2025 Isle of Man TT: Davey Todd denies Michael Dunlop in tense Superbike race

Davey Todd denied Michael Dunlop by 1.296s in a tense Superbike race at the 2025 Isle of Man TT, giving his new 8TEN Racing BMW team a victory on its debut.

Davey Todd, now a three-time TT winner, set up 8TEN Racing with Peter Hickman in the winter after the FHO Racing squad withdrew from its 2025 racing activities.

Quick through practice week, the team was dealt a heavy blow when 14-time winner Hickman crashed in qualifying and ruled himself out of the event with multiple injuries.

Running a Superstock-spec bike with a Superbike engine fitted to it, Todd led every sector in the shortened four-lap Superbike race.

Having held a commanding lead of over eight seconds at one stage, a slow pitstop allowed Dunlop to pile the pressure on Todd in the final laps.

But Todd held firm, getting to the chequered flag 1.296s clear of Dunlop, who pushed hard on the last tour to produce a 135.416mph.

Dean Harrison completed the top three for Honda, but was 45 seconds adrift of the win as he battled stability issues.

The Superbike race - the opening contest of TT 2025 - was delayed by over an hour due to several oil spills on the course, with the four-lap contest starting at midday local time.

Todd led on corrected time through the first sector split at Glen Helen on the opening lap by 0.044s from Harrison, with Dunlop 2.8s back in third.

8TEN rider Todd’s lead continued to grow over the first lap, as Dunlop moved into second by the Bungalow sector split.

At the end of the opening lap, Todd led by 7.891s over Dunlop and fired in a 134.275mph tour from a standing start.

Todd’s lead was 7.1s at the end of lap two when he came in for his scheduled stop, though lost several seconds in the pits.

Dunlop had a quicker stop by around six seconds and was just 1.586s down through Glen Helen on lap three.

Through Glen Helen on the final lap, Dunlop had gotten Todd’s lead down to just 0.269s but lost time on the run to Ballaugh as he caught Dean Harrison at an awkward place.

That gave Todd a 2.271 lead, though a big push for Dunlop - who began suffering from grip issues - saw him pushed right to the finish.

Todd took the chequered flag 1.296s clear of Dunlop, though admits his bike cut out just as he crossed the line.

Harrison was a distant third on the Honda, with Nathan Harrison a fine fourth a further 57.384s, while David Johnson was fifth on his Kawasaki.

James Hillier got the Muc-Off Honda to sixth ahead of 23-time TT winner John McGuinness on the factory Honda.

Josh Brookes, Michael Evans and Paul Jordan completed the top 10.