Image: Foremost Media.

Former national number two Cru Halliday has revealed his exit from the Yamaha Racing Team at the close of the 2024 Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) following more than a decade together.

Halliday, 36, first joined YRT in 2012 and has been in the team for every year since aside from 2017, when he rode a privateer R1 in ASBK.

A return to YRT the following year in Supersport saw him dominate the 2018 championship, which earned him a seat back on the Superbike in the premier class. He went on to collect second in the standings in 2020, followed by P3 results in both 2021 and 2023.

“The 2024 season has officially come to an end, and so has my time with Yamaha Racing Team,” Halliday announced. “After 12 seasons filled with incredible highs and some tough lows, I have made the extremely difficult decision to part ways with YRT. I have been very fortunate to spend most of my racing career with YRT and I’ll be forever grateful for the unwavering support they have given me for over a decade.

“They have not only been a team, but a family and I’m incredibly thankful for the hard work and dedication from every single person that has been involved in one way or another since way back to 2012. Over the years we have shared many podiums, race wins and taken out three championships, with the biggest highlight of winning the ASBK Supersport championship in 2018.

“We have also had a whole lot of fun, too many laughs and great memories that I’ll carry with me forever. I want to say a heartfelt thank you to John Redding, Kev Marshall and Matthew Ferry who have been there since the start, and also more recently Scott Bishop for the continued support and encouragement.

“I’m grateful for my family, friends, sponsors and all the fans who are always there for me through thick and thin. I would not be where I am today without their support. While this is the end of an era and a very big chapter of my life, it’s finally time for me to move on and chase new opportunities. I’m ready for a fresh start, new challenges and the opportunity to push myself to new limits. Bring on 2025 – stay tuned…”

Halliday has been linked to the independent Stop and Seal Yamaha team for next season, with Max Stauffer – who finished fourth in the 2024 championship with the Penrite Racing SBK team onboard a YZF-R1M – widely expected to take over the vacated position at YRT alongside Mike Jones.