Brad Todd is one of the most determined privateers in the paddock, and his 2025 season is already full of grit, globe-trotting, and glimpses of real promise. From the British Championship to racing in Latvia, the Dutch Masters and now preparing for another AMA National at Thunder Valley, the Englishman continues to juggle work commitments with top-level motocross ambitions. We caught up with Todd after the second round of the British Championship to get his thoughts on the weekend’s racing, his European adventures, and why he’s pushing hard to earn a full-time shot while keeping his bucket list wide open.
GateDrop: Brad, that’s the second round of the British Championship done and dusted, an up and down day. First one I think third corner you were on the floor, but you turned it around in race two, stayed on in the first lap and brought home a solid fifth. I suppose you’re happy enough with the pace, just if you get a bad start round there it’s very tough.
Todd: The first one I came around the third corner and a stone just came knocked the goggle strap off, well the bit that holds the goggle strap on so I had no goggles from lap three so I had to pull in, I came from dead last to 16th. The end of the day that was just all I could muster in that race so that was what it was and then the second one I was happy enough to get out of the gate in seventh and then come through to fifth. Adamson was just in front of me, I kept catching him but I just couldn’t make a pass. It was just one of those tracks where you’re just following the leader a bit so yeah I’m happy enough to bounce back, it was one of those days.
GateDrop: They made track changes to slow it down, I thought that was good personally but at the same time it really only got rough the second half of the second moto I would say and it’s so tough to pass but I suppose it’s probably always been hard to pass here…
Todd: I feel like all they need to do is just make the track wide because what’s happening is the track’s only gazebo wide and if someone’s in the middle of the track there’s no chance of passing. Last year was a pretty similar thing so I’m not slagging it off, it’s a brilliant track it’s just, that’s all I feel like they need to do is just make it wider so we can start using a bit more of the ground but that is what it is, I’m happy enough.
GateDrop: You’ve raced in Latvia and the Dutch nationals so far this year, can you just talk me through the decision behind going to both those events and how you feel like you performed? I know in the Dutch you finished in 8th or 9th overall which is pretty good, I can’t even remember off the top of my head about Latvia so you can tell me.
Todd: In Latvia I think I got 5th overall, that was one of the best tracks I’ve ever raced. It was like Lierop in the Netherlands, it was that rough. Luckily the races were only 15 minutes plus a lap so it was nice. It’s a sprint but at the start of the year everyone’s knackered anyway, no one’s raced it either so yeah went and done that. I was really happy with where I was and then Dutch Masters that was really a cool experience. I went and done the French race before and you know that helped us out getting to the meeting and whatnot. It was really good that one and the Dutch Masters that’s something else.
To be honest with you it’s not that much run different to the British, I would just say it’s a bit more smoother. Here there seems to be a lot of waiting around at the moment whereas there they just seem to, I suppose they’ve got no TV to run. But I mean that was really cool I got two 9ths which was a bit annoying because I was 8th in the second one and I was getting blue flagged, Romain Febvre came through and then just behind there was another Kawasaki rider who I’d been battling with and I had no idea he was there. But I enjoyed it two 9ths was a good result with the field that they have and obviously it’s a track that they ride all the time. I’ve got a Scottish up next and then the day after I fly to Thunder Valley to do an AMA which I ticked off the bucket list last year. I was trying not to make excuses but I was a bit robbed that day so I’m going to go again. I’ve just come back from Thunder Valley there to try the new bikes. I’m running 2024 bikes this year and the 2025 bike is a little bit different. I think it’s actually better than the bike I’ve got so I’m really happy in that aspect. I’ve rode the track four days in a row so we’ve just got to get the race now.
GateDrop: Before we touch on the AMA national, obviously you can’t do another Dutch Masters because that series is over this weekend but how did the opportunity come about for you to do the Latvian and will you do any more races in Latvia?
Todd: So for the race in Latvia, my friend Lauris Freibergs who used to be a GP rider back in the day. His son (Uldis) was my teammate at the Lexa team and I just got on really well with him. The race was at his own track so he said he wanted me to come out if I didn’t mind, what I needed and whatnot. All I needed was the flights and an entry so I flew over there and it was just unreal experience. He looked after us in a hotel and everything so it was mega.
