Image: Andrew Gosling.

Reigning Australian Superbike (ASBK) Champion Wayne Maxwell has secured a seat with the factory-supported Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) to contest the 2014 FIM Endurance World Championship.

After winning the ASBK title on debut with Suzuki last season, Maxwell has been left without a factory position domestically as Suzuki’s chances of securing enough sponsorship to continue looks increasingly slim.

Click here for complete information of Team Suzuki’s exit from the ASBK posted on CycleOnline.com.au last week.

The EWC ride will see 31-year-old Maxwell partner countryman Rick Olson and experienced Slovenian Igor Jerman aboard a Pirelli-equipped YZF-R1 throughout the season. However, the line-up for the Suzuka 8 Hour is still yet to be determined.

“Obviously Broc Parkes and Josh Waters rode for YART last year and Broc still has a fair bit of involvement with the team,” Maxwell told CycleOnline.com.au. “Broc contacted me and it’s a great opportunity to ride a factory bike in the world championship.

“The deal came together really quickly – pretty much from Wednesday – and they were very accommodating and eager to help, so it’s a nice feeling.”

Milwaukee Yamaha British Superbike Championship riders Josh Brookes and Tommy Bridewell were initially linked to the Suzuka seats alongside Japanese ace Katsuyuki Nakasuga, but Parkes is now a favourite to return to the team for the prestigious event.

Parkes, who has signed to ride for the Paul Bird Motorsports MotoGP team in 2014, has also been pencilled in to ride Qatar’s EWC finale alongside Maxwell and Olson in what would be an all-Australian combination.

Domestically Maxwell’s racing prospects remain unclear as he continues to negotiate a privately-run deal that could see him line up on the Australasian Superbike Championship (ASC) or ASBK grid, and he insists the YART agreement won’t affect his local negotiations.

“At the moment I don’t have a factory ride in Australia at all – it would only be a supported ride,” he explained. “So it’s just a case of trying to move forward with your career. World endurance is a massive series, it’s hugely popular and the factories support it, so while that’s happening it helps to earn a sustainable income.”