Davey Todd “gutted” to lose Glenn Irwin North West 200 “opportunity”

Glenn Irwin’s retirement from road racing has left his main North West 200 rival, Davey Todd, “gutted”.

Irwin’s retirement from road racing was announced last week by the rider who this year became the most successful rider in the North West 200’s blue ribband Superbike class, surpassing the race win record previously held, jointly, by Michael Rutter and Joey Dunlop.

Irwin’s closest challenger at the North West in recent years has been Davey Todd, who finished second to Irwin in all three Superbike-class races at the 2024 North West, and narrowly missed out to Irwin in 2023 and 2022, as well.

But, rather than seeing this as an opportunity presented to him by Irwin to take his first North West 200 Superbike win, Todd explained that it’s actually an opportunity lost.

“I wanted to beat Glenn [Irwin] around there and we’ve had some really good battles,” he told the Belfast News Letter.

“I’ve been learning as a rider and wanted to go back and put one over on him.”

“We’d been so close in the last six races or whatever we’ve had around the place and I’ve not given him an inch as it were, so for him to retire from the North West now has taken that opportunity away.

“I’m absolutely gutted to hear that’s what he is doing but you can’t argue about his reasons for doing it.

“He has three kids and a missus, and he’s got a lot to think about with his family.

“You can’t not respect his decision over that. He’s done a lot to this point and to say now he’s just going to race BSB where there’s less risk, what more can you say?

“I’m disappointed and I’m sure all the fans will be disappointed to see that we won’t be having any more of those titanic battles that we’ve had over these last couple of years, but it’s the way it is sometimes.”