Triumph in Competition: The Hinckley Era to Today
Triumph in Competition
Triumph’s modern racing story begins with the company’s rebirth under John Bloor at Hinckley. Through the 2000s the factory rebuilt quietly; then the Daytona 675 (2006) gave Triumph a world-class middleweight to race.
What followed: British and international titles, TT wins, Daytona 200 glory, and—most significantly—supplying engines to the entire Moto2™ grid.
1990s–2000s: Rebuilding the platform
Triumph’s early Hinckley years focused on product, not podiums. The step-change was the Daytona 675 triple (2006), which matured into a true race winner and the backbone of Triumph’s return to middleweight competition. (See the British Supersport results below.)
2008–2013: British Supersport—Aussies on top
• 2008 – Glen Richards (Adelaide) delivers Triumph its first British Supersport Championship title on the Daytona 675—also the first Australian to win the class.
• 2012 – Glen Richards wins the title again for Smiths Racing Triumph; teammate Billy McConnell (Adelaide) takes double race wins at the finale and third in the series.
• 2014 – Billy McConnell captures the British Supersport Championship on a Triumph Daytona 675 with Smiths Racing, then steps up to BSB.
Why it matters for Australia: two South Australian riders (Richards and McConnell) put Hinckley-era Triumphs on the top step in the UK’s premier middleweight class—headline achievements for Aussies on Triumphs
2010–Today: Triumph racing in Australia
ASBK (Australian Superbike Championship) – Supersport
• 2010 – Christian Casella (AARK Racing / Peter Stevens) takes Triumph’s first Australian Supersport race win of the season at Phillip Island—widely noted as the first time a non-Japanese brand won the opening ASBK Supersport race. He added another Phillip Island victory later that year.
• The same campaign saw the Daytona 675 consistently competitive in ASBK Supersport timing and practice sheets.
• Triumph Australia and partners formally backed the AARK program for 2010, underlining factory interest in local racing.
BEARS & club racing (national)
Australia’s BEARS (British, European & American Racing) club has long been a home for Triumphs, with Hinckley Bonnevilles and Triples winning classes and club titles. Notable examples include Peter Revell (Triumph Bonneville) taking Formula 4 Heritage titles (2011 & 2015), and multiple recent podium finishers on Triumph 675R machinery in 2023.
• BEARS is the dedicated national series for non-Japanese machinery, making it a natural showcase for Triumph racers in Australia.
Historic racing—Phillip Island
• The International Island Classic at Phillip Island is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest historic road race meeting, with strong Triumph participation across eras
Sadly this series is no longer running.
2014–2018: Road racing & the Daytona 200
• Isle of Man TT (2014): Gary Johnson wins Supersport Race 1 for Smiths Triumph—Triumph’s first TT victory since 2003.
• Daytona 200 (2014): Danny Eslick wins on a Triumph Daytona 675R, Triumph’s first 200-mile victory since 1967.
2019–Today: Triumph powers Moto2™ (including Phillip Island)
Since 2019, Triumph has been the exclusive engine supplier to Moto2™, with a race-tuned 765 cc triple derived from the Street/Street Triple RS platform.
The partnership has delivered new lap records at dozens of events and the first 300+ km/h top speeds in Moto2™—including at Phillip Island. The supply deal has been extended through 2029, with an upgraded race gearbox introduced for 2025.
• Australian angle #1 – Phillip Island: Triumph-powered Moto2™ has raced annually at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix since 2019; the first 300+ km/h top speed for Moto2™ was recorded at Phillip Island in 2019.
• Australian angle #2 – Remy Gardner: The 2021 Moto2™ World Champion is Australian—Remy Gardner—and he won the title aboard a Triumph-powered Moto2 machine.
2021–Present: “Next-Gen” Supersport (World + UK)
Triumph helped shape the “Next Generation” Supersport rules that welcomed varied engine formats back into top-level middleweight racing.
The factory returned to WorldSSP with PTR/Dynavolt Triumph running a 765-based racer and has continued in British Supersport with partner teams, keeping the platform visible and competitive. (Paddock GP)
Fast facts & highlights (Hinckley era)
• British Supersport titles: 2008 (Richards/Triumph 675), 2012 (Richards/Smiths Triumph 675), 2014
• Daytona 200: Triumph wins in 2014 (Eslick, Daytona 675R) and again in 2022
• Isle of Man TT: 2014 Supersport Race 1 victory
• Moto2™: Exclusive engine supply from 2019–2029; first 300+ km/h speeds in class history (incl. Phillip Island).
• Australia, ASBK: Christian Casella race wins on Daytona 675 in 2010; factory-supported AARK program.
• Australia, BEARS: Multiple class titles and recent podiums on Triumphs (Bonneville & 675R).