TT 2025: Superbike race winner Davey Todd 'most nervous I've ever been' after going into first lap 'pretty blind to conditons'
Superbike TT race winner Davey Todd said he was “the most nervous” he has ever been as he sat on the startline on Monday ahead of the delayed four-lap race.
Oil spills led to a delay of one hour and 15 minutes before John McGuinness (Honda Racing UK) set off from Glencrutchery Road at number one in the first race of the 2025 TT.
Todd led all the way on the 8TEN Racing BMW but came under pressure from Michael Dunlop (ROKiT BMW) on the final two laps after dropping time during his pit-stop.
However, the 29-year-old closed out his third TT victory by 1.296s after 150 miles of racing around the Mountain Course, lapping at 135.327mph on the final lap.
“It was the most nervous I’ve ever been on a startline,” said Todd, who won his first TT races last year in the Superstock and Senior events.
“The week we’ve had weather-wise, every time we go on track the track’s different. We’ve just not had any consistency.
“So, to start a race without a warm-up lap, without a practice lap, and go straight in there having to push from the beginning – with these boys you can’t give them an inch.
“I had to go from the start, pretty blind from the track, not knowing what the conditions were like and just try to get my head down.
“We had a bit of a mare in the pit stop. We lost a chunk of time, lost my comfortable gap that I was just starting to manage,” added Todd, whose team-mate and team co-owner Peter Hickman was ruled out of the TT following a crash in qualifying on Friday.
“Then I had to put my head down for the last couple of laps, which I didn’t really want to do, but I had to do it.”
Todd revealed that his BMW M1000RR cut out as he crossed the line to take the chequered flag.
“For some reason my bike cut out just as I came over the line,” he said. “I’m glad it cut out there and not any sooner.
“I literally coasted over the line with the bike switched off. The BMW M1000RR is a fantastic bike, I’ve got basically a ’stocker with a faster engine in it and they’ve done a fantastic job.
“In the last three months, it’s not an easy task in the team for everyone to create this and to all the sponsors getting behind me and Pete [Hickman].”
The Yorkshire rider said his victory was all the more special given his role as a co-owner of the 8TEN Racing team.
“It’s pretty special,” Todd said.
“I don’t think there’s many guys who can say they’ve done that.
“I can’t take the credit though, for being team owner. It’s the rest of the team who had done the hard miles, and Pete included.
“Pete’s worked his butt off to make this happen and I’m gutted for him and I can’t wait till he’s healed up and back battling with me.”