North West 200: BMW-mounted Todd wants to end Irwin Superbike domination

Davey Todd says he believes he has the machinery at his disposal to challenge Glenn Irwin's domination of the Superbike class at the North West 200.

It was confirmed on Wednesday that the Yorkshire rider would ride for the Milwaukee BMW by TAS Racing team in the premier class and the Superstock races.

Todd was a double winner in the Supersport events at the 2023 meeting.

"I'm not coming here to finish second. I want race wins, especially on the Superbike," Todd told BBC Sport NI.

Todd's twin successes on his 600cc Honda last year took his overall tally of victories over the Triangle circuit to three, the Saltburn rider having chalked up his maiden triumph in the middleweight class in 2019.

Each of those wins were achieved as part of the Milenco by Padgett's team, with whom Todd maintains positive relations.

"I still have a great relationship with Clive [Padgett] and the whole team. He fully supported my decision to join a team has a lot more budget and funding behind it than the Padgett's team," explained Todd.

"It opens some more possibilities up and I'm at the point now where I need to be a race winner and competing at the front and battling for wins.

"I felt that was a step I needed to make and I have a great bike and team behind me to have a good season this year."

The 28-year-old rode for the Northern Ireland-based TAS Racing team in the final rounds of last year's British Superbike Championship and this season will compete for the outfit in the National Superstock 1000cc series on short circuits, as well as at the NW200 and Isle of Man TT.

Irwin has occupied the top step of the rostrum in the last eight Superbike races at the North West, but Todd is a twice former runner-up in the feature class around the Triangle circuit, finishing 0.3 seconds behind the Carrickfergus rider in the Superbike opener in 2022, the same year he was crowned British Superstock 1000 champion.

He was also second to Irwin in the first race in the premier class in 2023.

Armed with a BMW M1000RR, Todd fancies his chances of halting his rival's winning sequence in two months' time.

"That's certainly the plan. I'm looking forward to the races and battling with Glenn here and a lot of other riders that are going to be competitive.

"I'm just excited to be on the Milwaukee BMW this season, back at British championship, as well as on the roads.

"It's a bike that was really fast with Alastair Seeley at the North West last year and it holds the TT lap record so you can't really argue with that."