.620 seconds, could he catch up and fight for the win? Bezzecchi behind him seemed to have had tyre issues, after fighting hard early on in the race as the gap between himself and Fabio had increased to 1.523 seconds.

    With only 3 laps to go Mir crashed out of his race on turn 1, leaving his teammate to battle Marquez.

    The pressure from Bastianini remained constant throughout the entire race even down to the final lap.

    Close racing. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

    Last lap – would Bastianini make a last lap move on the championship leader? He certainly tried too. On turn 9 he made an attempt to pass but went slightly wide leaving Bagnaia free to take his 7th victory this season.

    Top 10 Finishers:

    1st

    F. Bagnaia

    2nd

    E. Bastianini

    3rd

    F. Quartararo

    4th

    M. Bezzecchi

    5th

    A. Rins

    6th

    J. Miller

    7th

    M. Marquez

    8th

    B. Binder

    9th

    J. Zarco

    10th

    F. Morbidelli

    Congratulations to Ducati for winning the team championship. 

    It’s a team game. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

    Top 4 Championship:

    1st

    F. Bagnaia

    258 points

    2nd

    F. Quartararo

    235 points

    3rd

    E. Bastianini

    211 points

    4th

    A. Espargaro

    211 points

    It is now down to the wire – who will be crowned World Champion in the next round?

    In the words of Fabio – “…even if the chance is super small, we bring it to Valencia”. We will see you there!

    Then there were two. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

     

     

    (Featured image – “Victory tastes sweet”. Courtesy of: Moto GP website).

  • Round 10 WorldSBK San Juan, Argentina, Race 1

    Round 10 WorldSBK San Juan, Argentina, Race 1

    Going into the weekend with a 51 point gap over title rival, and reigning world champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu. Alvaro Bautista could put serious damage into the hopes of both Toprak, and Jonathan Rea, of closing the gap with a strong weekend.

    WorldSBK 22.10.2022 Alex Lowes Picture courtesy of KRT World SBK

    However the championship leader would have to start the race from 3rd on the grid, after Toprak (Pata Yamaha) claimed pole with an unbeaten time of 1:36.216, followed by Rea (KRT Kawasaki) in 2nd.

    Ideal weather for the start of race 1 then, with the Andean sun baking down onto the track. Lights out and it was Toprak with the hole shot into turn 1, followed by Rea, Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati), and Lecuona (Honda HRC) in 4th. And then massive drama as Toprak went off line, and way too hot into turn 9, sending his R1 plunging into the gravel. He managed to pick up his bike and rejoin the race at the back of the field. A huge, and potentially catastrophic shift in the outcome of this championship now for Toprak.

    With 19 laps to go, it was Bassani (Motocorsa Ducati) with an impressive start, and leading the race, setting a new fastest lap of 1:37.881 in the process. Positions were as follows: 1. Bassani 2. Rea 3. Lecuona 4. Bautista 5. Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati) 6. Redding (BMW Motorrad) 7. Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) 8. Lowes (Kawasaki KRT).

    With 17 laps remaining, Bautista made a move on Lecuona, getting through to move into 3rd, and setting a new fastest lap in the process of a 1:37.5. The leading trio of Bassani, Rea, and Bautista were now pulling away from the rest of the field. Meanwhile further back it was: 10. Locatelli (Pata Yamaha) 11. Vd Mark (BMW Motorrad) 14. Laverty (Bonovo Action Ducati).

    Next lap and Bautista was beginning to ramp up the pace, he lined up Rea, and made a clean move, and up into 2nd. Rea had no response. Further back Redding was struggling, and dropped two places down into 8th. Gerloff was also struggling, and the Texan found himself down in a disappointing 15th. Toprak was still at the back of the field.

