Irish duo Rhys Irwin and Eugene McManus made their first appearances in the top tier of domestic racing as the ZYN British Superbike Championship began at Oulton Park over the weekend.

The pair have both made the switch to MasterMac Honda after starring in last year’s British Supersport series, from which Irwin emerged as champion.

The 2026 season opener included three races at the Cheshire circuit and presented Irwin and McManus with the chance to adjust to their powerful new Honda Fireblade machinery in race conditions.

It proved a tough challenge amongst an experienced field, with Irwin’s P19 in the opening race the highlight, but both riders showed plenty of promise that there is more to come.

Meanwhile, Dan Brooks began his second full season for MasterMac Honda in the Pirelli National Superstock championship.

After qualifying in P19 he made excellent progress to P13 in the race, collecting his first points of the season when proceedings were brought to an early close after an incident involving another rider.

Reflecting on the weekend, team manager Steve Hicken said:

First and foremost, it was great to be back on track at last and to see our new line-up in action.

The first phase of the season will be a steep learning curve for Rhys and Eugene, and this weekend was all about gaining confidence on the new bikes and starting to build a firm foundation for the season ahead.

They’re both fantastic riders and as a team we’ve get the knowhow and the patience to help them move up the pack in the months ahead.

Dan did a great job in the Superstock race too and I’d like to give a shout out to all our sponsors and crew for their support in helping us get the new season underway.”

ZYB BSB returns in less than a fortnight as round two takes place at Donington Park from 15-17 May.