Top men to run own team as FHO Racing scales back

In a surprise turn of events, TT aces Peter Hickman and Davey Todd will not race for FHO Racing and will instead set up their own team, still running factory-supported BMW M 1000 RR equipment at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races.

Back in November, Todd, who won last year’s Milwaukee Senior TT on a TAS Racing BMW, was announced as an FHO rider alongside 14-time TT winner and lap record holder Hickman, to compete on the roads and British Superbikes (BSB).

Rumours swirled over the winter and earlier this month FHO Racing owner Faye Ho finally announced she was scaling back her team. This meant dropping out of road racing and cutting back to a single rider BSB team, bringing in BMW backed Ukrainian rider Ilya Mikhalchik – the reigning German superbike champion.

Called 8TEN Racing (the name being a combination of the two riders’ race numbers), Hickman and Todd’s team will compete in BSB, North West 200 and at the Isle of Man TT races, essentially taking over FHO’s spots. The pair are both listed as directors of the new company and although setting up a race team, especially one expected to challenge for honours, is a major task the formation of 8TEN shouldn’t be too big an ask.

Hickman’s PHR Performance business was already responsible for the preparation of FHO’s equipment (among many other successful projects) and the new team takes on most of FHO’s technical staff, including renowned crew chief Darren Jones, as well as factory status from BMW Motorrad, meaning 8TEN should have all the resources needed to keep Hickman and Todd right at the top of the time sheets.

Hickman said: “The opportunity to co-own and run 8TEN Racing alongside Davey is exciting, and having run my own team across other classes, the experience I have gained over the last few years should put us in good stead to be competitive.”

Todd, who will continue to work with Stewart Johnstone (his Senior TT winning crew chief from last year) added:

“I’m really looking forward to this new chapter of my career, riding and co-owning 8TEN Racing. This structure will be a new dynamic to learn, but I’ve seen it work across other motorcycle championships like Supercross. I’m excited to be more involved in the dealings of the team, as well as build on the success I had with BMW last year”

Both Hickman and Todd will race for other teams in the smaller bike classes. Hicky will run PHR prepared Triumphs in the Supersport races, and a PHR Yamaha R7 in the Entire Cover and Metzeler Supertwin outings. Todd will race for Padgett’s in the other classes, with Honda CBR600RRs in the Supersports and a Paton S1-R in the ‘twins.

Before then, Hickman will take his Triumphs to the legendary Daytona 200 in Florida next weekend. He and fellow Brit Richard Cooper will take on the high speed banked course for the 200 mile endurance race, hoping to become only the second Brit to take victory at the race, which was won by Welshman Chaz Davies in 2008. Michael Dunlop, the most successful TT racer of all time, will also be at Daytona, racing a Ducati Panigale V2 for the first time.

Entire Cover is proud to be the insurance partner of the Isle of Man TT Races, and we can’t wait for the bikes to roll down Bray Hill for the first day of practice on Monday May 26.