    With 14 laps to go, Bassani held a gap of 0.3s to Bautista, the Spaniard was reeling him in however, and he moved through on the young Italian a few corners later, taking the lead. Rea knew he had to stay with Bautista, and made an aggressive move on Bassani into turn 10, moving into 2nd. The move surprised Bassani, the Italian now in 3rd. Drama for Mercado (MIE Honda), who crashed out into turn 14, and the local rider’s race was over. Meanwhile at the front, Bautista was increasing his lead, and now held a gap of 0.6s to Rea.

    With 12 laps to go, Bassani had got back past Rea into 2nd, the speed of the Ducati again proving a decisive factor. Rea was growing increasingly frustrated, as he could once again see Bautista disappearing down the road.

    With just over half race distance done, and with the lower fuel load, the Ducati was even quicker, and Bautista continued to ramp up his lead, the gap was now 2.7s. Positions were as follows: 1. Bautista 2. Bassani 3. Rea 4. Lecuona 5. Rinaldi 6. Lowes 7. Redding 8. Vierge (Honda HRC) 9. Locatelli 10. Baz.

    With 7 laps to go, Rea was throwing everything he could at Bassani, but to no avail. The fight between Bassani and Rea suited Bautista, and he forged on, putting ever more time into the gap.

    With only 5 laps left, Bautista put in the new fastest lap of the race with a 1:37.389. Meanwhile further back, Toprak had moved up places, and was now in 18th.

    With 3 laps left, Rea finally made a move on Bassani that stuck, and he moved into 2nd. Bautista was 6s ahead, and no doubt had the win firmly sealed up.

    WorldSBK 22.10.2022 Alvaro Bautistas courtesy of Aruba.it_racing

    Last lap and Bautista crossed the line to take another dominant win, followed by Rea 2nd, Bassani 3rd, Lecuona 4th, Rinaldi 5th,Lowes 6th, Redding 7th, Locatelli 8th, Vierge 9th, Vd Mark 10th, while Toprak came in 15th claiming just the single point.

    Result top 5:

    1. Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati)
    2. Rea (Kawasaki KRT)
    3. Bassani (Motocorsa Ducati)
    4. Lecuona (Honda HRC)
    5. Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati)

    Championship top 3:

    1. Bautista – 473
    2. Razgatlioglu – 393
    3. Rea – 386
  • McPhee Wins a Classic in Malaysia

    McPhee Wins a Classic in Malaysia

    John McPhee battled his way through the field from 22nd on the grid to take a well deserved win in his penultimate race in Moto3.

    It was a difficult weekend for the Scotsman who admitted that after a disappointing result in qualifying, he felt like giving up there and then.

    It’s been a brutal season for the 28-year-old who broke his back in a training session before round two in Indonesia, an injury that could have ended his career.

    As the lights went out, polesitter Dennis Foggia got bogged down on the damp side of the track, allowing Izan Guevara to lead the field into turn one. The newly crowned champion was unable to break away and was engulfed by a swarm of riders before the end of the first lap.

    On lap two Angeluss MTA rider Stefano Nepa suffered a nasty highside at turn nine. Fortunately everyone managed to avoid the Italian who was helped off the track by the marshals.

    With the championship decided, all eyes were on the battle for second. Sergio Garcia bolstered his claim by battling with David Muñoz, Jaume Masia, Diogo Moreira and the aforementioned Foggia for the lead.

    Muñoz crashed out on lap four, just behind him Tatsuki Suzuki also fell, but was able to continue. The fastest man on track was Max Racing’s Ayumu Sasaki, who was reeling in the lead group lap by lap.

    It was scrappy at the front with several riders exchanging positions, allowing Sasaki to join the party. The Japanese rider made short work of his rivals and was soon behind Guevara at the front of the field.

    The drama continued at the start of lap 13 as Riccardo Rossi fell at turn one. Further back Carlos Tatay pulled into the garage, ending his day early. Sasaki made his move for the lead at turn 15, sliding underneath Guevara but a poor exit from the corner caused the Spaniard to shunt the back of his bike. It was a scary moment, but fortunately both riders stayed upright.

