Paul Bird Motorsport

Paul Bird Motorsport are a British motorcycle road racing, car racing and rallying organisation. From 2024, following owner Paul Bird's death in 2023, the motorcycle road racing operation was renamed Paul Bird Racing with Glenn Irwin as sole rider in British Superbike class.[2] Paul Bird had competed as a rally driver and a solo-rider in motocross. His son Frank is a car racer.[3]

Paul Bird Motorsport
2024 nameHager PBM Ducati[1]
BasePenrith, Cumbria, England
PrincipalJordan Bird,
Frank Bird, Jr.
Rider(s)Glenn Irwin
MotorcycleDucati Panigale V4R F23
TyresPirelli
Riders' ChampionshipsSteve Hislop 2002
Shane Byrne x5
Scott Redding 2019
Josh Brookes 2020
Tommy Bridewell 2023

British Superbike 2002
British Superbike 2003
British Superbike 2012
British Superbike 2014
British Superbike 2016
British Superbike 2017
British Superbike 2019
British Superbike 2020
British Superbike 2023

Motorcycle racing

The team competes in the British Superbike Championship, using Ducati machinery from 2016, based on the 1199 Panigale R,[4] followed by Ducati Panigale V4, a change of manufacturer from Kawasaki. They managed the Kawasaki World Superbike team until 2011,[5] and competed in MotoGP from the 2012 season.[6]

Championship winning team principal, the late Paul Bird acknowledging the spectators' plaudits at Brands Hatch Showdown podium, end of BSB season 2014

PBM competed in the 2014 British Superbike Championship as a two-rider team with Shane Byrne and Stuart Easton on board Kawasakis.[7] Also in 2014 Ian Hutchinson joined Paul Bird Motorsport for a few rounds of Pirelli National Superstock 1000 competition on the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki team, after which he again competed in the Macau road GP on Shane Byrne's superbike, but without his previous year's success, overshooting a corner and retiring after a low-speed fall.[8] The race was won by PBM rider Stuart Easton.

For 2015 Hutchinson competed in selected BSB rounds and Paul Bird's first foray into racing on closed public roads in UK, involving the North West 200 and the Ulster Grand Prix in Northern Ireland and also in the Isle of Man TT races, where he won three TT races and a TT Championship.[9][10][11][12]

On 16 October 2015 Paul Bird Motorsport announced a sponsorship arrangement with Be Wiser Insurance and that the 2016 BSB team would be four-time BSB champion Shane Byrne and Glenn Irwin, riding Ducati Panigale Rs.[13] This sponsorship continued until the end of 2019 season. For 2020 and 2021, the team arranged a new title sponsor by Kent-based Video Telematics business VisionTrack,[14] followed by MCE insurance for 2022,[15] changing to BeerMonster from 2023.[16]

Personal life

In December 2015, Paul Bird received a ban from organised sport competitions until July 2017 administered by UKAD, the UK Anti-Doping agency, after failing a standard test for banned substances. He tested positive for cocaine after driving in a car rally event in July 2015.[17] This was followed by an eight-year ban imposed in 2019 by UKAD, for refusing a drugs-test following a Welsh rally event in April 2018. The ban will run from 11 July 2018 until 2026.[18]

Bird's son Frank drove in Ford MSA Formula for Fortec Motorsport in 2016, after the 2015 season in Ginetta Junior Championship.[19]

For 2022, Frank Bird competed in Asian Le Mans Series,[20] having participated in some rally car driving during the winter,[21] and intends to enter the Sol Rally Barbados in June 2022, twice won by Paul Bird.[22]

Paul died on 1 September 2023 after a short illness aged 56.

MotoGP

MotoGP team

PBM competed in the 2012 MotoGP season with an ART-Aprilia bike entered to CRT regulations ridden by James Ellison,[6] and with riders Michael Laverty and Broc Parkes in the 2014 MotoGP season before disbanding to concentrate on British Superbikes.[23][24]

Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearBikeTyresRiders123456789101112131415161718PointsPos.
2012ART GP12BQATESPPORFRACATGBRNEDGERITAUSAINDCZESMRARAJPNMALAUSVAL3511th
James Ellison18RetRet111614141514Ret15151314149Ret9
2013PBM 01BQATAMEESPFRAITACATNEDGERUSAINDCZEGBRSMRARAMALAUSJPNVAL1012th
Damian CudlinRetRet2121Ret
Michael Laverty1716131717Ret2216Ret18181918
ART GP13RetRet181917
Yonny Hernández1415RetRet161319Ret15Ret1620Ret
2014PBMBQATAMEARGESPFRAITACATNEDGERINDCZEGBRSMRARAJPNAUSMALVAL1812th
Broc Parkes15Ret21171817161121151921181820Ret1420
Michael Laverty1616181616161721Ret14Ret17171618131219

References