Image: Keith Muir.

Australian Road and Track Rider Promotions (ARTRP) general manager Terry O’Neill has welcomed Motorcycling Australia (MA) to open formal discussions regarding promotion of the 2015 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK).

O’Neill, who promoted MA’s ASBK series from 2004-2008 before International Entertainment Group (IEG) controversially took control in 2009, has been relentless in pursuit of making ARTRP’s breakaway Australasian Superbike Championship (ASC) a success, run under Australian Auto-Sport Alliance (AASA) sanctioning since 2010.

It’s understood MA and ARTRP reached an agreement to form a single series for 2014 last year according to O’Neill; a decision that was reportedly later reneged upon led by former MA CEO David White in opting to continue with the ill-fated IEG partnership.

With Dale Gilson now MA CEO and Braxton Laine the recently-elected president, O’Neill said he was open to discussion and preliminary discussions have already taken place.

“I’ve already been approached by MA,” O’Neill told CycleOnline.com.au. “Peter Doyle has spoken to me and he also came to Mallala. We speak on a pretty regular basis. Braxton Laine called me several weeks ago, and both of them asked me the same question: are we prepared to sit down and talk to them? And the answer on both occasions has been yes.

“But the response I gave both of them also was that time is of the essence. We’re not going to go through the situation that’s happened in the past, where everything is left until October, or November, and then there’s a knock on the door and we have a meeting before going around around in circles before something’s agreed to and then they walk away, after that agreement.

“If MA are serious about talking to us, then they need to do something pretty quickly. It’s one thing to call up and say yes, we’re coming to see you, but until they actually ring up and make the appointment, which I’m actually still waiting for, then the reality is that all we can do is continue on with what we’re doing. We’ve said yes. The ball is in their court.

“If they want to go down that path, of exploring that option, then they need to do something about it, and soon.”

Meanwhile, MA also hasn’t ruled out the shock possibility of aligning with O’Neill’s ARTRP group and the Swann Series, which has risen to become to premier national road racing championship in 2014.

“I personally have not had any discussions with ARTRP, although there has been some unofficial discussions between MA and ARTRP staff,” Gilson told CycleOnline.com.au. “All options are on the table as far as I’m concerned and the outcome should be what is best for the sport and its members, I hope we can deliver that.”

Despite the subtle possibility of the ASC and ASBK series aligning for 2015, the lack of recent correspondence between MA and ARTRP indicates that such a formation is far from certain on the eve of the Swann Series’ third round at Queensland Raceway this weekend.