Glenn Irwin’s resurgence in this year’s Bennetts British Superbike Championship continued at the weekend with the Honda Racing rider taking a brace of second place finishes at Donington Park.

It was almost a carbon copy of last year’s meeting on the National Circuit, only a spill in the second race, when he got tagged from behind by Rory Skinner at McLeans, denying him a clean sweep of podium finishes like he achieved twelve months ago.

It was a barrel roll of a crash and left him with a dislocated shoulder but, miraculously, he was able to take his place on the grid for the final race where, even more miraculously, he took his third podium in five races.

It followed up his second place in the first race of the weekend on Saturday and he’s now up to seventh overall and looking more and more likely to take one of the coveted top eight Showdown positions.

“Second place on Saturday was a good start especially as we had some chatter issues after the safety car once the tyre temperature had dropped. I did my best to adapt and felt maybe with a few more laps I could have taken the fight to Jason [O’Halloran].”

He was again in the mix for a podium in Sunday’s opener, the Honda Firebalde again working well around the Leicestershire circuit, before the aforementioned spill but he ended the weekend on a high with his correct tyre choice of intermediate tyres giving him his 20th BSB career podium.

“After the crash in race two, I wasn’t sure if I’d pass the medical but the medics did a great job and I owe the podium to them. In all honesty, I felt fine on the bike other than feeling a bit sore when changing direction.”

“The weather may have helped a bit and it was a last-minute decision to fit the intermediate front tyre which proved to be the right call. I don’t normally feel comfortable in those conditions but we got the job done. A couple of rounds back I thought our chances of the Showdown were over but we’re now in with a shout and with Andrew in third place in the final race, it’s amazing to have an Irwin double podium again.”