ASBK 2025
Round Three – QLD Raceway
ShopYamaha R3 Cup
ShopYamaha R3 Cup Race One
A brief but fairly heavy shower had just washed across Queensland Raceway ahead of the opening R3 Cup race getting underway on Saturday afternoon.
Riders had formed up on the grid on slicks, and the race was declared wet as they were rolling towards their starting positions.
Oscar Lewis, Valentino Knezovic and Jordy Simpson were the most confident early in the somewhat sketchy conditions. At first it had seemed as though the worst of the rain had passed, but it continued to fall on and off again during the opening couple of laps, before worsening again as the race wore on.
Knezovic was one of those caught out in the conditions, joining Nixon Frost, Seth Dellow, John Pelgrave and Rossi McAdam in the naughty corner.
Officials put out the red flag after more riders went down at turn four. The decision was made to run a full restart over six laps once the stricken bikes had been recovered.
At the restart it was Jordy Simpson moving to the fore early on ahead of Hudson Thompson with Phoenix O’Brien and Mitch Simpson in close company. It was a Simpson 1-2 as they started lap two.
Hudson Thompson took the lead and engaged in a heady battle with Mitch Simpson for the win. That pair had pulled clear of the pursuing throng and it went down to the wire between them but it was Mitch Simpson with his nose in front when it mattered.
Rossi McAdam was having his own battle for the final step on the rostrum with Jordy Simpson but had a huge high-side out of the final turn that left him ruing what might have been.
Oscar Lewis fourth, more than 20-seconds behind the leaders at the flag despite the short six-lap distance.
ShopYamaha R3 Cup Race One Results
ShopYamaha R3 Cup Race Two
Jordy Simpson was the early leader in Sunday morning’s R3 Cup bout but Oscar Lewis then moved to the fore as Hudson Thompson, Nikolas Lazos, Valentino Knezovic, Mitch Simpson and Phoenix O’Brien chased that duo.
Simpson and Lewis had eked out a small gap ahead of the pursuing throng over the course of the opening lap but by the time they started lap two it was a nine-rider freight train snaking its way around Queensland Raceway.
The Simpson brothers moved to the fore after half-race distance as a crash for Nixon Frost saw him drop out of that leading group, reducing their number to eight. That octet covered by six-tenths with two laps to go. The race for the win and the podium positions was far from over.
Oscar Lewis pushed his way to the front of the group by the last lap board, but Lazos then took the lead as Mitch Simpson pushed Lewis further back to third.
Lewis then went wide at turn three, as Mitch Simpson tumbled out at the same turn just after putting in the fastest lap of the race.
Lazos now had some breathing space and made the most of it, taking the victory over Hudson Thompson as John Pelgrave rounded out the podium ahead of Valentino Knezovic, Jordy Simpson, Phoenix O’Brien and Oscar Lewis.
A breakthrough maiden victory for Lazos a just reward for plenty of hard work by him and his family.
ShopYamaha R3 Cup Race Two Results
ShopYamaha R3 Cup Race Three
Seth Dellow was one of the first victims of the very sketchy and wet conditions in the third and final R3 Cup bout of the weekend at Queensland Raceway. Dellow had been running in second place before going down at turn four.
Just when it looked as though Hudson Thompson would have a fairly lonely race out front on his way to victory, Mitch Simpson closed him down over the final few laps to challenge for the win. Five-seconds behind that pair Jordy Simpson and Nixon Frost were having their own tussle over the final step on the rostrum.
Thompson responded to Mitch Simpson’s challenge with a new fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap but Simpson had the wiles to make a very brave move around the outside at the final turn to steal the victory by a nose.
Jordy Simpson crashed at turn four which left Nixon Frost to cruise home to a podium finish, 17-seconds clear of fourth-placed Rossi McAdam. Jordy Simpson rejoined to salvage a seventh place finish.
While disappointed to miss out on the win in that contest, Hudson Thompson took some comfort in earning the round win ahead of Mitch and Jordy Simpson.
In the overall championship chase, Mitch Simpson extended his series lead over his brother to 15-points.
ShopYamaha R3 Cup Race Three Results
ShopYamaha R3 Cup Round Points
ShopYamaha R3 Cup Points
2025 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar
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| Round | Location | Date |
| 4 | Morgan Park Raceway, QLD | Jun 13-15 |
| 5 | Queensland Raceway, QLD (Superbike Only) | Aug 8-10 |
| 6 | Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC | Sept 6-7 |
| 7 | One Raceway, NSW | Oct 3-5 |
| 8 | The Bend, SA | Nov 7-9 |
