Image: Keith Muir.

Yamaha Motor Australia has confirmed Robbie Bugden will join Kevin Curtain, Rick Olson and Cru Halliday in its four-rider Australasian Superbike Championship program this season.

Current Australian Superbike number three and five-time New Zealand Superbike Champion Bugden makes the switch from ASBK to the ASC, replacing MotoGP-bound 2013 series champion Broc Parkes.

All four riders will pilot YZF-R1s in the premier ASC Superbike category, the team previously confirming it’s no longer participating in Supersport (formerly FX 600) or Formula Oz.

“We have an exciting line up for the upcoming season and I look forward to another great year of racing,” said team owner John Redding. “The balance of youth and experience in the team is right and also the relationships the riders have with the team is strong.

“Robbie is new to the team, but he has raced Yamaha previously and being based in Queensland, where the race team is housed, will mean he can quickly form a bond with the crew and come out firing at the first round.

“The 2013 season will be hard to top as the team won every major class at the ASC, but we will again be working hard in 2014. With all riders in the Superbike class, we can focus all our time and development into the Yamaha R1 and hopefully produce a season as rewarding as 2013.

“Again we have amazing support from our team partners and Yamaha Australia has again shown their support for road racing in Australia. Yamaha Australia are huge supporters of all aspects of racing in this country and it is an honour to represent the brand in road racing.”

Last season, multiple-time national champion Curtain won the Formula Oz championship for Yamaha, while Olson and Halliday went 1-2 in the FX 600 series aboard the team’s YZF-R6s.