O’Halloran, the most successful Yamaha rider in terms of victories in the British Superbike Championship, joins the YART team to replace Niccolò Canepa, who retired at the end of the 2024 season to become Yamaha Motor Europe’s Road Racing Sporting Manager.
The Australian joins a YART Yamaha team that enjoyed a superb 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC). The double Endurance World Champions (2009 and 2023) came so close to defending their EWC crown after finishing on the podium at every race in 2024, including winning the 8 Hours of Spa Motos and securing a dream second at the legendary Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan to end the season in second overall after an epic title battle.
Finding a replacement for Canepa, the most successful Italian EWC rider of all time, would never be easy, but O’Halloran brings a wealth of experience. After starting racing in his native country, he went on to be crowned the 2007 Australian Supersport Champion. Moving to the UK, he has been plying his trade in the British Superbike Championship since 2008 and enjoying wildcard rides in Moto2, WorldSBK, and WorldSSP.
The “O Show”, as O’Halloran is affectionately known, raced in the Superbike class for Yamaha in BSB from 2019-2023, winning 26 races and recording a best-placed finish of second overall in 2020, as he established himself as a regular title contender on his R1.
O’Halloran is no stranger to endurance racing after riding as an injury replacement during the 2012 season and securing a podium at the Doha 8 Hours, a top ten at Suzuka, and fourth at the 8 Hours of Oschersleben.
The 36-year-old also continues the YART team’s long association with Australian riders, which has seen Damian Cudlin, Steve Martin, Josh Brookes, Broc Parkes, Wayne Maxwell, and Ricky Olson all race for them in the past.
With the rider lineup secured, the team now turns its focus to the opening round of the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship, the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans, which will take place from April 17th to 20th.
Jason O’Halloran
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I am extremely excited to join the YART team and become a full-time EWC rider. I have spent many years in British Superbikes, but when I started speaking to the team, it just seemed like the perfect move. I want to thank everybody who made this happen. I cannot wait to join up with the team, and what a team! Endurance World Champions in 2009 and 2023, plus Marvin and Karel, are amazing riders, and the team’s achievements speak for themselves. I had a lot of success in BSB with Yamaha, so I am excited to get back onto the R1. It has always been the bike I gelled with the best; it suits my riding style, and I love riding it. I had a taste of riding in the EWC in the past, and it has always been a championship I wanted to race in. With Niccolò retiring, the timing was perfect, and I cannot wait for the challenge ahead.”
Mandy Kainz
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team – Team Manager
“I am delighted to welcome Jason to YART. Once Niccolò announced his retirement, my phone was ringing off the hook with riders wanting to join the team, but for me, the person I always wanted to sign was Jason. Not only has he shown how good he is on the R1 as the most successful Yamaha rider in BSB in terms of victories, but he also has a lot of experience from other classes and is a real team player. It helps that he has also ridden in the EWC before, and we feel he is the perfect addition to the team. He will bring something different but will also slot right into the YART family, and we can’t wait to kick off the new season!”
Niccolò Canepa
Yamaha Motor Europe – Road Racing Sporting Manager
“We are really happy to have Jason joining the YART team, and we are excited to see what he can do on the bike. He has a lot of experience with the R1 and has shown his talent and ability in the British Superbike Championship with 26 wins, so I think he will bring a lot to the team. I also think he has the perfect character to succeed in EWC, as you need not only to be fast but also to be a team player and be able to work with your teammates. I got to know Jason in BSB last year. I was his teammate for a couple of race weekends, and he helped me a lot during this time, which made me realise that he had the right attitude for EWC. He already has some endurance experience, but he will have to adapt quite quickly, and we feel that with his addition to the team, we will have the perfect package to fight for the title next season.”
