Three-time TT winner Davey Todd helped his team finish sixth in the FIM Endurance World Championship’s Suzuka eight-hour race in Japan over the weekend.

The 29 year old was a late replacement in the AutoRace UBE Racing Team for the iconic Far East race, replacing Estonian Hannes Soomer.

Todd teamed up with Naomichi Uramato and former MotoGP and World Superbike campaigner Loris Baz on a BMW M1000RR to finish inside the top 10 on what was the North Yorkshireman’s debut at the track.

The trio were top ranking privateers in qualifying, rapid laps from Baz and Uramoto putting them third on the grid.

Extreme heat made the race tough, Todd’s usual 8TEN Racing team adding: ‘A tricky start and some hiccups in-between but they grabbed a great result in the end.’

Honda HRC won the race for the fourth consecutive time, Takumi Takahashi and Johann Zarco clocking 217 laps, three more than Todd’s team.

It was a flying visit to Japan for Todd with round six of the British Superbike series taking place at Thurxton this weekend, before qualifying for the Classic TT begins on August 20.

Qualifying runs in tandem with the Manx Grand Prix, which begins on Sunday, August 17 with an afternoon session between 12.45pm and 6pm.

MGP qualifying continues on the evening of August 18 and 19 with the first Classic session, as mentioned, on August 20 at the same time between 6 and 9pm.

A combined MGP/Classic TT qualifying session is planned for the evening of August 21, while a similar session is planned for the afternoon of August 22 between 12.30pm and 5pm.

The Manx Grand Prix races will take place on Saturday, August 23 and Monday, August 25.

Classic TT races are scheduled to take place on August 27 and August 29.