NW200: Davey Todd eager to shake off nearly man tag after four runner-up finishes last year

Todd claimed four runner-up finishes in the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport classes and set new lap records around the 8.9-mile ‘Triangle’ course on Clive Padgett’s 600cc and Superstock Honda machines, narrowly missing out on victory.

He previously won a wet Supersport race at the North West in 2019 for his first major roads success, but 27-year-old Todd was left frustrated last May after going so close to his second triumph.

The 2022 National Superstock 1000 champion, who has stepped up to the British Superbike series in 2023, gave Glenn Irwin a run for his money in the first Superbike race last year, losing out by only 0.3 seconds after a last-lap tussle.

“We’re looking for that top step in every single race and we were really close, never much further than a second away, or half a second even going over the finish line in every race,” Todd said.

“It was really frustrating not to get the win but we were there and I was the only person who was right there in every race.

"Of course I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to go one better in all of those races this time.”

Todd says he doesn’t feel any added pressure this year after playing such a prominent part in the headlines 12 months ago.

“For me, the only pressure is really for myself. I didn’t expect those results last year but then I wanted to do better, and now I know it’s possible to be that strong,” he said.

“I’m going there with the same team, the same bikes, so there’s no reason why we can’t be there again.

“Going back with three bikes that I know and holding the Supersport and Superstock lap records… it’s only the Superbike record that we didn’t have – we did actually break it – but ‘Hicky’ [Peter Hickman] went a little bit quicker.

“It was a really promising year but going back this year, I now know we can be competitive.

“We’ve done a lot of testing and during a BSB weekend, you ride a lot more in that class and that’s been really good.”