Image: Keith Muir.

Yamaha Racing Team will be trimmed down to a three-rider program for the remainder of the 2014 Swann Insurance Australasian Superbike Championship; a structure likely to remain in place for next season as well.

YRT with YMI has opted to soldier on with its current rider combination of Robbie Bugden, Rick Olson and Cru Halliday following the shock retirement of Kevin Curtain ahead of this weekend’s second round at Mallala in South Australia.

“Obviously we wouldn’t replace Kev just to make up numbers, but if a rider of his calibre came along then we’d have considered it,” Redding told CycleOnline.com.au. “Right now we’re dedicating our resources to the three riders we have left.

“Really, the likelihood of somebody being free to ride at a national level race-winning capability was very low. Unless someone became free from overseas, for example, we thought we’d just leave it.”

The move comes as Paul Free’s Melbourne-based Team Honda Racing effort has itself expanded to four riders, adding Troy Herfoss alongside Jamie Stauffer, Josh Hook and Motul-backed Australian Superbike Champion Wayne Maxwell.

Redding has revealed the suitability of a three-bike structure logistically is a major cost-saver for the team, with the reduction to three riders enabling YRT to operate out of a single transporter instead of two. That factor alone could see the team remain at three for the future.

With an updated YZF-R1 anticipated for 2015 and essentially all top riders up for contract renewal within Australia, the arrival of a new R1 will make the streamlined YRT outfit one of the most sought-after homes of the silly season – and the existing riders are in the box seat to benefit from the upgrade.

“We’re not sure at this stage and we will look at all options,” Redding added. “The difference between three and four riders is another truck, which is definitely a major additional cost. Now we have three riders we are using just one of our semis and have parked the other one. It may well be that it makes sense to remain with three riders, rather than return to four.”

Following a difficult start to the season at Wakefield Park, YRT could be darkhorse threats this weekend after Bugden matched the pace-setting times of Honda duo Jamie Stauffer and Wayne Maxwell in separate pre-race tests.