The last two rounds of this year’s British Superbike Championship saw four-time race winner Andrew Irwin back to his best, running in the top five in every race and three podiums in the final four races of 2022 was a gentle reminder to everyone of exactly what he’s capable of.
Third in the opening race on the Synetiq BMW was a great start to the weekend and he looked on course for another podium in Sunday’s opener before a coming together with Jason O’Halloran saw the Australian crash out and Irwin relegated to 17th after being hit with a 20s penalty for his part in the incident. However, he bounced back strongly in the final race where he ran in the top three for the majority of the race, battling with team-mate Danny Buchan and brother Glenn for the win. Second was the ultimate outcome and the smile was most definitely back on his face. “I so wanted to win that last race and I gave it everything I had,” he said afterwards. “I had a good opening round but racing’s a rollercoaster and the low-point was mid-season so I’m pleased that, together with the help of the team, I rediscovered my form and was able to turn my season around. “I’ve had two strong podiums this weekend. We’ve worked hard to improve the M1000RR package all season and today both Danny and I proved that the package is a strong contender going forward. Sharing a podium with my brother today is also pretty special and it’s nice going into the winter remembering that I can ride a motorbike.”