Davey Todd makes his race debut on the Wilson Craig Honda at the Scarborough Spring Cup in Yorkshire today.
PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON

Davey Todd was full of praise for Northern Ireland’s Wilson Craig Racing team after he sealed an excellent runner-up finish in the feature Bob Smith Spring Cup race at Oliver’s Mount.

Todd, making only his second appearance at his home venue at Scarborough in North Yorkshire, improved throughout the weekend before taking the chequered flag four seconds behind Dean Harrison in the eight-lap headline race on Sunday.

The North West 200 winner was making his race debut for Darren Gilpin’s team at the 2.43-mile course following an initial test day at Kirkistown in Co Down on the CBR600RR.

A delighted Todd said:

“I am so happy for everyone involved in the team. The work the guys have done in such a short space of time to supply me with an awesome bike is unreal.

“The Spring Cup result was the icing on the cake for everyone. Dean just had that little bit more experience than me around here, after all, he has won 99 races here and this was only my second visit to Oliver’s Mount.

“My bike was perfect and I know I can stretch myself further, but everything worked really well and the Michelin tyres did an excellent job.”

Todd, who set a red-hot newcomers’ time of 1m 49.04s during his first appearance at Oliver’s Mount four years ago on Harry Corbett’s Kawasaki, improved his personal best to 1m 48.8s on Sunday.

Todd finished seventh in his Supersport heat on Saturday before improving to fifth in Sunday’s opening Supersport A race, which was won by Lee Johnston on the Ashcourt Racing Yamaha.

Wilson Craig riders Chris Burns and Steven Smith also gave a solid account of themselves at the event, with former MotoGP rider Burns taking a best result of sixth in the Supersport B race on Sunday.

Antrim man Smith, who had a minor slip-off on Saturday, focused on getting laps under his belt at the first road race of the year.

The Barry Sheene Festival at Oliver’s Mount is scheduled for June 26-27, which will be the next road race meeting prior to the Armoy Irish national event at the end of July.