At the early age of 6, Tommy had started competing in motorcycle races and still at the early age progressed through to high level schoolboy motocross. However at the age of 14 he had a near fatal motorcycle accident which caused him to retire from the sport. Tommy though still had an ambition to race and ride motorcycles and he soon returned making his debut in the British Championship in 2001. This was to be his first stepping stones into the world of Superbike racing. Since then he has become the youngest rider to win a Superbike race, the youngest rider ever to qualify on pole position at a World Superbike Championship event and in 2011 he became a BSB champion for the first time.