    The constant battling at the front allowed McPhee to latch onto the lead group and it wasn’t long before he was in a tussle with teammate Sasaki. With just a few laps remaining Garcia led from Masia, Foggia, Sasaki, McPhee and Moreira.

    Taiyo Furusato crashed at the start of lap 16 as Foggia moved up to second, hot on Garcia’s tail. With just one lap remaining, victory was there for the taking.

    Foggia took the lead at turn 10 but it only lasted for a matter of seconds before Masia muscled his way to the front. Moments later McPhee capitalised on the melee and snatched the top spot.

    There were desperate lunges into the final corner, but the Scot held his nerve and the lead to take his fourth win in Moto3, in what is expected to be his penultimate Grand Prix. Sasaki was second to secure a 1-2 for Max Racing with Garcia in third.

    The results mean Garcia retains second place in the standings with 241 points, Foggia stays in third with 233 and Sasaki is just behind in fourth with 227. Only one round remains in the 2022 season, the Grand Prix of Valencia in a fortnights’ time.

    Feature Image: MotoGP

  • Malaysian Moto3 Grand Prix Preview

    Malaysian Moto3 Grand Prix Preview

    Moto3 has a new world champion, but there’s still plenty of excitement building as the series returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2019.

    The Sepang International Circuit hosts round 19 of the 2022 Moto3 World Championship this weekend (21/22/23 October).

    The popular 5.543 km circuit has just about everything. Fast sweeping bends, tight technical sections and two mammoth straights held together by the famous hairpin combine to form an excellent racetrack.

    As with most of the recent Moto3 venues, it’s been a while since the last Grand Prix at Sepang, and only a handful of the current riders have competed at the circuit.

    After confidently securing the Moto3 title in Australia, Izan Guevara is clearly a favourite for the win this weekend. The GASGAS Team Aspar rider has simply been a class above this season, particularly since the summer break. With two victories in the last three races, both at tracks he hadn’t visited before, it’s hard to bet against the Spaniard being on the podium on Sunday.

    Max Racing’s Ayumu Sasaki has been one of the few challengers anywhere near Guevara’s pace in recent times. The Japanese rider has established himself as one of the top competitors in Moto3 this season. It was confirmed recently that he will retain his seat for next season as part of his team’s merger with Moto2’s Intact GP.

    Italian rider Dennis Foggia has blown both hot and cold this season. One week he’s on the podium, the next he couldn’t be much further from it. The Leopard Honda rider is moving up to the intermediate class next year and will be determined to add to his Moto3 win tally before he does so.

    Britain’s John McPhee is also leaving the class at the end of the season. At the grand old age of 28, he is no-longer eligible for a permanent ride in Moto3. With his future still unconfirmed, at least to the public, it is expected that his Grand Prix career is coming to an end, at least for now. If that is the case, he will want to go out on a high.

    The weather forecast for the weekend looks bleak with thunderstorms expected throughout the event. That said, the eagle-eyed readers will be aware that I’ve touted rain for the last few races and it hasn’t materialised, so take my weather warning with a pinch of salt.

    Viewers in the UK will have to set their alarm clocks once again. The race is scheduled to start at 12:00pm local time (05:00am GMT).

    Feature Image: MotoGP

  • Guevara crowned Moto3 champion with victory in Australia

    Guevara crowned Moto3 champion with victory in Australia

    Izan Guevara has been crowned Moto3 World Champion after taking victory on the Australian Grand Prix!

    After a tough outing in Thailand two weeks ago, Guevara came to Phillip Island hoping to get back on the podium, with the chance to wrap up the title early well within his grasp.

    Qualifying for the Spaniard ended with a seventh-place result, meaning there was work to do on Sunday to get to the front.

    The race began with damp areas present around the track, but not enough to force the riders on to the wet tyre, with slicks being the choice for all.

    Guevara quickly made his intent clear from the start: to get to the front. As the lights went out it was Garcia who took the lead early on ahead of Diogo Moreira and pole-sitter Ayumu Sasaki.

