IRWIN: 'COULD I WIN THE TT IN YEAR TWO? 200% I COULD!'
New Kawasaki signing wants BSB crown but also has sights on roads glory
The 2019 season is looking pretty rosey for Glenn Irwin. The Northern Irishman finished third in the Bennetts British Superbike championship with Ducati in 2018 and the men that beat him to the title, Leon Haslam and Jake Dixon have moved on. He’ll also inherit Haslam’s titlewinning ZX-10RR, so it’s fair to say that he is a contender.
Irwin may never have a better shot at Britain’s premier title but while that’s his focus, he’s also got some thinking to do about his road racing ambitions.
Proven pedigree
Irwin has enjoyed whirlwind success between the hedges. Having competed at just three North West 200s, two Ulster Grand Prix and raced twice in Macau, he has smashed lap records and finished on the podium at all three meetings. His tally includes three NW200 superbike wins and victory at Macau in 2017.
“My deal with Kawasaki for this year is ‘If you want to do the NW we will do it’,” Irwin says. “If we go we’ll be riding in more than one class; it’ll probably be Superbike, Superstock and Supertwin because I’d like to win six.”
Irwin added that it’s unlikely he will make a return to the Ulster while he is competing in BSB. “I want to win at the Ulster one day, but it falls when the BSB season is hotting up and I hope to be winning the championship at that time next year.”
Macau off the agenda
Irwin sat out this year’s Macau GP after witnessing Dan Hegarty’s fatal crash at the Chinese street race last November.
In just his second year on the Armco-lined Guia circuit, Irwin had set an unofficial lap record in qualifying on his PBM Ducati and was leading when Hegarty crashed at Fisherman’s Bend. Inexplicably the leaders were allowed to proceed back to the pits past the scene of the accident, exposing them to the graphic dangers of road racing. “I just wasn’t prepared to ever see anything like that and it shook me up,” Irwin says. “The first thing I thought of was my son, Freddie. I would love to go to Macau, I would love to ride the track. I love the place and I love the vibe but if someone tells the wee man your dad is not here because he went to do a road race that he didn’t need to do, that’s just not fair. The line is drawn and it’s staying drawn, 200%. But only for Macau.”
Missing William
Irwin has also been deeply affected by the death of his close friend, William Dunlop in a crash during practice for this year’s Skerries 100. “I kept in touch with William all the time,” he says. “When I was told about his crash I found it so hard. I just sat on my own in the garage. William was a genuinely great fellow and the circumstances with his young family are tragic. It makes me determined to stick to my decision on Macau.” Like every road racer though, Irwin acknowledges he’s a complete junkie for the fix the roads provide. “My anxiety level before the North West is bananas,” he smiles. “This year was worse than ever. I can’t sleep and I can’t look at people because I feel I’m doing something I shouldn’t be doing. But that’s all part of the buzz and I love it.” Irwin has won legions of fans by wearing his heart on his sleeve and his frankness is a breath of fresh air in a road racing paddock that is becoming increasingly taciturn.
But what about the TT?
Irwin is circumspect when it comes to discussing the possibility of competing on the island.
“I honestly don’t know if I’m ever going to do the TT. Part of me wants to. I’d love to get to the end of my career and say I’ve won a TT but I would also love to get to the end and say I’ve never done it. We will watch it this year and see.” Curiously, given his views on Macau, Irwin says he isn’t deterred by the risks of the Mountain course. “You get all these people saying the TT is a man’s race but the coast road section at the NW200 has as many walls as Bray Hill,” he points out. “I’m not afraid of going down the road at 200mph.”
Irwin is equally adamant that he could emulate the success of his fellow BSB man Peter Hickman in winning TTs and setting records. “You simply don’t win in year one,” he reasons before launching into what sounds suspiciously like a statement of intent.
“Could I win in year two? 200% I could. Two million percent! We have raised the bar at every road race we have been to and if I knew the TT course I could go there and do what all these guys are doing.”
‘The first thing I thought of was my son’