Glenn Irwin: How the BSB series leader has turned his fortunes round in 2020

Glenn’s smooth riding style, coupled with the controlled aggression you need to achieve success in races where the quality of the riders and machinery means the margins between first and 15th are often measured in tenths of a second, have proved a reliable combination.

While avoiding injury is crucial to winning a condensed championship, the competitive nature of BSB means that Irwin and his fellow competitors must ride close to the limit to give them that extra edge over the opposition.

With the likes of father Alan, himself a successful ex-rider, former MotoGP racer Jeremy McWilliams and experienced Honda team manager Havier Beltran in his camp, Irwin has all the right people offering him counsel as he bids to become the first rider from NI to claim a BSB title.

The fact that the new Honda proved so competitive in close to its standard road-going form was a major boost to the Irwin brothers but they and the team have refused to rest on their laurels, making improvements to the bike as the weeks have gone on.

The more complex electronics of the World Superbike Hondas in the hands of Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam have meant progress has been more gradual for the Japanese manufacturer on the global racing stage.