Southern 100: Double delight for Davey Todd in Manx sunshine but disappointment for Northern Ireland's Michael Dunlop
Davey Todd was celebrating a double at the sun-kissed 70th anniversary Southern 100 on Wednesday evening after winning the opening Superbike and Supersport races on the Isle of Man.
Todd was on lap record pace around the 4.25-mile Billown course as racing got underway after Tuesday’s two-race schedule did not take place due to rain and fading light.
There was disappointment for Michael Dunlop, who retired from third place on the Milwaukee Ducati in the Supersport race.
The Ulsterman earlier finished off the podium in fourth in the Superbike opener on his MD Racing BMW.
In glorious conditions, Todd led all the way on the 8TEN Racing BMW to seal victory in the Ellan Vannin Fuels Senior race.
The 29-year-old set a new lap record for the race at 116.409mph to break away from Honda Racing’s Dean Harrison.
Todd was only one second ahead of Harrison after three laps, but his hot pace enabled him to stretch his lead to 2.1s.
He continued to pull away and won in the end by 4.5s from Harrison, who was around 1.3s clear of Manxman Nathan Harrison (H&H Motorcycles Honda) in third.
Dunlop missed out on a podium place as he finished fourth, 6.8s down on Harrison, with Mike Browne (Honda) in fifth, six seconds behind Dunlop.
Rob Hodson (SMT Racing Honda) pipped Paul Jordan (Jackson Racing Honda) for sixth, while Michael Sweeney was seventh on the MJR BMW ahead of Jamie Coward (KTS Racing/Stanley Stewart BMW).
In a thrilling H&H Motorcycles Supersport race, Todd (Milenco by Padgett’s Honda) and southern Irishman Browne (BPE by Russell Racing Yamaha) traded places at the front, with Dunlop 1.3s back after the opening lap.
At the half-way point of the seven-lap race, it was Todd leading but only by a tenth of a second from Browne, with Dunlop giving chase on the Ducati.
However, there was no sign of pole man Dunlop on the next lap, with Todd and Browne continuing to fight it out for the win.
Browne had nosed ahead as they started the penultimate lap by 0.127s but at Cross Four Ways, Todd was back ahead and he held on to seal victory by 1.2s at the finish, setting a new lap record at 111.544mph on his seventh and final lap.
Skerries rider Sweeney (EM Building Yamaha) came out on top in a frantic battle for third – 11 seconds behind the leaders – holding off Nathan Harrison (H&H Motorcycles Honda), Paul Jordan (Jackson Racing Honda) and Rob Hodson (Yamaha).
Wigan’s Hodson edged out Todd in a pulsating opening Mike Kerruish Plumbing Lightweight Supersport race, which was dramatically decided on the final lap.
Hodson (SMT Racing Paton) went through on Todd (Milenco by Padgett’s Honda) at Cross Four Ways with the outcome in the balance and held on to win by one second.
Todd had the consolation of a new lap record for the race at 106.095mph, giving him a hat-trick of lap records on the night.
There was a red flag in the Supersport B race on the first lap after a six-rider incident at Ballabeg, but none of the competitors involved were injured.
Dungannon’s Paul Cranston won the race, which was held as the last event on Wednesday night.
The road racing stalwart held off Ballymena’s Dennis Booth by only three-tenths-of-a-second for his first victory at the Southern 100 in 43 years.
Manx brothers and TT winners Callum and Ryan Crowe won the first Ace Hire & Sales Sidecar race by 6.2s from Pete Founds and Jevan Walmsley.
The Crowes set a new Sidecar lap record at 102.747mph.