King of the Roads award-winner Davey Todd says 8TEN Racing doubters were proven wrong after memorable debut season with co-owner Peter Hickman
Davey Todd says both he and Peter Hickman proved their doubters wrong in 2025 after joining forces as co-owners of the 8TEN Racing team.
There was scepticism in some quarters around the wisdom of two of the sport’s biggest names and rivals working out of the same awning, but a successful year at the major road races last season proved they could make it work.
Todd was a hat-trick winner on the 8TEN Racing BMW at the North West 200 and triumphed in the Superbike race at the Isle of Man TT. The English rider also retained his Solo Championship crown at the Southern 100 and finished the year by winning the Macau Grand Prix in southern China, where Hickman sealed a one-two for the team after securing the runner-up spot.
Todd won the Greenlight Television King of the Roads trophy at the Adelaide Irish Motorbike Awards and took some time out to reflect on 2025.
“I think there was a lot of doubt, even from friends of ours on both sides, that it couldn’t work – two rivals not only being in the team together but owning the team,” said Todd.
“But honestly, the people who’ve said that have been so wrong because we have a fantastic relationship, we get on super well, we’re great friends on and off the track, but when the visor goes down and the lights go out, we’re back to being rivals.
“What happens on track stays on track, and we get back to the garage and just like every other rider on the track really, we come off track and be friends after having a great battle on circuit.”
Accepting the striking trophy on stage at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Todd said: “It’s not been a bad season all-in-all – it’s been a tough one, setting up our own team, me and Pete [Hickman], and if I didn’t have the people around me, Pete included, that I have done this season, this wouldn’t even have got pulled together.
“I wouldn’t have even been on the grid, so I’m so grateful to everyone involved in that 8TEN Racing team from the sponsors to the people working in the team, everybody,” he said.
“They’ve just done such a great job pulling together such a last-minute thing and hopefully this makes up for all the work that they’ve been putting in.”
As team co-owner, Todd was taking on a new challenge last year, but the 30-year-old said he was able to concentrate on “being a rider” once the season was up and running and didn’t feel his additional responsibilities impacted his performances.
“I don’t think it does [detract from performances] and that’s still a credit to the people involved in the team,” he added. “Once we got started and once the season was underway, me and Pete could take a back seat and go back to just being riders.
“We’ve an awesome team manager, Darren [Jones] who’s looked after everything all season and all the boys and girls in the team, they don’t need managing, they know their jobs and they know what they’re doing; they’ve done a fantastic job and we haven’t had to do a whole lot as team owners.”
Todd and Hickman recently confirmed their plans to continue competing with the 8TEN Racing BMW team in the British Superbike Championship along with racing at the North West 200, Isle of Man TT and Macau Grand Prix.