More important steps continue to unfold in the background of Australian motorcycle road racing as we speak, with Team Honda Racing all but confirmed to be fielding an Australasian Superbike Championship program in 2014.

2013 team riders Jamie Stuaffer and Josh Hook are listed on the ASC competitor race number registration list released this afternoon – both on Hondas – as are current Australian Superbike Champion Wayne Maxwell and Troy Herfoss.

It’s well known that Honda has been looking to re-sign both Stauffer and Hook, while Maxwell’s return to the brand he rode for from 2008 through 2012 has also been highly speculated. As for Herfoss, after a year off, he’s also gained Honda support. We really won’t know the extent of that support until the season unfolds.

Stauffer and Hook will feature as Honda’s factory pairing, while Maxwell will also ride for the factory team, albeit with what’s believed to be advanced support from Link International – the high profile distribution company of Motul and Pirelli.

Herfoss’ situation is a little less direct from what we understand, but the 2010 ASBK Supersport champion and 2011 ASBK Superbike number three will no doubt benefit from the knowledge and support of Paul Free and his Motologic crew.

Image: Andrew Gosling.

And what we are going to see is that all four riders will be mounted on Team Honda Racing-prepared CBR1000RR SP models, Honda’s brand new 2014 up-spec sportsbike that will go a long ways to bridging the gap in production trim to BMW and Kawasaki (click here for details on that bike).

Honda’s increased presence couldn’t come at a better time for domestic road racing as all the major teams align in the ASC – a turn of events simply unthinkable just months ago. As fans, we have to somewhat thank the Next Gen team for being the first major effort to jump ship.

That, combined with Suzuki’s exit from the sport altogether, triggered a whitewash of talented teams and riders all switching series from the ailing ASBK series to ASC.

Plus, keep in mind that an announcement from Glenn Scott and the privateer InsureMyRide Racing Team is also just around the corner from what we understand, so Honda will have a huge presence on the grid.

Looking for a twist in all of this? How about the possibility of Phil Tainton himself forming part of the Wayne Maxwell garage in 2014 working on Hondas? There’s a chance it could happen, along with Maxwell’s former Suzuki mechanic Warren Monson on race weekends.

A host of teams are on deck at Phillip Island this evening preparing for tomorrow and Friday’s Honda test, including expected appearances from Stauffer, Hook, Maxwell and Herfoss in preparation for the Phillip Island Championship that commences alongside the World Superbikes next weekend.

Held in conjunction with Pirelli – and despite the brand now not featuring as ASBK control tyre this season – it’s expected that Honda will race the Phillip Island Championship on the Italian rubber before obviously reverting to the Dunlop control tyre for ASC if they do in fact enter the series.

And while on the subject of that ASC rider list as I mentioned earlier, Beau Beaton will be back aboard a Ducati and will no doubt be in a position to display his talent following a full season in ASBK aboard a Racer’s Edge Suzuki. He could surprise aboard the Panigale at times.

Linden Magee’s also featured on the list aboard a BMW, indicating that he’s yet another one of many quality contenders to compete in the ASC series after originally investing himself in ASBK.

Image: Andrew Gosling.

Yesterday afternoon International Entertainment Group (IEG) and Motorcycling Australia (MA) finally released concrete details on its 2014 structure (click here for more), but for the most part it seems a case of too little, too late.

I’ll reserve extended comment until we see round one in April, but the structure seems like a very expensive exercise for MA and IEG to the point that you have to ask yourself, why? Where to from here if it doesn’t work? Who will be on the grid? How come this wasn’t proposed earlier until their major teams fled? There are so many questions, but once again their actions are reactive more than anything.

Anyway, I wish them luck in their events, but if the teams do stick to their plans and switch to ASC as we expect they will, the marketability of the ASBK will be difficult and potentially very similar to last year’s 2+4 round at Phillip Island – damaging to the sport more than anything else.

That’s it for this week. Check out CycleOnline’s social media profiles for more updates and news from the domestic and international series’. Just search ‘CycleOnline’ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to follow us.

And just as I finish typing this, Honda Australia has confirmed that Maxwell, Stauffer and Hook will make up the team’s three-rider factory ASC program (click here for details).