Victorian Jack Mahaffy is the 2025 Kawasaki Australian Supersport champion, keeping his powder dry in the final round at The Bend (SA) on November 9 to complete a magical season for the Stop and Seal Yamaha rider.
Mahaffy curbed his normal competitive instincts with a 5-8 scorecard at the high-stakes grand finale, but it was more than enough to hold off teammate Archie McDonald (2-2) in the final championship standings.
Both races at The Bend were won by reigning two-time British Superbike champion Kyle Ryde, with the 28-year-old displaying his class on yet another Stop and Seal Yamaha.
Mahaffy finished the seven-round season on 294pts, ahead of McDonald (282), Olly Simpson (BCperformance Kawasaki, 270), Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki, 206) and Tom Bramich (Yamaha, 194).
As with most championship successes, the bedrock of Mahaffy’s campaign was extraordinary consistency, with the 24-year-old finishing on the podium in 12 of the 13 races before The Bend and with no DNFs – which then gave him the luxury of not having to push the envelope on the run home.
“I’ve been thinking about the championship non-stop since the last round at One Raceway,” said Mahaffy. “I don’t think I’ve been pushed so hard in my life as I was this year, both on and off the track, so hats off to Archie and Olly.
“When Stop and Seal took me in two years ago I was a very different rider and person. We’ve had our ups and downs but we got the job done and what they’ve (Stop and Seal bosses Claire and Robbie) done for the sport is incredible.
“Of course, if the championship wasn’t on the line today I would have wanted my piece of the fun at the front. But I’m a true believer you ride to your circumstances, and if the championship was really on the line then it would have been me and Archie battling.”
The first Supersport race at The Bend was a short and sharp five-lap affair after the first attempt was red flagged following a crash at turn 17.
In the restart, Simpson, Ryde and Tom Toparis (riding in the Supersport Next Gen class on a Stop and Seal Ducati) all took turns at the front before Ryde reasserted his authority on the final lap – one where McDonald set a new a record of 1:54.270 as he made a late charge.
Toparis was second across the line from McDonald, Simpson, Nelson and Mahaffy.
Race two was over the full nine-lap distance, and it was a cracker with the lap record lowered on multiple occasions (now owned by McDonald with 1:53.724) and the major combatants pushing hard for the final time in 2025.
Ryde led most of the second half before McDonald passed the BSB star under brakes on the final lap. However, McDonald went in a little too hot which allowed Ryde to regain the ascendancy.
The pair broke the pack with their late speed, while Toparis was third from Simpson, Nelson, Jake Farnsworh (Yamaha), Will Nassif (Omega Racing Yamaha), race one faller Tom Edwards (TeamBWR Yamaha) and Mahaffy.
“The first couple of laps with Archie in the final race was a bit like racing against Tommy (Bridewell in BSB) in 2024 when we both had to win to take the championship,” said Ryde, who will now continue his trip Down Under on a golf pilgrimage. “A few of the moves were probably not acceptable but it was more fun than anything!
“Race two had everything: a dogfight at the start, there were lap records broken and everyone got back safe.
“I’ve had a great weekend and the track is fun to ride. I also love the R6: I ride one all the time to keep fit and to practice on, so I know it inside out. But that was my complete maximum: I couldn’t go faster than that!”
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- ShopYamaha R3 Cup
A second ASBK title was decided in South Australia with Mitch Simpson winning the 2025 ShopYamaha R3 Cup.
Hudson Thompson, Valentino Knezovic and – fittingly – Simpson won the three races at The Bend, with the finale an almighty scrap as riders let it all hang out in the final battle of the season.
Simpson completed the four-round 12-race season on 203pts from his younger brother Jordy Simpson (186), Thompson (171), Phoenix O’Brien (161), John Pelgrave (161) and Nikolas Lazos (157) – the latter in title contention until he was injured in a Supersport 300 crash on Sunday morning.
- Race and Road Supersport 300
In Race and Road Supersport 300 – which had already been wrapped up by Scott Nicholson (Kawasaki) at the previous round – it was a smaller program after Sunday’s race two was abandoned due to time constraints after a multi-bike crash on lap three.
Nicholson (2-4) was the overall winner from Riley Nauta (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki, 10-1) and Mitch Simpson (Yamaha, 6-2).
Nauta clearly had the most impressive pace all weekend, checking out in race one before a crash on lap six – with Lazos (Yamaha) taking full advantage to win his first Supersport 300 race in front of Nicholson and Thompson.
In the shortened race three, Nauta was in a class of his own, while Mitch Simpson was second from Tyler King (Kawasaki).
Nicholson’s final championship margin was a resounding 103pts (378 to 275) over Jordy Simpson (Yamaha), and then King (263), Mitch Simpson (261), Jake Paige (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki, 260) and Tara Morrison (Kawasaki, 256).
- Superbike Masters
Beau Beaton (Ducati 851) stormed to another clean sweep to remain undefeated throughout the season.
His final tally was a perfect 250pts from Michael Berti Mendez (Ducati TT2 992, 173) and Phil Allen (Ducati 851, 153).
At The Bend, Beaton, Ben Burke (Honda VRF750R) and Berti Mendez claimed the trifecta in all four five-lap races, with Beaton setting a new lap record of 1:58.457 to put the icing on the cake.
Beaton also took home the P6 Formula 1300cc class honours, and the other class winners were Allen (P6 Formula 750cc), Berti Mendez (P5 F1) and Patrick Povolny (Suzuki GSX1100, P5 Unlimited).
For more information on the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul: