ROB HODSON AND SMT RACING EXTEND THEIR PARTNERSHIP AHEAD OF 2026 ISLE OF MAN TT
Retaining a largely familiar look to their campaign, 38-year-old Rob Hodson and the Robin Croft-owned SMT Racing team will once again field Honda Fireblade machinery for the RST Superbike TT, both RL360 Superstock TT races, and the Milwaukee Senior TT. In the Supertwin category, Hodson will again campaign a Paton in the two Carole Nash Sportbike TT races, the combination having already delivered strong results on the Mountain Course.
However, there is a notable change in the Supersport class. After several seasons aboard the Yamaha YZF-R6, the team will switch to the Ducati V2 Panigale for the two Monster Energy Supersport TT races. The move aligns with the evolving technical direction of the class and follows encouraging performances from the Italian machine in recent editions of the TT. Hodson arrives on the Ducati off the back of his strongest Supersport result to date, a sixth-place finish in the opening race last year.
Since 2022, Hodson has been a consistent top-15 finisher in the Supersport category, breaking into the top ten for the first time in 2023 with ninth place and recording a best lap of 125.121mph. He improved further in 2025, again surpassing the 125mph mark en route to sixth place against some of the class’s leading contenders, only beaten by Michael Dunlop, Dean Harrison, James Hillier, Davey Todd and Josh Brookes. With limited but productive testing completed on the Ducati, both rider and team are targeting further progression in the two four-lap contests.
Ducati V2 Panigale
With the Ducati already proven at the TT in the hands of both Dunlop and Todd in 2025 and 2024, respectively, Hodson is one of several riders to switch to the Panigale this year. Making his 50th start at the Isle of Man TT in 2026, both rider and team are confident of further improvements and progress in the two four-lap races.
The Wigan rider has built a solid record around the TT Course, including 17 top-15 finishes since joining SMT Racing in 2023. Seven of those results have been inside the top ten, with the standout performance coming in 2025 when he secured his maiden TT podium, finishing second in the opening Supertwin race. He also joined the prestigious ‘130mph Club’ in 2023 with a lap of 130.327mph during the Senior TT.
Rob Hodson on his way to his maiden podium at the Isle of Man TT Races 2025
Rob Hodson said: “I am really excited and thankful to Robin Croft of SMT Racing to be on board the Ducati V2 Panigale for this year’s Isle of Man TT. We’ve been on the SMT/Vehicle Recovery Services R6 for the last three years and have had some good success on it, but with the next generation Supersport class changes, now is the time for a new challenge and as a team we decided to go the Ducati route. Huge thanks go to our sponsors and team members working hard on the spanners. I can’t wait now to head down Bray Hill now”
With a full complement of competitive machinery across all solo classes, proven consistency, and a podium already secured together, Hodson and SMT Racing arrive at TT 2026 well-positioned to continue their forward momentum on the Mountain Course.
