Todd shines with two victories in North West 200
North motor sport with ZOE BURN
DAVEY Todd’s road racing stock rocketed yesterday after an impressive run at the North West 200.
The Saltburn rider took two wins in yesterday’s Supersport and Superstock races and just missed out on the main NW 200 Superbike race win by 0.464secs to Glenn Irwin.
As the ever dominant Irwin – riding the Hagar PBM Ducati ran by the late Paul Bird of Penrith’s family – celebrated 11 NW Superbike victories in a row as the greatest Superbike racer in the event’s history, Todd proved to be just as big a star of this year’s event.
And yet it all could’ve ended early for Todd and the Milwaukee BMW squad after a dramatic first day of racing on Thursday.
After finishing second to Irwin in the opening Superbike race, Todd lined up as one of the favourites for the Supersport race.
Hitting the front at the start, his race ended minutes later when he was wiped out by Adam Mclean, ending both their races as Todd scrambled back to the pits in a bid to try and make it to the grid for the following Superstock race.
Despite suffering a few painful bashes in the crash, Todd lined up for the race around an hour later and went out and won it, even admitting himself later in the evening he was feeling “pretty second hand and sore”.
After another second place in yesterday morning’s first Superbike race, Todd was back on the podium in the next Supersport race, holding off a charging Richard Cooper to secure his second win of the event.
And his winning streak continued into the second Superstock race, as he rode faultlessly to beat TT favourite Peter Hickman.
Hoping to end Irwin’s winning streak in the main NW 200 Superbike race yesterday tea-time, Todd got the best start and led the opening stages until Irwin found a way past.
But Todd kept with him, and with Dean Harrison close behind them both, they fought all the way to the line, with Todd unable to match Irwin or the Ducati and he was forced to settle for a close second place.
“I’d like to say I was happy with second but obviously we came here to win the race,” said Todd last night. “Hats off to Glenn he rode really well there.
“I gave it everything I could, there was nothing between us and there was nothing in it all the way round.
“Trying to manage the race, the lap times weren’t anything special but it was that mental battle of where are we going to pass each other.
“There was no passing on the brakes, passing in slipstream was the only way either of us could do it, he’s late on the brakes and so am I and to be honest, there was nothing left.
“I have to give it up to the WBMW guys, they did an incredible job with the bike here.
“This bike is more than good enough to challenge that Ducati and give him a real good run, when he’s at the top of the British Championship at the end of the day.
“The guys have built me this amazing bike that was just what I wanted, it was the perfect bike.
“I did my best, we came away with a few wins and a few second places.”
Next up for Todd is Round Two of the Pirelli National Superstock championship – which he leads after dominating the first round – next weekend and then he will head out to the Isle of Man TT.
Poised to arrive as one of the four favourites along with Peter Hickman, Dean Harrison and Michael Dunlop, Todd is taking the positives from the North West 200.
“This hasn’t been a bad week, with the big crash it could’ve been a hell of a lot worse so we count ourselves lucky,” he added.
“I tried my best, it wasn’t to be today but we’ll be back.”