Farquhar rules out TT team switch
Two-times TT winner Ryan Farquhar has ruled out a change of teams ahead of the Centenary event.
The Dungannon rider had been linked with a return to his former team McAdoo Kawasaki Racing following their rider Raymon Porter's sudden decision to retire.
However, Farquhar has told the BBC he will remain loyal to his sponsors for the Isle of Man TT, which starts on May 26.
He told the BBC:
'My sponsors have spent a lot of money and I don't want to jump ship. I've had bad luck, but I hope that will turn.'
'I am committed to ride the bikes for my sponsors Mark Johns and Kenny Harker and I have told Winston that. but I would like to ride for McAdoo Racing again sometime before I retire.'
'We had a lot of successful years together and the bikes are there if I wanted them, but I'm optimistic for the TT with the bikes that I have.'
The Cookstown-based McAdoo team was left without a rider for the Centenary TT after Porter announced his immediate withdrawal from road racing after Saturday's North West 200.
In a short statement the team said Porter, a former Manx Grand Prix winner, had decided he couldn't continue because of the dangerous nature of the sport.
The McAdoo statement said:
'Raymond was struggling in the early stages of the season to find form and, after being bumped and barged in the opening laps of the Superbike race at the North West, he decided he couldn’t continue due to the extremely dangerous nature of the sport.'
'Knowing what Raymond has been through in recent months we fully respect his decision and wish him every success in his future life away from the sport. Road racing is much too dangerous to ask a rider to go out and compete at any level, let alone win international road races, when he isn’t fully focused and committed.'
'The team will now have to make a decision in the next few days with regards to our own plans for the remainder of the season and beyond.'