Todd 'will be pushed all the way' in NW200 Superbike bid
Davey Todd says he is aiming to win his first Superbike race at the North West 200 bu expects strong competition.Todd, 28, has six victories at the international road race but has yet to taste victory in the blue riband class.Glenn Irwin, who won 11 Superbike races in a row, announced his retirement from road racing, which has opened the door for a new winner in the big-bike class."It's a shame Glenn isn't here. I'd love to do battle with him again, we had some fantastic ones over the last few years," Todd told BBC Sport NI."I've managed to get a lot of wins in the other races, but I want those Superbike wins. "Just because Glenn isn't here any more doesn't mean there won't be any competition. There will still be a lot of fast guys who will push me all the way. "We have to do our job, we have to get out there and ride as well as we can. I'm up for that challenge."Along with Peter Hickman, Dean Harrison and Michael Dunlop, one strong contender for victory is the returning Alastair Seeley, who is the record wins holder around the Triangle Circuit with 29.Todd said it was "exciting" to have Seeley back on the grid after a year away, and expects him to get back up to speed quickly."We all know how quick he is around this place. "With Glenn leaving and Alastair coming back, that kind of makes up for a little bit. "It'll be exciting to have him back out there. I know he'll give us a run for our money and I'm excited to go out there and do battle with those guys."
Starting team from scratch
After winning his first two Isle of Man TT races with the TAS Racing team in 2024, Todd was set to join Peter Hickman at FHO Racing for the upcoming season. However, it emerged at the turn of the year that team owner Faye Ho was scaling back her involvement in the sport, and Todd and Hickman set up their own 8TEN Racing team.The pair of Isle of Man TT winners will race on BMW machinery, but Todd says the team was "started from scratch"."Everyone in the team has been doing a fantastic job. There's been so much work in putting this together in such a short space of time. "It's been six to eight weeks going from absolute scratch. I think a lot of people feel we took off from where FHO landed, but that wasn't the case."Todd said the whole team have been "working so hard to pull it all together" and, after making their debut in the British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park, they will make their first road racing appearance at the North West 200."I can't wait to get out there to show everyone all the fantastic work that the 8TEN team have been doing, they've done an awesome job. "We want to get the BMW machinery on the course and a one-two finish on the podium would be the ideal situation."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
40 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Colin Keane weaves magic on first Sandown ride
Trained by Grand National and Gold Cup-winning Henry de Bromhead, the Earthlight filly had rattled the crossbar in two efforts so far this term and at one stage looked she could be an unlucky loser once again as her rider searched for an opening aboard his powerfully-travelling mount. However, Keane got the 5-2 second favourite out and motoring just in time to hit the line just in front of Clive Cox's Hold A Dream, with a photo required to determine the short head verdict in the Listed event. By a NOSTRIL! 👃 Town And Country gets up to pinch the BetMGM Scurry Stakes on the line 🥇 #ITVRacing | @ctkjockey | @HenrydeBromhead — ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 14, 2025 The win extends the six-time Irish champion's stellar week since being appointed Juddmonte's retained rider and as he is set to be a more regular sight on British soil, it was a fine way to get accustomed to Esher. Keane told Racing TV: 'She was keen and Billy Lee told me she could be but I didn't think she would be that bad and she ended up bringing me into a couple of pockets. 'To be fair to her she only got out in the last half furlong and she has done well to win. I think over here when she gets used to proper sprinting it will suit her and the quicker they go the better as she will relax and we'll see the best of her. 'I would have thought she could go on to run well in Group company.'