    Sasaki made a move for the lead on the third lap as Garcia dropped to third behind Ivan Ortola who had made a good start to find himself in second during the early stages.

    Meanwhile the champion in waiting was still on the move, quickly getting up to second on lap four with an impressive move past both Moreira and Garcia, with his eyes firmly set on the lead.

    By the eighth lap an exciting battle for first emerged between Garcia, who had taken first a few laps prior, and Guevara.

    This battle went on for the rest of the race, with Sasaki and Deniz Öncü joining the fight.

    The race went right down until the final lap, with the four riders separated by almost nothing!

    Guevara had the pace to find a couple of tenths over his rivals, and crossed the line as winner ahead of Öncü, Garcia and Sasaki, crowning him champion!

    With that, Guevara can now breathe a sigh of relief as he heads to the final two rounds of the year with the title already wrapped up.

  • Brookes sad to end his time with PBM and the Ducati brand. Sykes exit confirmed.

    Brookes sad to end his time with PBM and the Ducati brand. Sykes exit confirmed.

    A sad day in the Brookes Camp.

    Josh Brookes has spoken of his fondness for the Italian marque and the Carlisle based Paul Bird Motorsport team (PBM), as the 2022 season draws to a close.

    Runner up in 2019 to Scott Redding and then Champion himself in 2020, Josh had been a regular front runner on the Ducati Panigale V4r over his time but recent struggles with grip have seen Brookes and the PBM team decide to part ways and seek alternative arrangements for 2023.

    Brookes has signed with FHO Racing BMW, where team principal Faye Ho has welcomed him with open arms. Hoping to bring the former British Champion into the team to push on and challenge for the British Superbike Championship with both Brookes and re-signed Peter Hickman.

    Brookes PBM season concluded with two top 10 finishes at Brands Hatch.

    MCE Ducati Josh Brookes – Image Courtesy MCE Ducati

    Josh Brookes: “It’s a sad day for me as I’ve grown to love the MCE Ducati and I’m going to miss riding the bike as I think anyone who rides a Ducati will say its infectious, like motorbikes are in general. I’ve enjoyed my time with the brand and the team as we’ve had a good time together but who knows what the future will bring. As for today, I’d say it’s been my best day on the bike this year so it’s nice to end on a positive note. Seventh is not the result I want but in terms of lap times and consistency, and staying strong right up until the end, I felt better than I have done all year. I kept pushing and was running close to the British Champion so that’s a good achievement in our final race together.”

    Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s nice to see Josh end the year, and his time with us, strongly in the final race of the year and no one can fault his commitment, dedication, or professionalism for the entire four years he’s been with us. The MCE Ducati PBM team have made some good friends in Josh and his wife Aimee, and we all wish him well for the future. Tom obviously hasn’t been with us as long but it’s been a pleasure to have an ex-World Champion riding for the team and he’ll be moving to pastures new in 2023 so, again, we wish him well. We’d also like to congratulate Bradley Ray and the Rich Energy OMG Racing Team on their title success and also thank all of our sponsors for their commitment and loyalty.”

    It has also been announced by the team that Tom Sykes will also move on from the team now the 2022 season has concluded. It is rumored that Sykes will pursue a ride in World Superbikes with either a Puccetti Kawasaki or possibly even a Barni Ducati but official announcements are yet to be received.

    Tom Sykes: “I can’t deny it’s been a disappointing season as I came to BSB and the PBM team to get involved and fight for the title. Unfortunately, we had some restrictions and whilst we showed what we could do at a big circuit like Donington we ultimately couldn’t do that often enough. I’m upset for myself and the team as the level of talent at PBM, in all areas of the garage, deserves a lot more. Sometimes you have difficult seasons and, unfortunately, 2022 has been one of those years. I’m obviously very grateful for the opportunity at PBM and they’ve been a pleasure to work with all year so would like to wish them all the best.”

