Josh Waters has started celebrations early at the final round of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at The Bend (SA), wrapping up the Superbike title in Saturday qualifying.
Waters’ path of least resistance to winning an unprecedented fifth SW-Motech Superbike title was always going to come in the battle for grid positions, and the script went perfectly to plan for the McMartin Racing Ducati star.
Waters qualified in fifth, but with arch-rival Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) unable to secure pole position Waters now takes a 50p lead into Sunday’s two 11-lap races.
Even if Jones wins both battles and Waters doesn’t score any points – extremely unlikely for such a well-drilled champion – Waters would still win the championship on a countback.
With the numbers falling his way, it was a super Saturday for Waters, who won his first Superbike title in 2009 followed by further successes in 2012, 2017 and 2024.
After three decades of Aussie Superbike brilliance, Waters still can’t fully comprehend what he has achieved.
“When I started road racing I used to stand outside Shawn Giles’ garage and think ‘Will I ever be like that’?, said Waters, referencing the former three-time Superbike champion (2000-2002).
“Now to win five titles against such a high level of competition means so much. This year has been really special. I’ve got such a great team and crew around me, and everyone at home is such a big support: my wife, my family, my training partners. It just means so much.”
Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati) will start from pole in the SW-Motech Superbike races, and will be joined on the front row by Jones and Jonathan Nahlous (Omega Racing Honda).
There was plenty of action across the other ASBK classes today, including Kawasaki Supersport where Archie McDonald will start from pole with two-time British Superbike champion and Stop and Seal Yamaha teammate Kyle Ryde alongside him.
Races also began in the Race and Road Supersport 300, ShopYamaha R3 Cup, BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup and Superbike Masters classes on Saturday, with a dominant Beau Beaton crowned early in the latter after a faultless campaign.
- SW-Motech Superbike
The equation was simple for the SW-Motech Superbike battle to move into a live Sunday rubber: Jones had to secure his fourth pole position at The Bend.
He was seemingly on track for exactly just that until the last three minutes of qualifying when Halliday produced a searing 1:50.028 – under the current lap record and only just adrift of the best ever lap – to become the ultimate spoiler.
Jones didn’t have time to muster a counter-offensive, much to the delight of a jubilant Waters.
It’s Halliday’s fourth pole in Superbike, and his first since 2023 as he gets to grips with his new Ducati after a mid-year switch from Yamaha.
“It’s taken a little bit to get used to the Ducati after being on a Yamaha for years,” said Halliday.
“It’s been about changing habits and riding the Ducati a whole different way, but it’s finally paid off at a very good time.”
Meanwhile, Nahlous was a revelation in only his second ASBK meeting on the Honda, with the Sydneysider returning to a happy hunting ground after winning the Supersport title at The Bend in 2024.
Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), Waters and Cameron Dunker (MotoGO Yamaha) will line up on row two, followed by Troy Herfoss (Yamaha Racing Team), Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha) and Max Staufffer (Yamaha).
Twenty-riders will line up in Sunday’s two races.
- Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen
McDonald’s sixth pole position in Kawasaki Supersport came without too much fuss, which included a new Supersport best lap of 1:54.271.
Ryde was next, followed by BCperformance Kawasaki duo Olly Simpson and Hayden Nelson, Will Nassif (Omega Yamaha), Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) and Tom Edwards (TeamBWR Yamaha).
Championship leader Jack Mahaffy (Stop and Seal Yamaha) has left himself in the danger zone, starting from the third row of the grid as he defends a 23pt buffer over the in-form McDonald.
Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati) was the fastest Supersport Next Gen rider – and in fact the fastest on track by a wafer thin 0.001 seconds over McDonald.
There will be two nine-lap races on Sunday.
- Race and Road Supersport 300/ShopYamaha R3 Cup
Races got underway in both Race and Road Supersport 300 and the ShopYamaha R3 Cup, with Nikolas Lazos (Yamaha) and Hudson Thompson (Yamaha) the respective victors.
In Supersport 300, Lazos’ path to a maiden victory opened up after Riley Nauta (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki) crashed out while holding a healthy lead. Lazos grasped the golden opportunity and won by 3.5 seconds ahead of polesitter and 2025 champion Scott Ncholson (Kawasaki) followed by Thompson, Tyler King (Kawasaki), Matthew Ritter (Yamaha) and Jordy Simpson (Yamaha).
While Nicholson has an insurmountable lead, the battle for second in the championship is still a tight battle Jordy Simpson, Tara Morrison (Kawasaki), King and Mitch Simpson (Yamaha) with two races remaining. Jake Paige (Kawasaki) remains in second, but will be swallowed up by the pack as he isn’t competing at The Bend.
Thompson prevailed in a signature tight and tough R3 Cup scrum from Mitch Simpson, Lazos, Phoenix O’Brien and Jordy Simpson. Mitch Simpson holds a 15pt lead over Lazos.
- BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup
It was a nine-bike rolling scrum in BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup race one, with the riders separated by less than a second after the five-lapper.
Xavier Curmi scored maximum points from Ghage Plowman, Connor Lewis, Hunter Charlett, Rossi McAdam, Chaz Williams, Thomas Cameron, Krue Knight and Charlie Nichols.
Lewis now leads Williams by 6pts, while McAdam, Curmi and Charlett will likewise battle it out until the very end for third place in the official Australian Junior Road Race Championship.
Two races remain on Sunday.
- Superbike Masters
The same trifecta in both Superbike Masters races on Saturday, as Beau Beaton (Ducati), Ben Burke (Honda) and Michaael Berti Mendez (Ducati) dominated.
Beaton was on another level, setting a new a lap record and wrapping up the series with one race to spare.
In tomorrow’s final hitout he’ll be chasing the holy frail: an unbeaten campaign.
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