BBC News
18 hours ago
- BBC News
Dunlop and Booth receive MBEs in King's Birthday Honours
Michael Dunlop and Neil Booth have spoken of their immense pride after being awarded MBEs in the King's Birthday 36, is regarded as a road racing great as the record holder for the most number of wins and podiums at the Isle of Man TT, making it 33 victories just last Ballymoney man comes from a family synonymous with motorcycling and tragedy, with his father Robert, brother William and uncle Joey all tragically passing away while pursuing the sport they has remained committed to racing as, in addition to his exploits on the Isle of Man, he has enjoyed success at the North West 200, claiming his first victory just days after his father's death in 2008 when topping the podium in the 250cc most recent outing at the North West saw him secure a hat-trick of wins to bring his tally to eight overall and further cement his legacy in the now follows in the footsteps of his uncle Joey, who was also made an MBE in 1986 before being presented with an OBE 10 years later."This is a wonderful honour for me and for my family," he said."I am proud to represent Northern Ireland sport, and motorcycling in this country."Our team has had another brilliant year, with a hat trick at the NW200, and smashing into the record books again at the Isle of Man TT."To be the not just the most successful rider in the history of the TT, but also to have the record number of podiums and to have won on the biggest number of manufacturers is extremely special."I am humbled to be awarded this honour from the Palace." 'This award is for the entire sport' - Booth County Antrim bowler Booth has spoken of his "delight", having been awarded an highly-decorated 57-year-old enjoyed a remarkable career on the green and has since brought that expertise into his role as coach of the Irish men's team which opens its 2025 Mainstream International Programme with a test match away to Bowls Jersey over the will go there with an added spring in his step after news of his recognition was made public on Friday and he admits he was a little shocked when first contacted."I saw the letter outside the door with 'Cabinet Office' on the front and started to think I was going to be extradited, but I was delighted when I opened it up," he said."I can't imagine what the whole occasion will be like, but I'm really looking forward to it. We'll make a weekend out of it but I imagine I'll be pretty nervous."Booth recently collected the High Performance Coaching Award at the Sport NI Sportmaker ceremony at Titanic Belfast and this will sit alongside a host of medals and honours collected down through the Portglenone man is a three-time medallist at the World Championships which includes gold in the fours back in 2004 when the Championships were held in is also in possession of four Commonwealth Games medals, including gold from the 1998 edition in Kuala Lumpur and bronze in Manchester 2002 - both in the fours - while taking silver medals in the triples in the Melbourne Games of 2006 and again in Glasgow a coach, he helped guide Northern Ireland's men to the men's fours title at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, with Gary Kelly taking silver in the men's 2020, he completed a charity challenge when playing bowls in 52 clubs throughout Ireland to raise awareness of mental health issues, which underlined his commitment to help awarding of an MBE is the crowning glory and Booth reflected on a superb career, but insists he will accept the award on behalf of the entire sport."I've probably played at that high level from he late 80s, early 90s, all the way through to 2014," he added."Since then, the coaching role has gone really well and the men's team is second in the world at the minute, which is exceptional. I'm just delighted as this says a lot about the sport in general. It's come on leaps and bounds over here, so this is an award for the entire sport, as much as it is for myself."
Auto Blog
20 hours ago
- Auto Blog
The Hotter 2027 X5 Will Be Different In Every Single Way
X5 M60e Bridges The Performance Gap When you're a kid, you think you want the best of everything, and certainly the fastest possible car, but in reality, you want something that doesn't draw attention from cops, isn't too expensive to insure, and won't drain a college fund every time you fill it up – something like the BMW X5 M60i. It still has a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 like the maniacal X5 M, but here, it's supported by mild-hybrid technology to improve efficiency. For the G65 X5, which will likely arrive for the 2027 model year, BMW will take things further by fitting a plug and making it a 'real' hybrid. As a result, the name will become X5 M60e, but it comes with some compromises. More Power, More Tech, Fewer Cylinders Since the last time we spotted the next-gen X5, not much has changed, so we'll discuss the looks at the end of this article. What matters is what's happening under the skin, and today's 523-horsepower output won't cut the mustard. Unfortunately, justifying the V8 when trying to make a shift toward cleaner cars is tricky, and BMW Blog reports that the hottest 'regular' X5 will have to do without, switching to a plug-in hybrid six-cylinder like the current M760e limousine. At least it should have 'over 550 hp,' according to the publication. Even more evidence of Bavaria's ambition to see the X5 stand the tests of time and emissions legislation comes from a recent Autocar report, which cites 'high-ranking sources' as saying that the next X5 may get range-extender tech, and it could spread up to the X7 and down to the X3, too. This makes sense. Scout Motors will offer EREVs, and so may the next Kia Telluride, showing that the market is clamouring for more efficient engines as well as EVs that can be used even when a charger isn't nearby. Along with more power and more miles per gallon, the new X5 will still be expected to handle like a BMW, which is how our photographers caught these images at a Nürburgring industry testing day. While little has changed compared to our last sighting, the glass roof is clearer, and these appear to be production wheels. Their design is unlike anything we've seen in the BMW stable before, but big blue brake calipers with the obligatory M logos will ensure we instinctively know what brand made them. Overall, it's very similar to the Vision Neue Klasse X concept, and we think that'll make for a handsome face. We can also see some slight boxing around the arches, which will add presence, and a the rear, a quartet of exhaust pipes achieves the same, though the eventual G95 X5 M will surely turn things up to 11. The sculpted mirror housings on this development mule look production-ready, too, and the camo over the windows might even indicate that this has a full interior, though it appears the driver is using instruments that won't be part of the Panoramic Vision infotainment system. This prototype looks like a set of production headlights and taillights away from being ready, but there's still plenty to be done. The G65 BMW X5's debut is only expected at the end of next year or early in 2027, so there's a lot more yet to be revealed. About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
