Glenn Irwin (born 21 March 1990 in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland) is a professional road racing, road racer of motorcycles. For 2023, he raced for the Paul Bird Motorsport, Beer Monster Ducati team in the British Superbike Championship and in road racing events such as the North West 200 aboard a Ducati Panigale V4, Ducati Panigale V4 R.GLENN IRWIN COMPLETES PBM DUCATI LINE UP FOR 2023 BENNETTS BSB
British Superbike, 2 November 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023 He has experienced success on both short circuits and the roads, with a runners up spot in the 2022 British Superbike Championship, 21 points behind champion Bradley Ray. He also has eight wins at the North West 200 to his name, all in the superbike class including doubles at the 2018 and 2022 meetings. Irwin also holds the lap record for the fastest newcomer at the Isle of Man TT, set in 2022 with a lap clocked at 129.85 mph.2023 IOMTT: Fastest Newcomer Glenn Irwin Says He's Not Running Next Year
RideApart, 2 November 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023

Career

Irwin secured his first title in 2008 by taking the Irish Clubman 125 championship, which was backed up the following year by victory in the Ulster Supersport Championship and Supersport Cup. The following year, he made his debut in the British Championships, with a runners up spot in the 2011 National Superstock 600 Championship to fellow Northern Irishman Keith Farmer seeing him secure his status as top rookie in the championship that year. 2012 saw Irwin compete in the 2012 British Supersport Championship where he finished the season in 9th place, winning the privateer's championship over Luke Jones (motorcycle racer), Luke Jones. He would return the following year in the 2013 British Supersport Championship, Supersport Championship for the Mar-Train Yamaha Motor Company, Yamaha Team alongside Stuart Easton, where he would again finish the season in 9th place. For 2014 British Supersport Championship, 2014, Irwin would return in the Supersport Championship but for a different team and manufacturer, as the off-season had seen him switch to the Gearlink Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kawasaki team alongside Ben Wilson (motorcycle racer), Ben Wilson. His season got off to the best possible start by taking his maiden victory in British Supersport at the opening round on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit.Brands BSB: Irwin storms to first Supersport victory
BikeSportNews, 20 April 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2023 This would be added to with four further victories across the remainder of the season, seeing him end the season in 4th place. He extended his stay with the Gearlink Kawasaki outfit during the off-season for the 2015 British Supersport Championship, 2015 season, where he would score another 4th-place finish, taking 3 victories and 10 podiums on his way. 2016 would see Irwin step up to the 2016 British Superbike Championship, British Superbike Championship with Paul Bird Motorsport, PBM Ducati, where he would race alongside Shane Byrne (motorcycle racer), Shane Byrne. He would finish the season in 12th place, picking up a podium apiece at Thruxton Circuit, Thruxton and Brands Hatch as teammate Byrne won the title. The 2016 season would also see him make his debut at the Macau Grand Prix, where a technical problem cost him a potential podium finish. Irwin returned with PBM in 2017 British Superbike Championship, 2017 after signing a new two-year-deal with the Cumbrian team, where he would take his maiden win in British Superbike with victory in the first race of the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone round, ending the season in 12th place once more. He made his debut appearance at the North West 200 that year, where he would take a debut win in the superbike class ahead of Alastair Seeley by just 0.172 seconds. He was also victorious at the Macau Grand Prix, taking victory over Peter Hickman. 2018 would see a sharp upturn in form for Irwin in 2018 British Superbike Championship, British Superbikes, as top 10 finishes in all but four of the races that year - including a win at the Brands Hatch finale - saw him make the showdown for the first time and ultimately take 3rd place in the standings behind Jake Dixon and champion Leon Haslam. He would also experience success at that year's North West 200, taking a double victory in the superbike class. Irwin departed the PBM team upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2018 season. Irwin made the switch to Kawasaki machinery ahead of the 2019 British Superbike Championship, 2019 season, where he would line up for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team. The switch failed to repeat the previous year's successes, with Irwin and JG Speedfit Kawasaki splitting by mutual consent in the aftermath of the Snetterton Circuit, Snetterton round, which he had missed with a virus. It was subsequently announced that Irwin had signed a deal to race with the TAS Racing, Tyco BMW Motorrad, BMW outfit alongside Christian Iddon to replaced the injured Farmer. However, he would fail to see out the year with the team, as it was announced after the TT Circuit Assen, Assen round that Tyco BMW had parted company with Irwin. The year did bring some success, as he took another win at the North West 200 with a final lap overtake on Quattro Plant Wicked Coatings Kawasaki teammate James Hillier (motorcycle racer), James Hillier. For 2020 British Superbike Championship, 2020, Irwin would line up alongside brother Andrew Irwin for the Honda Racing Team, where he was scheduled to compete in his first Isle of Man TT, which was subsequently cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He enjoyed a much better season than the previous, with a number of top 5 finishes seeing him collect fourth place in the standings as well as a third win in British Superbikes at Snetterton. Irwin would make the showdown once again in 2021 British Superbike Championship, 2021, taking his fourth win in the series in the series at Silverstone on his way to 8th in the standings. Irwin would return in 2022 British Superbike Championship, 2022 with Honda where he would enjoy by far his most successful season to date in British Superbikes, taking second place in the standings including an opening weekend hat-trick of victories at Silverstone along with a double at the Brands Hatch finale. 2022 also saw a return to road racing action, as he took another double victory in the superbike class at the North West 200. He also made his long-awaited TT debut, with a best finish of 8th in the Superbike TT. Irwin also clocked the lap record for a newcomer with an average lap speed of 129.85 mph Irwin would return to the PBM Ducati outfit ahead of the 2023 season, where he would team up with Tommy Bridewell. On 8 July 2023, Irwin finished in second place in the final British Superbike race at Snetterton Circuit, Snetterton, narrowly missing out on a win to his teammate Tommy Bridewell, who secured a hat-trick in the competition.

Career statistics

British Superbike Championship

(Template:Motorsport driver results legend, key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) Season still in progress.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irwin, Glenn People from Carrickfergus 1990 births Superbike racers Motorcycle racers Living people