Glenn Irwin keeps his counsel over shock British Superbike split from Tyco BMW

The 29-year-old told the News Letter he is currently in talks with two British Superbike teams over his plans for 2020.

Irwin, though, refused to elaborate on the reasons why he parted company from the Moneymore-based TAS Racing squad after only four rounds.

“There’s nothing I can say other than to thank the team for the opportunity. I don’t want to comment any further than that at this stage,” he said.“I am speaking with two teams and I’m quite far on in my discussions with them.”

Irwin began the season with reigning BSB champions Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki but left the team by mutual consent in July after struggling to find his top form.

The Ulster rider was 16th in the championship at the time, with a brace of ninth-place finishes at Donington Park and Knockhill respectively standing as his best finishes on the ZX-10RR.

A fourth straight Superbike victory at the North West 200 in May served as a welcome distraction from his BSB woes, but it failed to serve as a catalyst for a wider turnaround in his results.Two months later, Irwin and the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team went their separate ways.

Less than 48 hours afterwards came the announcement that he had replaced injured County Tyrone man Keith Farmer at Tyco BMW for the remainder of the BSB season, joining Christian Iddon in the line-up.

However, despite a marked improvement in his results on the S1000RR – including a fifth at Oulton Park – Irwin is now a free agent once again.

He has already been linked to Moto Rapido Ducati and Honda Racing for next season, among others.

He said: “Obviously there are Ducatis out there other than the PBM bikes and there is the possibility of teams expanding. That’s only one example but there are other opportunities as well.”

Irwin, who finished third overall in the BSB Showdown in 2018, has also enjoyed significant success at the international road races with victories at the North West 200 and Macau Grand Prix.

He has made no secret of his desire to make his debut at the Isle of Man TT and it seemed as though everything was in place for him to tackle the Mountain Course next summer on the Tyco BMW.

For now at least, all bets are off as he bids to sort out his future.

“In the road racing game everything has to be right. I will do the roads if the team wants to do the roads,” he said.

“You have to want to be there and you want to feel that the mechanics, the whole team wants to be there – you want to feel that you’re all part of it and in it together.

“If I was to sign for a team that doesn’t do the roads then I’ll likely not do them.”

A return to the forthcoming Macau Grand Prix in November had been mooted, but Irwin says his comeback at the legendary race in China is now off the agenda.

“Macau is out the window,” he said. “I had the option of riding a Yamaha R1 for the Penz team but I can’t really commit to anything because Macau takes place in mid-November and the likelihood is that I’ll be announced with my new team in October.”

On Wednesday, a short statement issued by TAS Racing said both parties had “mutually agreed” to part company with immediate effect.