Glenn Irwin is bidding to replicate his winning performance from last year’s Cadwell Park round as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship hits Lincolnshire for the annual visit this August Bank Holiday weekend (24/25/26 August).
Irwin scored a double victory and a second place at the circuit last season and heading into the final round before the Showdown, the Hager PBM Ducati rider is determined to bounce back from two bruising rounds and close the deficit to Tommy Bridewell at the top of the standings.
Irwin said: “Going into Thruxton we are always optimistic and hoping that something has changed as such, but I always like to be realistic and it is one round where I am aware that we will lose points in the championship and not gain. The positions in race one and race three were probably in and around what I thought we would achieve.
"I lost a few points in race three when I made a little mistake on the last lap, but what was pleasing was that it was Christian that I was fighting with, which shows you just how tough the track is on the Ducati. Two championship contenders fighting tooth and nail for a maximum of three points!
“In race two we obviously had the big highside that has been well documented and I think that was a missed opportunity and I am not one to make a lot of mistakes. I have had three DNFs this year, one was the mechanical at Knockhill, one was being taken out at Brands Hatch and I have made one mistake so we have put that behind us now. Everyone will make mistakes during the season and we have seen some people have their fair share of bad luck already.
“Going to Cadwell Park it is a track where we have a bunch of happy memories and we felt really, really strong last year. I think as well it is a little bit more like Oulton and we have still been super successful there despite some of the feelings with the bike being a bit different this season.
“With that in mind, I think we go to Cadwell in a confident mode, it certainly won’t be anything like Thruxton, the objective is to continue the faith that the championship will play out as I feel it will and to come away from Cadwell reducing the points lead is our target for the next rounds.
“Now we start to apply some pressure. It seems to be a dogfight! There seems to be five guys who can win the championship if you are looking at it now, more mathematically, but there are five who are extremely close, so I think that plays into the hands of whoever can find the consistency and that is something I have been very strong at in my career.
“The team are working hard to give me the package underneath me and to make some improvements with that, so I am going to keep my head down, keep the focus, overcome my niggles with the time off since Thruxton as I am a bit battered, but that is part and parcel of this job. It certainly won’t deter me or the team from successful results at Cadwell Park.”