Ireland's Glenn Irwin has split with the CN Racing squad before turning a wheel in the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 series and it is understood he has taken a ride in the European Superstock 600 series instead.

Irwin finished the 2011 season with CN and had signed to ride the team's Ten Kate-prepared Fireblades in 2012. The team are are disappointed to have lost such a talented rider from its 2012 rider line-up but are still very positive about fielding a strong, three-pronged attack for the 2012 Superstock 1000 Championship.

“Of course it’s a shame that Glenn has decided that he wanted to ride elsewhere, but he has to make his decisions for whatever reasons and we wish him all the best. It’s not been confirmed but we understand he’s going to race in European Superstock 600 with a good team that we all know and get along with well so I’m sure he’ll make a success of it, just as he did with CN Racing this year,"s aid crew chief Dwayne McCracken.

"We’re 100 per cent committed to running three Hondas in Superstock 1000 next year and that hasn’t changed. We’ll be announcing Glenn’s replacement in due course. All we can tell you at this stage is that it will be high calibre rider, capable of mixing it at the front.”