Todd breaks records on way to Southern 100 double

Davey Todd took victory in the six-lap Senior race

Reigning solo champion Davey Todd got his 2025 Southern 100 Road Races campaign onto a winning footing at the Isle of Man event by storming to victory in the Senior contest.

The Yorkshireman brushed off the disappointment of just missing out on a win in the opening Lightweight race by breaking his own record in the big bike class.

Todd set a new lap speed record for the Senior race of 116.409mph.

He then went on to repeat the feat in the Supersport class, sealing a successful evening for the 29-year-old on the 4.25-mile (6.8 km) Billown Course.

As the six-lap Senior race unfolded, Todd pulled away from the rest of the field on his BMW, starting the final circuit more than five seconds in front of fellow Yorkshireman Dean Harrison.

Manxman Nathan Harrison made up the top three, with Northern Ireland's Michael Dunlop having to settle for fourth.

Todd told Manx Radio Motorsport he was "a lot happier" with the result.

He said: "It took me a couple of laps to get into it after the 650, you can't go flat out at the corners on it.

"I love that bike, I've loved it all year, it's some machine. It's nice to start with a win."

The Supersport race was closely fought between Davey Todd and Mike Browne

It was a much closer contest in the Supersport 600cc race, which saw Todd and Ireland's Mike Browne trade places in the lead several times.

Todd eventually crossed the line in front on his Honda, 1.2 seconds ahead of Browne on the Yamaha.

Reflecting on the race, which saw him set a new outright record in the class with a speed of 111.544mph, Todd said: "That one meant a lot, I had to work hard for that one. I'm just stoked with that, I really loved the battle."

Although Dunlop had put in an early charge to get himself into third place during the opening laps, he was forced to retire on the Ducati on lap five.

But that opened the door for a tightly contested battle for the final podium place, which saw Michael Sweeney snatch third on the final straight on lap seven.

Ryan and Callum Crowe were also in record-breaking form in the Sidecar class

The evening's race schedule also saw the three-wheeled machinery take to the track for the first Sidecar race of the event.

Although the opening circuit saw the pairing of Pete Founds and Jevan Walmsley fighting for the lead, Manx brothers Ryan and Callum Crowe quickly got into their stride on the track.

At the halfway point of the six-lap race, the siblings from Jurby set a new outright lap record for the class with an average speed of 102.747mph on their Honda outfit.

The battle for second saw Founds and Walmsley cross the line ahead of the Kawasaki of Lee Crawford and Scott Hardie.

Speaking to Manx Radio Motorsport, driver Ryan Crowe said the close racing on the circuit was "epic".

"That was mega, that was proper racing that was," he added.

"We actually have every active lap record on the Isle of Man now, so that's not bad."

Thanking the pair's supporters, passenger Callum Crowe said it was "an absolute privilege to be riding round here".

The evening's race programme began with victory for Rob Hodson in the Lightweight race

Racing had finally been able to get under way earlier on Wednesday evening in bright sunshine after rain led to Tuesday's planned openers being abandoned.

The restarted Lightweight race, which kicked off the programme, saw Rob Hodson set off in pole position.

But the lead on the road was fiercely contested by Todd, who was less than a second behind at the end of lap one.

Hodson had been overhauled by the end of lap two, as both riders competed on 650 Paton machinery, but the Wigan man snatched back the lead at Cross Four Ways on the final circuit of the six-lap contest to take victory.

Manxman Joe Yeardsley managed to hold off a late charge by Ireland's Sweeney to secure third place despite having an issue with his Aprilia.

Hodson told Manx Radio Motorsport he had waited for the final lap to make his move, but was helped by Todd making a mistake and allowing him to take back the lead.

In the final action on the circuit for the evening, Paul Cranston took victory in the Supersport 600cc B race ahead of Dennis Booth, with newcomer John Marsh in third.

That restarted race was pushed to the back of the programme after a six-bike crash saw its initial run red flagged.

Organisers confirmed all of the riders involved in the incident, which took place at Ballabeg on the opening lap, were "uninjured".