HYDREX HONDA have announced that they have parted company with Karl Harris with immediate effect.
Despite currently lying fourth in the British Superbike Championship, Harris is 137.5pts behind team-mate Stuart Easton and has found himself languishing at the bottom end of the top ten, or lower, in recent rounds with 14th and 15th place finishes at Brands Hatch and Cadwell Park contributing factors to the split.
The season started strongly for the Sheffield rider with blistering pace in both pre-season testing and in qualifying for the early rounds but aside from two runner-up spots at Oulton Park in May, he’s failed to make a significant impression on the results sheets, finishing only two more races inside the top six since.
Harris was in his second term with the team, having previously ridden for them in 2007, and the announcement today by team owner Shaun Muir was one he was hoping he wouldn’t have to make as he explained: “We all really like Karl and he’s a friend to every member of the team so it’s been a really tough decision to make but we’re at a delicate time in the season with Stuart trying to secure second place in the Championship. We were hoping Karl would be able to play a significant part in that but, unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to get anywhere near the form he showed at the beginning of the year or what everyone knows he’s capable of so we’ve decided to act now.
“It’s never an ideal situation parting company with a rider during a season and it’s been even harder with Karl being so well liked by everyone but we need to have both bikes and riders running at the front. Everyone’s worked really hard and given him every possible bit of support but, sadly, the results still haven’t been forthcoming and it’s a decision that had to be made. The team has made a major step forward this year regularly running in the top three in the races and in the Championship and we really wanted Karl to be doing what Stuart’s done so we’re sorry it hasn’t worked out for him and would like to publicly wish him all the very best for the future.”
No decision has been made regarding a replacement rider for the final three rounds but it is hoped that an announcement will be made in time for the next round at Croft.
