Glenn Irwin ‘back home’ on a Ducati with Nitrous Competitions

British Superbike racer Glenn Irwin spoke with Niall Mackenzie on the Ducati stand at Motorcycle Live over the weekend, discussing the season ahead and his return to the Borgo Panigale manufacturer with the Nitrous Competitions Ducati team.

Niall Mackenzie: I guess in some ways it’s like coming home. You had a little spell with another manufacturer mid-way through the year, but your BSB career has been very impressive. The majority of the time though your success has been on a Ducati, so does it feel like a homecoming?

GIenn Irwin: Yes, exactly that. It’s quite timely. I keep calling last year a tough season, but I have to remind myself how the beginning of the year was going. So, to come back with a manufacturer like Ducati, a manufacturer I’ve had so much success with, with the V-twin, the V4. 

That feeling like you weren’t turning up to win races is all gone. We’re back, and it fills me with determination. I never really need more motivation, but there’s certainly extra now. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and to be back.

It’s kind of carrying on where you left off. You had the accident at Snetterton earlier in the year and already in that time you’re knocking on the doors of wins, it was just going to be a matter of time. But for next year there’s now the new Panigale V4R.

My last trace on a Ducati was Race 3 at Donington Park, and I managed to pull Brad Ray in by three seconds and doing lap times that were very, very competitive in World SBKs. That’s a good feeling, and a good memory. And that’s what is burning inside me now that we’re back. 

Obviously, there’s the new V4R. I’m so excited to get on it. And a great plan for pre-season as I have a Panigale V4S that I’m going to utilise in Spain for a few months, and to work on m y riding technique. We have everything lined up to go back to where we were before, maybe even stronger.

You got to have the talent, which you’ve obviously got. But you’ve also got to have the bike – which looks like it’s going to be incredible. Am I right in thinking you have team staff that were with you when you were previously at Ducati? That must help as well. If you don’t have everything on the table then that makes it difficult.

Yeah, there were many factors when I split with PBM. A couple of my staff, my crew chief and my electronic engineer who were a big part of the PBM picture, they were in a similar situation to me. They had to adapt to the Yamaha, to the Bitubo suspension, but now we’re back together with a bike, and a brand that we all know. And that will not only help me, but also help the entire Nitrous Competitions team because these guys know the Ducati very, very well, and they both want British Superbike championships as well. 

I must say the Nitrous Competitions Ducati team have been really refreshing to come and ride for. A great bunch, and extremely humble. But they go racing to win.

And the body now, all fit and well, good to go?
The body’s good. I’ve been in Florida for the past three weeks, on rollercoasters at Disneyworld! I’ve been training and went for a couple of runs whilst I was out there. I can do everything that they said would take a year. My running is normal, I feel strong at the gym, it’s been a nice off / early part of pre-season. But we’re fit and ready to go.

What a season ahead.
It’s going to be great. You know Tommy on a Ducati – with Superbike Advocates – will be a formidable threat. There’s a lot of guys in this championship that are very fast. But there’s a select few that are mentally strong, and that’s Tommy’s strength, he’s always been resilient. I see some similarities in him and it’s great to have him back on a Ducati in Superbike. We’ve a good rivalry and there’s mutual respect there. So, with Tommy, Scott, Leon, and myself, it’s going to be great year.