Isle of Man TT star Davey Todd earns Suzuka 8 Hours chance after coming out on top in two-rider "audition"
Isle of Man TT winner Davey Todd was given the nod to make his debut in the FIM Endurance World Championship at the legendary Suzuki 8 Hours race in Japan after a two-rider “audition” for the opportunity.
Todd went head-to-head with Portugal’s Ivo Lopes in the official test for the chance to race alongside Loris Baz and Japan’s Naomichi Uramoto at the iconic event in the AutoRace Ube Racing Team on a BMW M1000RR.
The 29-year-old has been competing in the British Superbike Championship this season on the 8TEN Racing BMW in addition to his road racing commitments.
The opportunity to race at Suzuka arose when Hannes Soomer was ruled out through injury.
A statement from the AutoRace Ube Racing Team read: “Due to the absence of Hannes Soomer, who was scheduled to participate, we have invited two riders, Ivo Lopes and Davey Todd.
“They auditioned for the team during a test run held at Suzuka on Wednesday. After the test session, we decided that Davey Todd will be racing with us.
“As you can imagine, we are in a difficult situation, but we will remain united as a team and fight to deliver a podium finish.”
The 46th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race takes place from Friday to Sunday (August 1-3).