Northern Ireland’s TAS Racing squad has refused to confirm or deny reports it will become BMW Motorrad UK’s official team for the British Superbike Championship and international road races in 2015.

Philip and Hector Neill’s Moneymore-based team has a long-established relationship with Suzuki, but after a disappointing campaign in BSB this year with American rider John Hopkins and Aussie Josh Waters, it seems a major change is on the cards.

Isle of Man TT star Michael Dunlop, who increased his tally of Mountain Course victories to 11 in June, revealed at the Ballymoney Sports Awards on Saturday night that his association with the German marque won’t continue into 2015.

Dunlop claimed BMW’s first Senior TT victory since Georg Meier’s success in 1939 this year and completed a treble on the S1000RR with wins in the Superbike and Superstock races.

However, the 25-year-old has said he will move to another manufacturer next season, adding further weight to the claims that BMW has switched its official effort to TAS Racing after backing Stuart Hicken’s Buildbase/Hawk Racing concern this year, with Japanese rider Ryuichi Kiyonari finishing as the runner-up in the British Superbike Championship behind Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne.

Dunlop – whose success for BMW this season includes a double in the Superstock and Superbike classes at the North West 200 – has also withdrawn from November’s Macau Grand Prix in the Far East, where he was due to ride for BMW at the Guia Street circuit.

Lincolnshire’s Guy Martin and Ballymoney man William Dunlop – who sealed his maiden international Superbike win at the North West 200 in May – are expected to remain with TAS Racing next year.

On Sunday, a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland team said:

“We cannot comment on speculation, but as of today nothing has changed at TAS Racing.”

Tommy Bridewell could be brought in to replace Hopkins in BSB, while it remains to be seen whether or not Waters has done enough to secure a place in the team for a second year.

However, Supersport rider Taylor Mackenzie won’t be a part of Philip Neill’s plans after announcing he had left the team.

TAS Racing is also set for a return to the Superstock 1000 class next year, running one rider in addition to its two-man BSB line-up.

BMW Motorrad UK has confirmed it intends to expand its racing activities in the UK and Ireland next year in the British championship and at the international road racing meetings, but made no comment on which team will be its official flag bearer.

One confirmed deal is Temple outfit Mar-Train Racing’s two-year tie-up with Yamaha UK for the international and national road races in 2015 and 2016, revealed last week.

Bradford’s Dean Harrison is a frontrunner to lead the team after riding the Mar-Train Supersport machine this year at the North West 200, Isle of Man TT, Southern 100, Ulster Grand Prix and Scarborough meetings.

There has been no confirmation of whether or not Milwaukee Yamaha will run Josh Brookes on the roads at the North West 200 and TT, but one avenue that may be open to the 31-year-old would be to compete at the internationals under the Mar-Train Yamaha banner on the new-for-2015 YZF-R1.



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