Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Team mulling 2026 road racing options after Conor Cummins departure
Northern Ireland race team owner John Burrows is weighing up his options for the 2026 road racing season following the departure of Manx rider Conor Cummins.
Ramsey man Cummins joined the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Team last year and rode BMW M1000RR Superbike and Superstock machinery and a Ducati Panigale V2 in the Supersport class this season.
Cummins achieved the Dungannon squad’s fastest ever lap of the Isle of Man TT course at 131.5mph in June and finished sixth and fifth in the two Superstock races respectively.
He also competed at the Tandragee 100 in Co Armagh, finishing on the podium in the opening Superbike race and the second Supersport encounter as he returned to the event for the first time since 2007.
The 39-year-old, who replaced Hexham’s Dominic Herbertson in ex-racer Burows team, was also in action at Armoy, claiming fourth in the headline ‘Race of Legends’ Superbike finale in July.
Cummins is set to run his own venture in 2026 under the banner of his Douglas-based coffee business Conrod’s, and will contest the Superstock races at the TT next year on a machine yet to be confirmed. He is also assessing his options for the Superbike and Supersport categories.
Team boss Burrows previously reflected on the 2025 season with Cummins, when he said the Isle of Man rider had delivered the team’s best result outside of podiums in the Supertwin class with Ireland’s Mike Browne and Herbertson.
“Conor maybe wanted more for himself at the TT and would obviously have liked to be on the podium, but for us as a team – of course it would’ve been nice to be on the podium – but we got a fifth, which probably is our best result ever outside of the Supertwin class with Mike Browne and Dominic Herbertson,” Burrows said.
“But to get us our fastest TT lap ever at 131.5mph and fifth, we’re probably coming home satisfied from the TT. Conor’s a great fellow and we enjoyed the year with him.”
A team statement wished Cummins good luck in the next chapter of his career and added: “Our 2026 plan for road racing is something we are assessing our options on with nothing set in stone. This is something we will evaluate over the coming months.”
Burrows’ teenage son Jack completed his second season in the British Talent Cup this year, finishing 12th in the standings.
Cummins, meanwhile, is looking forward to a fresh challenge after launching his Conrod Motorsport venture.
“I’m really looking forward to the new challenge of running my own team,” he said. “It’s a big step and a bit of a leap into the unknown, but it’s something I’ve considered doing at various stages throughout my career.
"With the growth of the business, now feels like the right time, and I’m really excited to be bringing my two passions together.
“The competition is tougher than ever, so I’m under no illusion as to how much work this is going to take. But I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some great people and great teams over the years, and I’ll be bringing all that know-how together to make sure I’m in the strongest possible position when it’s time to go racing.”