Tourist Trophy – North West 200 2017: Irwin and Ducati beat the stars Seeley and BMW – Used DUCATI

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North West 200 2017: Irwin and Ducati beat stars Seeley and BMW

Tourist Trophy - North West 200 2017: Irwin and Ducati beat the stars Seeley and BMW - Used DUCATI

While Davies and Ducati won a masterful double in the WSBK this weekend in Italy, the 1199 Panigale R also won far from home, in Northern Ireland! With it, Glenn Irwin beat Alastair Seeley and his BMW who nevertheless remain the masters of the North West 200… Discovery.

This weekend, fans of motorcycle racing were able to follow the on-site on the magnificent Imola circuit, a few turns of the wheels from the Ducati factory. The new double from official driver Chaz Davies therefore had a special flavor for the Bologna brand..

But 2347 km away by road – and seas – a third victory also delighted the Tifosis, including Paolo Ciabatti himself !

"Glenn Irwin’s fantastic victory in the North West 200 with the Panigale R of the Paul Bird Motorsport team", proudly relayed the sporting director of the Ducati racing department and responsible for the MotoGP project. But who exactly is this "Irwin" ?

Tourist Trophy - North West 200 2017: Irwin and Ducati beat the stars Seeley and BMW - Used DUCATI

Eldest son of the famous – in Ireland – Alan Irwin, Glenn cut his teeth in Superstock 600 (2nd in the Irish championship in 2011) then in Supersport (4th in the British championship in 2014 and 2015) before entering the prestigious British Superbike the last year.

In 2016, the one nicknamed "Turbo Rabbit" directly joined the excellent Ducati "Be Wiser" PBM team alongside a certain Shane Byrne, who took his fifth BSB title that same year! Glenn, for his part, ends his first season in 12th place and takes his first two podiums..

Tourist Trophy - North West 200 2017: Irwin and Ducati beat the stars Seeley and BMW - Used DUCATI

Returned to his post in 2017, he quickly got back to the BSB "box": from the opening round at Donington Park, the n ° 2 Ducati finished third in the second round, behind the championship leader Leon Haslam (Kawasaki) and two-time BSB champion Josh Brookes (Yamaha).

On May 1 at Oulton Park, Glenn did it again, taking advantage of the impressive collision between Haslam and Ellison, finishing second behind "Shakey" Byrne. The sulphurous Paul Bird team thus obtained a historic double, the first since it opted in 2015 for Ducati (instead of Kawasaki).

Tourist Trophy - North West 200 2017: Irwin and Ducati beat the stars Seeley and BMW - Used DUCATI

Born in Carrickfergus on March 29, 1990 – like Alastair Seeley on October 4, 1979 – Glenn Irwin does not only run on speed circuits: as a good Northern Irishman, he also likes road racing and started in this discipline in 2015, also quickly rising on his first podiums.

Entered with his 1199 Panigale R last week in the same type of road race as the, except that the drivers set off in packs! -, the Ducati PBM rider shone in the two Superbike races.

Tourist Trophy - North West 200 2017: Irwin and Ducati beat the stars Seeley and BMW - Used DUCATI

The first race was contested on a half-wet tarmac and was largely dominated by Alastair Seeley: the BMW Tyco rider n ° 34 was 21 seconds ahead of Michael Rutter’s BMW Bathams at the finish! Lee Johnston on his Honda Jackson completed the podium, three seconds ahead of Glenn and his Ducati Be Wiser.

The second round, which took place in better conditions, gave rise to an epic battle (before it was erased!) Between four drivers: Alastair still, Ian Hutchinson (BMW n ° 4) and Michael Dunlop ( Suzuki n ° 3) … and that sacred Glenn Irwin !

Tourist Trophy - North West 200 2017: Irwin and Ducati beat the stars Seeley and BMW - Used DUCATI

Leading from the first to the seventh and last laps, the Ducati rider was attacked by the specialist of the NW200 (Seeley has 21 wins, a record) at the very end of the course. But Irwin managed to retaliate and then conscientiously closed the doors by approaching the final roundabouts and crossroads. !

Celebrating his winning run by "dropping a pint of Guinness", Glenn Irwin confided during the press conference that "it was the scenario that [I] wanted. It was a dream that I just realized! I had not come full circle. only 11 laps in practice and the first race with the big bikes was "wet", but I got the dry race as I hoped, and won it ".

Tourist Trophy - North West 200 2017: Irwin and Ducati beat the stars Seeley and BMW - Used DUCATI

Winner on the same Saturday under very delicate conditions of the second Supersport race (Martin Jessopp had won the first Thursday, day of), the two Superstock 1000 races and the first Superbike race, Alastair Seeley congratulated his compatriot for this first victory.

"Glenn arrived here confident, strong on his BSB podiums this season, so I knew he would be competitive," observed the "Wee Wizard" before acknowledging that his young opponent "was the best today" … in the dry anyway.

Humble and "fair play", Alastair Seeley remains despite everything the master of the "Triangle" which links the three towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush. He also received the trophy of "man of the race" 2017 from the hands of the race director, Mervyn Whyte.

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