Cumbrian squad ends two-year road racing absence as Josh Brookes targets superbike and superstock ‘big bike’ races
DAO Racing will return to international road racing in 2026 after more than two years away, with the Cumbrian-based team set to compete at both the Isle of Man TT and the North West 200. Josh Brookes will contest the ‘big bike’ races on Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblades in the superbike and superstock classes, as the squad resumes road racing for the first time since 2023.
The team comes back to the roads with its Honda Fireblade project now in its second year of development. While DAO Racing has been away from the international road racing scene, it is a team with established history on public roads, having debuted at the Isle of Man TT in 2014 with Russ Mountford. The squad secured its maiden TT victory in 2018 with Dean Harrison, then took its first superbike win at the event in 2019 when Harrison won the Senior TT, marked as the first Kawasaki victory in the headline race since 1975. At the North West 200, DAO Racing has recorded a further eight podiums and 21 top-six finishes.
Brookes, one of the team’s ZYN British Superbike Championship riders, returns to the major road races with a strong TT record. He is the fifth fastest rider ever around the Isle of Man TT, with a lap speed of 134.056mph. The Australian first competed at the event in 2013, was the fastest newcomer, and has since taken two TT podiums, including a second-place finish in the Senior TT in 2024.
He will also ride the Fireblade at the North West 200, where he is the eighth fastest rider around the 8.9-mile Triangle circuit with an average speed of 123.141mph. The North West 200 is the opening road race of the season and runs through Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush, with speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour.
Josh Brookes
“It gives me a lot of confidence that for the 2026 Isle of Man TT and North West 200 I’ll be competing with a team that has a proven pedigree at the events, and I’m proud to represent Sommai and Clarrisa’s team. Reflecting on 2025, I was racing with DAO Racing in BSB and then I rode for a separate outfit on the roads, which was a little bit disruptive to my preparations. I think staying with one team throughout the whole process is a far better environment to work in, the equipment will be to the highest standard, something in which DAO Racing prides itself on. I’ll have a better understanding of where the bike is, what’s capable and I’ll have the confidence in the continuity of all the crew and team behind me. It’ll make for a more pleasant, competitive and enjoyable experience at these events.”
DAO Racing Team manager Jonny Bagnall
“We’re really excited to be making our return to road racing for 2026 after two years away from the events. I think it’s really important for Sommai and Clarrisa to have a presence in the paddock, especially with them residing on the Isle of Man. Josh competed at the events last year and both Sommai and Clarissa wanted the team to make a return in 2026, so it felt natural for us to do that. It’ll be exciting to see how we get on, the roads were our pedigree, it’s how the team started back in 2014 and what we set out to compete in, so it’ll certainly be great for everyone to return. We want to have a fast and safe road racing season, Josh is very experienced around the Isle of Man TT and the North West 200, he rode the Fireblade at both events in 2025 and I think it’ll be more consistent for him this year, because he’s comfortable with the crew and the bike he’s riding, especially with him riding it week in, week out at BSB. So, I feel that consistency”
