BSB: Halsall Racing quit British Superbikes

Halsall Racing has today announced that the team will be withdrawing from the MCE British Superbike Championship for the 2017 season.

The Bolton-based squad had been Suzuki’s official BSB effort until Halsall pulled the plug on the project at the end of their initial two-year agreement citing high costs and a lack of certainty regarding when Suzuki’s new GSX-R1000 would be available for the team.

While this call was made back at Donington, Halsall had planned to remain racing in 2017 and entered negotiations with 2015 British Superbike Champion Josh Brookes about joining the team to race a Yamaha YZF-R1 alongside the squad’s 2016 rider Tommy Bridewell.

However, MCN understands early talks with Yamaha UK broke down leaving Halsall to consider his future in the British series.

“I am very proud of our success and the journey that the Halsall Racing Team has made following our inception into the British paddock back in 2012,” read a statement released by the team. “We have progressed to become one of the leading operators in the domestic Series and for that reason, I must thank everyone involved including our loyal supporters that have followed us throughout this incredible journey.

“There is not an endless supply of funds and the costs associated with operating a leading factory team in the British Superbike series can be exorbitant.  Whilst it is possible to continue next year, there comes a point when you must consider all the options and evaluate whether there is any return on your investment or if the financial continuation remains viable.  That was fundamentally one of the primary reasons behind my recent departure from Suzuki.  The high costs associated with Suzuki’s involvement simply did not equate to factory support in my opinion.  Teams need assistance if they are to go racing, whether that is from the manufacturer or the Series promoter.  It certainly cannot be achieved in isolation or on the reliance of one individual.

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“My hope was that a solution could be found with another manufacturer following our recent announcement to move away from Suzuki.  But despite our best efforts to deliver what I considered to be the ‘most compelling package’ for the series in 2017, that also included an involvement in the roads, there was simply no appetite from the parties involved or the series operator despite my best efforts.  The outcome was extremely disappointing to say the least despite myself and the team being extremely open to a variety of options.”

However, Halsall insists the withdrawal from BSB is not the end of the team. It is thought he has been looking at potentially moving on to the road racing scene but these plans are far from certain.

“This will certainly not be the end of the campaign for Halsall Racing.  We are currently exploring a variety of options that will allow us to bring our vast experience and professionalism to motorcycle racing in some capacity.  Where that will take us next, only time will tell, but I can categorically state that there will be a future return to racing and those plans will become much clearer over the coming weeks.”

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