Jacob Roulstone and Harrison Voight were the stars of the show as round one of the 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli (ASBK) wound up at Phillip Island on Sunday, November 22.
Their victories in the two SW-Motech Superbike races were at opposite ends of the intensity spectrum: rookie Roulstone (Motocity Honda) catapulting from third on the final lap to win race two, and then an imperious Voight putting the field to the sword in race three.
Voight was the overall round winner with his 1-4-1 scorecard, and he’ll take a 6pt (68 to 62) lead over Roulstone into round two at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 27-28, followed by Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha, 56pts).
“I’m chuffed with how things have gone this weekend,” said Voight. “My pace was great, and in race two I got close to the lap record I set two years ago.
“I was a bit of a softie in race two in the mixed condittions, but I was also thinking about the championship. Overall, a fantastic start to the year.”
The Kawasaki Supersport/Supersport Next Gen and Race and Road Supersport 300 classes also concluded their race one programs at Phillip Island today, with Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati) and Tara Morrison (Kawasaki) the victors – Simpson’s by just millimetres over Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati) in a grandstand finish.
- SW-MOTECH SUPERBIKE
Light drizzle played its part in both 11-lap SW-Motech Superbike races today – at the start of this morning’s and at the tail end of the second.
After riders flirted with wets in the first, slicks were hastily fitted after the sighting lap, and it was defending champion Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) who got the best of the start as he attempted to win an amazing 21st Superbike race on at Phillip Island.
He led until the final lap, with Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati) applying the initial pressure before Waters was swamped by Dunker (turn two) and Roulstone (turn four) on the final lap.
Roulstone then performed a slick move on Dunker after the exit of turn 10 to win his maiden ASBK Superbike race in just his second start.
Waters held on for third ahead of Voight, Allerton, Anthony West (DesmoSport Ducati), Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) and Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati).
Voight was unstoppable in race two, breaking ranks from the start without even allowing the pack to place a modicum of pressure on him.
And once he reeled off a searing 1:30.855 on lap three – just shy of his 1:30.790 circuit benchmark – the issue was beyond doubt.
After building such a huge gap, he had the scope to keep his powder dry as the drizzle hit in the final few laps. It was Voight’s third Superbike win at Phillip Island in just seven starts.
Meanwhile, there was plenty of jockeying going on behind with Roulstone, West, Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha Racing Team) and Waters all spending time in the top three.
Roulstone ran off on lap eight to fall back to seventh, but he rallied to finish the race in fourth behind Voight, Nahlous and Dunker.
West was fifth from Waters, Allerton and Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha).
After round one of five, Waters is fourth in the standings on 50pts from Nahlous (47pts), West (45pts), Allerton (42pts) and Jones (42pts).
- KAWASAKI SUPERSPORT AND SUPERSPORT NEXT GEN
The final Kawasaki Supersport/Superport Next Gen race was declared wet, but it was like a dry affair as the leading riders put on their combative faces from the outset of the 10-lapper.
And what an epic finish, with Olly Simpson (DesmoSport) drafting past fellow Ducati rider Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal) at the death knell to win by just 0.001 seconds.
About 30 seconds earlier, Simpson looked to have scuppered his chances of winning when he nearly crashed at turn nine, with Toparis immediately seizing his opportunity to hit the lead.
But Simpson wasn’t done, and he quickly regrouped to score a pulsating victory – his second of the weekend.
Tom Edwards (BCperformance Kawasaki) was only a whisker behind in third from early race leader Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha), Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki), Will Nassif (Gow Racing Yamaha), race two winner Roberto Tamburini (Addicted to Track Yamaha) and rookie Ghage Plowman (Yamaha).
After round one, Tamburini leads the Supersport class on 69pts from Valentino Knezovic (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 54pts) and Scott Nicholson (TeamBWR Yamaha, 39pts), and in Supersport Next Gen it’s Simpson (70pts) from Edwards (61pts) and Nelson (56pts).
It’s only likely to be a cameo for Tamburini, though, but the veteran is planning to return for the 2027 ASBK Championship when it switches to a summer-based calendar.
- RACE AND ROAD SUPERSPORT 300
Morning drizzle provided Sketchy conditions for the final Race and Road Supersport 300 battle – but that was only of minor nuisance value for Tara Morrison (Kawasaki) who romped to a three-second start to finish victory in the shortened four-lapper.
It was the South Aussie’s third win at Phillip Island in the last nine races, as she leapfrogged up to third in the Supersport 300 standings on 52pts ahead of round two at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 27-28. Tyler King (Kawasaki, 55pts) leads the battle of the fast-twitch brigade from Jordy Simpson (Yamaha, 54pts).
Lincoln Knight (Yamaha) was second in race three from Simpson – completing a trio of third places for the reigning No. 2 – with Phoenix O’Brien (Yamaha), Tom Nicolson (Kawasaki) and Jake Senior (Yamaha) in positions 4-6 among the 27 finishers.
Nauta and King, who won races one and two respectively, were well back in 18th and 11th respectively.
Nauta (48pts) is fifth in the standings, behind O’Brien (49pts) and ahead of Senior (45pts).
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