Then the Dutch Masters, I was actually out in France and I just thought, to be honest with you the French paid me a little bit of money and I thought, why not just stay out because I was there already. I just wanted to tick that one off the box while I can because one day hopefully I’ll be on the team and then they cam dictate a little bit what I do but if it makes my life easier that’s exactly what I need because I’m obviously I’m up there and I know if I was a bit more full-time with it, I would be top three sometimes.
GateDrop: With the AMA National, you obviously got your first experience last year but I think you only ended up doing the second moto… hopefully this year you’ve no hiccups and it can all go through smooth sailing but just what’s the level like over there and the tracks over there you know, to go from a British Championship and to go over there, it’s completely different – everything’s a lot bigger…
Todd: To be honest with you a lot of that track is a lot to do with bike setup because it’s such high altitude, we’re doing first gear starts off the grid. That’s mental and you’re only running second and third around the track. It’s just the bikes are so slow but that’s the biggest thing. I don’t know if they have the bikes dialled better or whatnot, you have to use the pump fuel and they have obviously no limit on their fuel rules. I mean I’m not blaming the bike because the level I would say is no different to the GP’s but you have so many more riders. You’ve got like 80 riders trying to qualify and we definitely don’t get that in the GP’s. They’re just scraping through with the entries for the top 20. I mean it’d be cool to get that kind of interest at the GP’s.
GateDrop: You mentioned there how difficult it is not being full time, I assume you work and obviously you’ve got a privateer set up, just what’s that like when you’re battling against a Dave Thorpe Honda, it’s one of the best none factory bikes in the world and a few other good bikes out there, it must be pretty tricky…
Todd: I mean I started my own business doing loft insulation and that’s been the biggest blessing because the year before I wasn’t able to really manage time or anything. But now I can sort of tie in the work with my bikes so I try and ride at least once a week through the week and that’s the biggest thing. If I could ride a lot more I feel like that’s what holds me back a little – I don’t want to say hold me back because I’m obviously doing alright but I just feel like at the end of that race there I’m starting to get out of breath. I know that wouldn’t be happening when I’ve been full time in the past. I’ve been really strong at the end of the race in some cases and it’s just that’s what I would like to just at least before I’ve hit 30 or when everything’s start going downhill when you get older. I’d like to be on a team and give it 100% so I’m not sat in a pub saying oh well I would have done this, would have done that (laughs).
GateDrop: Any interest in doing Matterley Basin and if not there maybe a wild card at a different GP or definitely not?
Todd: Yeah, I’m going to do Matterley Basin. I’ve just went and spoke to Dylan Apico to ask if I can borrow the bigger tank. That’s the only snag with the Hondas is you need a bigger tank to do the GPs so I can get the carbon tank on it. As far as I’m aware it’s just literally book the entry now and get going so and sort my licenses and whatnot. That’s another expense to organise.
GateDrop: Any other GPs or just Matterley at the minute or maybe EMX open at Lommel, even that would be a good one?
Todd: I did look into that but I’ll just see how I feel at the time because obviously we’re doing America. I’ve just got a lot of things that I’ve decided to do this year. I’ve just been approached to do an Irish race (the Tommy Stewart Memorial), they’re good little races for me and they’re just easy going. To go and do a GP, I don’t really have the funding to go out and get boats and all this. So, we’ll just see where I am.
GateDrop: You mentioned about getting on a team, have you had any interest coming into this season or even the season from a team? I mean you’re running top five there so you shouldn’t be too far away from getting a ride…
Todd: I’ve had one offer but it’s just obviously with the way my situation is that I haven’t really came from the background of someone helping me out or being able to pay onto teams. I’ve got to try, and it’s got to be a deal that’s right for me at the end of the day. You know that’s the hardest bit but I don’t see why if they can get the support I’m hoping people can get behind me. But it depends there might be other teams come, I don’t know because it’s so early in the season. You just don’t know, I might end up going some total different direction than where I’m planning at the moment so we’ll see what happens.
