North West 200: 2019 Supersport winner Todd and recovering Cummins make up Padgett's team for road race
- Published
Davey Todd and Conor Cummins have been confirmed as making up the Milenco Honda by Padgett's Racing team at this year's North West 200 races in May.
Todd claimed his first major road race win at the event in 2019 in the team's colours in the second Supersport race.
This time the Yorkshireman will compete on the team's machinery in the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport machinery as Cummins' team-mate.
Cummins is recovering from a collarbone fracture suffered in a motocross crash.
The Manxman will compete in the same three classes at the event.
The 35-year-old is a twice runner-up at the North West, having finished second in the first Superbike race in 2010 and in the second Supersport race in 2014.
Cummins' injury, sustained in Spain, meant the Ramsey man was forced to sit out the team's recent test session at Snetterton last weekend when they tested the new generation Fireblade.
"I am all back together and resting up before starting training again," explained Cummins.
'The new bike is a game changer'
Team manager Clive Padgett is confident the new Honda Superbike will allow his riders to be more competitive around the 8.9-mile Triangle circuit.
"The old Fireblade didn't change much between 2008 and 2019 but the new bike is completely new," the 62 year old explained.
"I think the new bike is a game changer. Everything is different and we have a lot of learning to do."
Todd will also campaign a Fireblade in the British Superstock championship alongside the team's new Scottish recruit, Lewis Rollo.
"The set-up for 2022 with Padgett's is exactly what I wanted to be doing with a full season in British Superstock and on the roads," said the 26-year-old Englishman, who rode a Penz13.com S1000RR BMW during 2019.
"I never felt comfortable on the BMW," he explained. "It didn't suit me and I struggled with the bike."
He already feels more at home on the new Honda however.
"I felt comfortable straight away on the new bike. After the first couple of sessions I rode myself into the bike and was going a lot faster."
Cummins agrees that the latest version of the Fireblade will provide a power boost.
"The new bike will contribute massively but the rest has to come from me," he said as he dismissed suggestions that a three-year lay-off from the major road races will have a detrimental impact on lap times.
"I know what the competition has done and I know what I need to do to deliver but I don't think the break will have much of an impact," Cummins insisted.
"Everyone has been racing at a competitive level."