Strong Davies Motorsport Team confirmed for 2018 Classic TT presented by Bennetts

Midlands based Davies Motorsport will continue their association with the Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts, in 2018 with one of the strongest line up on the grid at this year’s event.

The team will again run three riders with Alan Oversby and Dominic Herbertson joined by new recruit Lee Johnston contesting the Bennetts Senior Classic TT and Junior Classic TT Races on their latest-spec Honda machines.

The team has been a mainstay at the event since the inaugural year of 2013. William Dunlop and Oversby represented them ever year and achieved four podiums.

Dunlop took second in the 2013 Bennetts 500cc Classic TT, before recording third in the same race twelve months ago while Oversby finished in third place in the 350cc Classic TT Race in 2014.

The Grange-over-Sands rider led in the early stages and lapped at an impressive 104.140mph before having to settle for second behind eventual race winner Johnston. He also added another podium to his name in 2016 with third in the same race.

Johnston will have his first taste of the Honda machinery having previously campaigned MV Agustas for Black Eagle Racing - winning in 2014, as well as finishing second in the corresponding race last year. He still holds the Junior lap record at 105.239mph while he also took third place in the 2015 Bennetts Senior Classic TT Race.

Rising star Herbertson made his first impression at the Classic TT in 2016 when he finished sixth in the Bennetts Senior Race. That brought him to the attention of Davies Motorsport and he rode superbly for them in 2017, finishing fourth and fifth in the Junior and Senior races respectively. He lapped at more than 108mph in the Senior Race and also had his best ever TT earlier this year as he lapped at close to 128mph on his way to twelfth in the RL360 Superstock Race.

With all three riders having proven pedigree around the Mountain Course, they are sure to be among the race favourites for the two four-lap races.

Davies Motorsport have been long-time front runners on the Classic racing scene and the team is headed up by John Davies, who sponsored numerous high profile riders in the 1980s and 90s including Alex Bedford, Kevin Mitchell, Neil Hodgson and Steve Thompson.

Davies himself was a regular competitor at the Manx Grand Prix between 1978 and 1997, with his best finishes being second in the 1978 Senior Newcomers race and a brace of fourths in the 1986 and 1987 Lightweight 250cc Races. He also campaigned a 500cc Grand Prix Harris Yamaha for the Padgetts team.

Specialising in Honda machinery, nephew Colin Davies handles all the technical aspects for the team and he too has a wealth of experience at all levels including numerous years as technician to Kevin Schwantz at Lucky Strike Suzuki where together they won the 1993 500cc World Championship.