    MCE Ducati Tom Sykes & Josh Brookes – Image Courtesy MCE Ducati Press Release (Double Red Photography)

     

  • Irwin and Hickman share the spoils as Ray takes the Championship.

    Irwin and Hickman share the spoils as Ray takes the Championship.

    Bradley Ray – Bennetts British Superbike Champion for 2022 – Image Courtesy of Official BSB

    Bradley Ray continued his run of consistency on Saturday at Brands Hatch, needing only 9 points to crown him the 2022 British Superbike Champion. Title rivals Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell knew nothing but race wins would be enough to see their championship fight continue into Sunday’s Race 2 and 3.

    Glenn Irwin was up for the job on the day, with a dominant victory in Race 1. Followed closely throughout the race by FHO Racing BMW’s Peter Hickman and Synetiq BMW’s Andrew Irwin, neither BMW were able to put any manners on the Honda Racing U.K. Fireblade as Irwin managed the gap and pace, living up to his ambition of having one last race victory, in 2022 with the Honda.

    Tommy Bridewell followed along in a hard-fought 4th place but, unfortunately Irwin and Bridewell were also relying on some bad luck on the part of Brad Ray to aid in their title challenge.

    The Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha rider came home in a steady 5th position meaning Ray had done everything he needed to do to be crowned the new champion. Saturday’s task for Brad Ray had been achieved. The emotion could be seen flowing through pit lane as Ray’s family, friends and team filed out to heap praise on the young rider.

    Unfortunately for Ray, it seemed the curse of the number 1 plate kicked in after a lap 2 crash in Sunday’s Race 2 saw his Yamaha arriving through the gravel on Paddock Hill bend due to a cold tyre crash. Thankfully with Saturday being the important day, all pressure was off. Ray went on to take a 6th place finish for Race 3. In a statement to the media after racing, Ray said: “Pre-season was good and I knew that this would be my best chance to fight for the championship with Yamaha, with Rich Energy OMG. We just got our head down the whole season, took everything in our stride, maximised everything race by race and that allowed us to come to Brands Hatch and have a difficult round like we have.”

    “Obviously it would have been nicer to be fighting for victory and fighting for podiums [this weekend] but we’ve done enough work throughout the season to prove that we’re worthy champions. Just a big shout out to the team, family, friends and everyone who came out to Brands to support me this weekend.”

    A good result coming at the perfect time also for Danny Kent, Charlie Nesbitt, Josh Owens and Jack Kennedy for their own reasons. Danny Kent, as its contract time and he would like to maximise his potential ride for the 2023 season, likewise for Josh Owens. Jack Kennedy has shown good form to get his first points on the board before competing full time next year aboard the Mar-Train Yamaha R1 after he and his team decided to step up a class for next year. Charlie Nesbitt for again showing he could be about to hit the ground running after rumors circulated the Buildbase team have already signed him for the 2023 season.

    Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki Josh Owens – Image Courtesy Rapid Training

    Race 1 Results

    1 Glenn Irwin – Honda Racing UK
    2 Peter Hickman – FHO Racing BMW
    3 Andrew Irwin – Synetic BMW Motorrad
    4 Tommy Bridewell – Oxford Products Ducati
    5 Bradley Ray – Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
    6 Jason O’Halloran – McAMS Yamaha
    7 Danny Buchan – Synetic BMW Motorrad
    8 Danny Kent – Buildbase Suzuki
    9 Kyle Ryde – Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
    10 Tom Sykes – MCE Ducati
    11 Charlie Nesbitt – Buildbase Suzuki
    12 Josh Owens – Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki
    13 Takumi Takahashi – Honda Racing UK
    14 Jack Kennedy – Mar-Train Racing Yamaha
    15 Davey Todd – Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda

    Race 2

    Again a fight between BMW and Honda. The M1000RR v the CBR1000RR in the form of Peter Hickman and Danny Buchan vs Glenn Irwin. In another classic Brands Hatch style race, Buchan and Irwin followed Hickman around the circuit but just didn’t have the edge to make a move and snatch victory away from him. Peter Hickman became the 10th different winner this season.

