Image: Andrew Gosling.

Longtime Team Suzuki manager Phil Tainton has conceded that the current Australian Superbike Champion (ASBK) squad won’t be defending its number one plate in 2014.

CycleOnline.com.au revealed last month that Suzuki Australia had severely reduced its support available for this season, forcing Phil Tainton Racing (PTR) to conduct an urgent search for outside sponsorship (click here for details).

Upon notification from Suzuki that the team’s future was in doubt, ASBK title winner Maxwell was left without a seat (click here for details) and is now working to secure his future with a private effort in the rival Australasian Superbike Championship (click here for details).

Next Gen Motorsports’ announcement on Sunday that it will transfer from the ASBK to ASC has triggered a domino effect, which will likely see Team Honda Racing also enter the ASC as ASBK promoter International Entertainment Group scrambles to save the series.

With Team Suzuki’s arch-rival teams exiting the ASBK and star rider Maxwell working on his own domestic deal, as well as riding a Yamaha in World Endurance, PTR has concluded its sponsorship search at least for this season.

Tainton is currently the chairman on Motorcycling Australia’s Road Race Commission – a position he’s prepared to give up depending on MA’s stance – but admits the future of the ASBK series is becoming increasingly grim entering the new year.

“There’s too much negative response and we haven’t been able to secure [sponsorship],” Tainton told CycleOnline.com.au. “Wayne now is of course doing deals, which he had to, and I’ve supported him in doing so.

“I’m afraid we’ve had to draw a line in the sand and that will be it for us. We will stay in the background over the next 12 months, keep an eye on the opportunities and we’ll still have the team infrastructure here. We’ll see how it evolves.

“I spent most of my early years spending all of our own money and going without a lot of stuff, but the future was bright then and I could see a future in it. I don’t see a future now – I’m not going to go dragging my feet, spending all my money on it at this stage of my life.”

Coming off the back of championships in 2012 and 2013 with Josh Waters and Maxwell respectively, Tainton is disappointed not to be defending the crown, but takes pride in bowing out on top.

“We’ve probably all underestimated the economy and it’s not good,” Tainton added. “Racing is probably one of the first things to get culled when you’ve got to start cutting costs, so I’m not bitter or anything, just disappointed.

“Suzuki has been really good to me, given me a good career in racing, and together we’ve both enjoyed a lot of success. All things I suppose have got to end at some stage, and after 18 years with Suzuki and 24 running my own team, I’m just not in the position to go ahead.

“It’s sad that we’ve come off back-to-back championships and I believe we could have won a third with Wayne, but then again if it had to finish it’s nice to finish on top.”

Tainton will continue to build customer race bikes through PTR despite not running his own team and plans are still in place to maintain a working relationship with Suzuki Australia into the future.