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Milwaukee pull plug on Yamaha sponsorship at TT2014

Shaun Muir's title sponsor Milwaukee Power Tools has withdrawn its support for the team at next year's Isle of Man TT after new Superbike technical regulations made it impossible for riders Josh Brookes and Ian Hutchinson to be competitive.

And plans to add a third rider to the outfit, run by SMR under Milwaukee colours, for the festival fortnight have also been scrapped due to 'inflexibility' of the organisers. The team will still run under Milwaukee colours for the North West 200, Ulster Grand Prix, Macau GP and the MCE British Superbike Championship

"The decision to withdraw our support from the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races with SMR is two-fold. Firstly we believe the rule changes, apparently initiated as a cost saving exercise, would actually have had an adverse effect on SMR Racing – costing Shaun Muir and his team in excess of £30,000 to convert machinery that is currently ready to race," said a Milwaukee's UK Commercial Director Dale McElveen.

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"SMR, with much reluctance, made a proposal to the ACU and manufacturer supported teams, proposing to run their current Magneti Marelli ECU System – albeit with disable rider aids. This would have brought the team’s Marelli system into line with the proposed Motec variant, which was listed as an option by TT organisers.

"This in turn would have saved Milwaukee Yamaha £30,000 to purchase and fit the Motec systems, which we hasten to add, is not being used, or purchased, by any of the other leading manufacturers. Unfortunately SMR’s proposal to use a restricted Marelli package, was rejected by the other leading manufacturers and TT Organisers.

"The forced ECU changes, suggested at the outset by Honda, would have made all SMR road racing machinery less competitive than its rivals, and the control ECU that SMR would have been forced to fit [Motec] – gives less control than that of their main competitors’ Kit systems.

"The irony is the rule change will solely affect Yamaha as the other leading manufacturers have modern manufacturer produced ‘Kit’ versions readily available, which will allow them to compete with no disadvantage.

"If we add to that the increased budget involved to compete [in a less competitive state] with the other main manufacturers [should SMR have used Motec] – who ironically, can roll out last year’s machinery at no extra cost – then we had no option but to make this tough decision and withdraw our support for SMR at the 2014 TT Races.

"We would like to stress that every effort was made with the Isle of Man TT organisers in somewhat protracted discussions, to find a solution, that would effectively have allowed SMR to bring high-profile riders Ian Hutchinson – the event’s only five time clean sweep winner in a week – and Josh Brookes to TT2014.

"Milwaukee Yamaha was also in the process of pledging support to a third rider for next year’s event and we feel, the tangible inflexibility, has robbed TT fans of seeing three riders with 15 TT victories between them, numerous lap records; not to mention an embargo on the return of the Fastest Newcomer in Australian superstar Josh Brookes."

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