Glenn Irwin will continue to ride for Paul Bird’s Be Wiser Ducati team in 2019 after agreeing a deal for a fourth season in the MCE British Superbike Championship.

The news was announced on Friday at Knockhill in Scotland ahead of this weekend’s fifth round of the championship.

Carrick man Irwin is currently fifth in the standings and finished as the runner-up in race one at Snetterton in the previous round.

The 28-year-old, who won both Superbike races at the North West 200 in May on the PBM Ducati, has been joined in the team by his younger brother Andrew, who is filling in for the injury-hit Shane Byrne.

Irwin feels he has a shot at winning the British title this year and is determined to claw back ground at Knockhill in Fife, where he is focused on ‘ending Leon Haslam’s domination’.

“Every time I throw my leg over the Be Wiser Ducati I feel increasingly confident. The speed seems to be there of late and I believe I’m only going to get stronger,”

Irwin said.

“I’m heading to Knockhill to end Leon Haslam’s domination and secure our first victory of the season, nothing less is acceptable.“We showed at Snetterton we had the pace to run at the front and it was very frustrating not to come away with better results but that’s in the past now and I’m focusing only on Knockhill this weekend.”

Kyle White