Davey Todd on his way to an excellent sixth place in the 2019 Senior TT on the Penz BMW.
Copyright: jpimedia

Top prospect Davey Todd was left reeling by the tragic death of his friend and team-mate Daley Mathison at the Isle of Man TT a year ago.

The English rider died after crashing on the third lap of the Superbike race on June 3 following a high-speed incident at Snugborough between Braddan Bridge and Union Mills, causing a red flag stoppage.

Mr Mathison (27), from Stockton-on-Tees, was competing for the Penz13.com Racing team on a 1000cc BMW machine.

Todd, who joined Honda Racing for the major road races and National Superstock 1000 Championship this year, later revealed that he was only able to block out the tragedy by getting back on his bike and continuing to race.

He told the News Letter:

“It was really difficult because it was so close to home and in the last year, from the [2018] TT really, me and Daley grew so close together.

“We were local to each other back home and we started training together and travelled together as well because we were doing all the same races.

“We were never apart and it was a really odd situation to have to deal with that and move forward from it when it happened.

“We all know the risks that we’re taking when we’re out there and Daley wouldn’t have wanted me to stop and not got back out again,” Todd added.

“I just wanted to get out there again because it was the only time that I could stop thinking about it, when I was actually on the bike.

“You’re totally focused on riding and you get back into the zone and that was it really.”

Mathison, who left behind a wife and young daughter, was a former winner of the Ultra Lightweight race at the Ulster Grand Prix in 2014 and was also a three-time podium finisher at the TT in the Zero race, earning a runner-up finish in 2018 following two third place results in 2016 and 2017. He set his fastest lap of the Mountain Course - 128.054mph - in the 2018 Superstock race, which then made him the 34th fastest rider ever at the event.

Despite the shock of losing his friend, Todd went on to claim his best ever TT result with a stunning ride to sixth place in the blue riband Senior TT, setting his fastest lap to date of the

Mountain Course at 131.49mph on the Penz BMW in only his second appearance at the TT.

The 24-year-old, who was due to be partnered by Ulsterman Glenn Irwin in the Honda Racing colours at the TT this year, said he was stunned when he learned after the race that he had topped the 131mph mark.

“I couldn’t believe the lap speeds in the Senior and my first lap was at 130mph, so the team were just over the moon with that,” he said.

“They were so happy at the end of the race that they ran towards parc-ferme when I crossed the line and hadn’t realised that I’d actually gone faster and lapped at well over 131mph.

“It just didn’t feel like I’d gone that fast and I didn’t think I’d get near those times because we did so few laps during practice week because of the weather,” added Todd, who won the Saturday Supersport race at the North West 200 last year.

“I had almost accepted that I wouldn’t better my lap time from my debut year because of the lack of laps, so I couldn’t believe it really.

“It just felt slow out there on the bike so when I came in and was told I’d lapped at almost 131.5mph was really unbelievable and something very special to me, more so than the result even.

“I still feel I’m riding well within myself and I know I’ve got more left in the tank yet.”

With no road racing taking place this year – perhaps with the exception of the Macau Grand Prix in November – Todd is hoping to ride the new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade if the British championship gets up and running later in the summer.

Kyle White