In Episode 4 of The TT Podcast, Chris Pritchard and Steve Plater are joined by 26-year-old Davey Todd - a rising star at the TT who burst onto the scene with a standout debut performance in 2018.

Davey talks with Chris and Steve of his rather turbulent journey to the TT start line, through motocross, supercross, supermoto, circuit racing, and, finally, road racing.

Through a childhood filled with off-road racing, his parents were constantly behind him, even when he frustrated himself: “They were never pushy and always supportive… I could have finished last and they’d have been supportive”.

In a British Supercross Championship qualifying session in his early teens, Davey shattered part of his leg. Told if he broke it again, he may not walk anymore, he faced a dilemma but thought “I’m not gonna not race, I need to do something”, so he made the move to supermoto.

As much as he loved it, the lack of potential career progression and financial incentive meant Davey made the move to short-circuit racing. Feeling like he’d been messed about by his team at a British Superbike meeting threw in the towel: “I’ll go get a job and forget about racing bikes”.

After networking at race meetings, eventually he got a call asking if he’d considered road racing. Despite discouragement from his parents, who said it was dangerous, he grasped the opportunity.

Eventually, in 2018, Davey first raced at the Isle of Man TT and became the second fastest ever newcomer behind Peter Hickman, something he says his friends don’t let him forget.

So what does Davey make of racing the Mountain Course? He says it’s physically and mentally demanding: “You’re never mentally as drained as when you get off that bike after six laps … there’s no room for error”.

Chris and Steve find out from Davey how he’s used the TT PlayStation game to actually train for the races: “Every undulation is in the game … learning the course, it’s the same”.

Looking ahead to TT2022, being tipped for great things, Chris and Steve ask Davey if he’s got any specific targets: “You’re just excited to ride round there… I just want to keep getting better… it would be nice to be stood on that podium”.

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