Byrne Hopes To Continue Winning Ways On Home Ground
The famous Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit is the destination for round six of the 2017 MCE British Superbike Championship this weekend where Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team riders Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and Glenn Irwin will be in action.
Following on from a superb double victory at the previous round at Snetterton earlier this month to propel himself up to second in the title race, Sittingbourne-based Londoner Byrne will be hoping to continue his winning ways at his local track whereby he has enjoyed so much success over the years.
At the corresponding meeting last year, Byrne was in superb form aboard the factory-backed Be Wiser Panigale R for Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team, taking a double victory and the plan is for a repeat performance as the five-times and defending champion aims for crown number six.
Meanwhile team-mate Glenn Irwin is hoping to return to action aboard his Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R following injuries sustained in a practice crash at Knockhill a month ago, which caused him to miss that meeting and also Snetterton. Irwin has continued to have intense treatment to his injured left shoulder and left elbow meaning the Carrickfergus, County Antrim rider needs to make up for lost ground if he’s to retake one of the coveted top six Showdown places, having slipped to ninth in the standings.
Shane Byrne: “Snetterton seems like such a long time ago already, I remember driving back from the circuit that evening having had the perfect weekend. Race weekends can’t possibly be any more successful yet I wasn’t happy as all I wanted was to drive to Brands Hatch and start the next round where we left off. I’m real hard on myself and never stop striving for the next bit of success. I’m hopeful that it’ll come together again this weekend at Brands Hatch which is one of my favourite events on the calendar. We have a test this week to try to perfect a couple of things with the bike then it’ll be all systems go this coming weekend.”
Glenn Irwin: “I’m just out of yet another hyperbaric chamber session and I must thank the Simon Andrews Foundation for their assistance in my recovery. As a result of this intensive treatment, Brands Hatch this weekend now looks very promising although I will do as little as possible until it really counts on Saturday afternoon. It will be a case of damage limitation to some extent but I have worked my butt off to have a chance of riding competitively and that’s my goal.”
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