OMG Racing’s Shock Announcement Leaves Road Racing Legend Shocked
James Hillier admits he was left stunned by OMG Racing’s departure from British Superbike, as it’s also affected his plans for the road racing campaign
On Tuesday reigning British Superbike champions OMG Racing announced it would be departing the series in a shocking announcement that has left riders’ champion Kyle Ryde, ex-WorldSBK rider Bradley Ray and Joe Talbot without seats.
The decision was made because of “unforeseen commercial circumstances”, but what it’s also done is cause a collapse to the road racing project, which means Isle of Man TT stalwart James Hillier and new team-mate Dominic Herbertson are without seats for 2025.
For the roads OMG Racing rebranded itself to WTF Racing and Hillier competed under that banner with Honda machinery in 2024. Hillier achieved a fourth place finish in the 2024 Senior TT, while Herbertson had joined the team in the hope of becoming a podium threat across all classes.
But with OMG Racing confirming its surprising decision to leave BSB, WTF Racing released its own statement, saying: “WTF Racing has today announced the immediate cessation of all road racing activities due to significant commercial circumstances beyond the team’s control.
“Thanks to their success in 2024, the team were set for a strong showing at this year’s North West 200 & Isle of Man TT thanks to the pairing of TT-winner James Hillier & Dominic Herbertson, who podiumed last year as a privateer.
“More to follow.”
The announcement came as a surprise for all of the team’s riders, who are now desperately searching for alternatives to compete in BSB and, as is the case for Herbertson and Hillier, on the roads.
Hillier said: “My phone’s been pretty crazy since [Tuesday] afternoon when the news was released,” Hillier said in a video posted to his Instagram account. That was honestly a big shock, I really didn’t see that coming; It’s not great timing, especially on April Fools’ Day.
“I wished it was a joke but unfortunately it isn’t. I also want to say a big thank you to Alan Gardner for all the effort and time he’s put into racing; with OMG and WTF – the whole team, actually, [...] it’s hard on everybody, so a big thank you for their efforts in the past.
“But, where I stand at the minute, I don’t quite know. It’s a work in progress to try and sort some machinery and get something in place.”
The North West 200 begins on 7 May before the Isle of Man TT is scheduled to take place from 26 May to 7 June, so Hillier and Herbertson have little time to find a full-time ride.
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