    FHO Racing BMW’s Peter Hickman becoming the 19th winner of the 2022 season. Image courtesy of Official BSB

    Brad Ray wasn’t the only Yamaha to suffer in race 2 as an incident between Andy Irwin and Jason O’Halloran saw once again the Yamaha rider being taken out of the race in the closing stages. Andy Irwin went for an overtake under braking into the Surtees corner, making contact with O’Halloran’s handlebar sending the McAMS rider spilling onto the sidelines. O’Halloran struggled to be positive in his interview with Eurosport after the race noting 3 incidents in 3 races had basically ruined his season and all the hard work of the McAMS team. Seems the popular Australian cannot catch a break at the moment and no doubt feels like he has been robbed of a chance to compete for the British title this year. It’s no great shakes to say that had Tarran Mackenzie stayed on his bike and injury free and had Jason O’Halloran not been taken out on the same corner, in two races by two different riders, I don’t think this Showdown would have gone Ray’s way as easy. (There’s no doubt in my mind that the McAMS Yamaha team would have pushed the Ray to the last round. This is racing. If this, If that… If my aunty had balls, she’d have been my uncle etc. Such is life. We all move on.)

    Andy Irwin was disqualified from Race 2’s results and given a 3-place penalty for Race 3 but this didn’t stop the determined Northern Irishman’s fight for a final podium in 2022.

    McAMS Yamaha Jason O’Halloran – Image Courtesy McAMS Yamaha

    Race 2 Results

    1 Peter Hickman – FHO Racing BMW
    2 Danny Buchan – Synetic BMW Motorrad
    3 Glenn Irwin – Honda Racing UK
    4 Kyle Ryde – Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
    5 Tommy Bridewell – Oxford Products Ducati
    6 Danny Kent – Buildbase Suzuki
    7 Christian Iddon – Buildbase Suzuki
    8 Charlie Nesbitt – Buildbase Suzuki
    9 Josh Brookes – MCE Ducati
    10 Tom Sykes – MCE Ducati
    11 Josh Owens – Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki
    12 Dean Harrison – DAO Racing Kawasaki
    13 Takumi Takahashi – Honda Racing UK
    14 Storm Stacey – Team LKW Euro Car Parts Kawasaki
    15 Davey Todd – Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda

    Race 3

    This was a race long battle again between Glenn Irwin, Andy Irwin and Danny Buchan for the podium, followed by Tommy Bridewell, Peter Hickman and Brad Ray. It looked like Buchan was on for another race win for the season until a couple of laps to go, when a moment into Surtees allowed both the Irwin brothers to pass, leaving Buchan clinging on to the rear of the group. Glenn then put the hammer down and lead the final laps to take the final race win of the season.

    The rumors surrounding both the Irwin brothers during the Brands weekend would have them both riding for different manufacturers in 2023. A lot of people have Glenn on an MCE Ducati next year with Andy taking over his brothers mount in the Honda Racing fold. No doubt all the silly season details will all come out over the next few weeks as we find out what is happening with newly crowned Champion, Bradley Ray and recently de-throned 2021 Champion, Tarran Mackenzie.

    Race 3 Result.

    1 Glenn Irwin – Honda Racing UK
    2 Andy Irwin – Synetic BMW Motorrad
    3 Danny Buchan – Synetic BMW Motorrad
    4 Tommy Bridewell – Oxford Products Ducati
    5 Peter Hickman – FHO Racing BMW
    6 Bradley Ray – Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
    7 Josh Brookes – MCE Ducati
    8 Danny Kent – Buildbase Suzuki
    9 Christian Iddon – Buildbase Suzuki
    10 Kyle Ryde – Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
    11 Tom Sykes – MCE Ducati
    12 Charlie Nesbitt – Buildbase Suzuki
    13 Ryan Vickers – FHO Racing BMW
    14 Josh Owens – Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki
    15 Takumi Takahashi – Honda Racing UK