World Superbike legend Troy Corser will be reunited with former crew chief Tom Larsen in their own World Superbike Evo class using BMW power and hope to be on the grid for the start of the 2014 season - but there is one thing that is holding them back, and that is a lack of funds with the pair are looking for sponsorship.
The Aussie duo have known each other since they were kids, and have worked together for many years and now feel the time is right to branch out and form their own team, titled Down Under Motorsport.
Ideally they want to run a two-rider outfit, and at the moment the name of the potential racers are still under wraps as contracts are still being negotiated, but it is possible that one will be a European rider with World Superbike experience at the request of BMW, and the other would be an Australian.
Larsen has huge experience in race paddocks around the world and will take on the role of Team Principal with double Superbike champ Corser undertaking the role of Sporting Director. Larsen knows it will not be an easy task trying to get a brand new team on the starting grid, but he will not give up on his ambitious plans.
"It has always been a dream of mine and Troy's and I worked with him at BMW till he retired, then we came up with the concept of a team. At first we were going for an all Australian team but with sponsors and BMW involved we have decided to try and have a European rider as part of our team too. Dorna are supporting us, but without extra funds and sponsorship we wont be able to be on the grid in 2014, but we will keep trying with our team for 2015 too," said the former Castrol Honda race engineer, speaking to Bikesport News.
"Troy is an ambassador for BMW and is still really active and is able to act as our test rider too. But we want to have two riders both on Evo bikes, at first we were thinking of running one Superbike and one Evo but we have decided that it would be more cost effective to run two Evo models. But at the moment we are 40 percent short of funds, but we feel we can be competitive and be a real force in World Superbikes in 2014, and fingers crossed we get to start on the grid for the first round in a few months time."
