ASBK 2025
Round Three – QLD Raceway
Team Reports (in the order as supplied)
Yamaha Racing Team
It was a fast, furious and then wet weekend at round three of the Mi-Bike Insurance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK), held at Queensland Raceway over the weekend. The on-track action was exactly that, as competitors simply scorched around the Queensland Raceway circuit, but rain at the most inconvenient times played havoc with riders and teams as they scrambled to adjust to the conditions.
Mike Jones entered the weekend looking to claw back points in the championship. He sat 29 points down on rival and championship leader, Josh Waters, but with the next few rounds in Jones’ home state of Queensland, the time was right to strike and fight his way back into contention.
And things were on track throughout Friday and Saturday with Jones regularly topping the time sheets during the free practice and then when qualifying rolled around, he unleashed the R1M around the QR circuit like no man had ever done before. He uncorked a 1.06.845 to take another .3 of his lap record set there last year.
It wasn’t that long ago that a 1.08 was a race winning lap time around the technical QR layout, now a 1.07 is considered race pace and 1.06 is now a hot lap. The pace at ASBK continues to elevate.
After overnight rain, Sunday dawned to blue skies and light winds, but the threat of possible afternoon showers was in the forecast. Race one was held in perfect conditions and as the Superbike field roared towards the first turn, it was Waters in the lead, with Jones right behind him.
Jones shadowed Waters and then made a move up the inside of the exit of turn three and grabbed the race lead by turn four. This time it was Waters turn to go to school on Jones, and he stalked the Yamaha rider until finding his way past a few laps later.
The pair then stretched their lead over the rest of the pack and the gap between the lead duo hovered around the one second mark. Jones made a last-minute run at Waters but couldn’t get close enough and was forced to settle for second.
Race two and the clouds had gathered. Rain was in coming but was there going to be enough time to finish the superbike race before the weather hit? Jones jumped well and grabbed the lead on the opening lap. He then knuckled down and got on the with the job and held a small gap over Waters. But then the rain came, and the track was declared wet.
Bikes frantically returned to the pits for a change to the wet set up. On with the wet tyres, changing of motor and suspension settings as well as a rethink of race strategy with a full eight laps to run.
They re-gridded and took off again. Jones not known for his wet weather riding, was in the lead early and gave up a couple of positions as he adjusted to the conditions. But he settled in and wound up in a fight for the final spot of the race podium with Waters, as the duo went back and forward for third place. Again, he made a lunge in the closing laps but each time he went past, Waters was able to sneak back up the inside.
The race win went to Glenn Allerton, with Ant West in second, Waters third and Jones fourth. Jones’ 2-4 results gave him equal third on the day but fourth on count back and he still maintains second in the championship.
Mike Jones
“I’m disappointed I didn’t win and get some points back in the championship, but I felt I gave it a good crack and achieved some personal bests along the way,” Jones explains. “I set the lap new record three times over the weekend and while it might not sound great, that was probably my best wet weather race. We lost some points to Josh so that is the negative, but we have a long way to go and a lot of race laps to come so we will keep working hard and do our best to get ourselves back in championship contention.”
The weekend marked considerable progress for Max Stauffer. After a sluggish start to the weekend, Stauffer worked his way back into some form throughout the practice sessions and then managed to turn in a solid performance in qualifying to line up in P5 for the two races on Sunday.
He started well in race one and held position on the opening lap, tagging onto the top four ahead of him. The first five riders pulled a gap of the rest of the field, then Stauffer was able to capitalise on a mistake from a rider in front and move into fourth.
He held onto fourth place until the waning moments, when Broc Pearson and Glenn Allerton were able to fight their way past, dropping him to sixth place, but it was confidence building ride for Stauffer and one that he can use as the benchmark moving forward.
He was off to a good start in the dry of race two and again moved with the lead pack as he was again inside the top five. He was staying closer this time, but the chaos erupted when the rain came down.
For the restart, Stauffer spun up badly off the grid and on the opening lap had slipped back down the field as far as 15th place. He then mounted a comeback on the slick conditions to move his way through to seventh at race end and his 6-7 results gave him sixth for the day and he holds sixth in the championship.
Max Stauffer
“I’m still not where I want to be, but things definitely went in a better direction this weekend than the opening two rounds. I gelled more with the bike and was able to improve my speed each time on the track. The YRT team worked hard all weekend, and I feel we are building now, so looking forward to the coming rounds to keep things moving.”
DesmoSport Ducati
The third round of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) has seen DesmoSport Ducati leave Queensland Raceway fifth overall for the weekend after qualifying third, under the lap record, and racing to fifth and sixth in the two 16-lap races.
With almost no brakes in race one and no grip in the wet for race two, Broc Pearson did an amazing job to bring the DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R home in one piece.
For Luca Durning aboard the DesmoSport Panigale V2, it was a successful weekend as fastest qualifier and first position in both races as the only Next Gen SuperSport entrant.
Ben Henry – Desmosport Ducati Team Owner
“Broc’s qualifying lap, a 1:07.0 was two tenths faster than anyone has ever gone around QR on superbike before today. The fastest he’s ever gone and the fastest our bike has ever been. It’s tough to take 5th overall after that, but I can tell you right now its not from a lack of effort! While the result I want wasn’t there in the end, I’m proud of the team this weekend. Methodical, working to plan, and calm under pressure, especially in the change to wet settings mid-race. It was nice to see the other Ducati team that worried about us to study our bike, enquire with scrutineers about our components and sprint down pit lane to ensure our jump start penalty applied prior the restart in race two (laughing). The work is never over, and we have plenty to do after this weekend to make sure we put Broc in a better position come Morgan Park”
Broc Pearson
“Very mixed emotions heading home with fifth place overall, being under the lap record in qualifying & so much positives which did not show on race day. In race one, my brake adjuster popped out of its slot & I could not adjust the brake which meant from lap 3 I had very little brakes which just got worse throughout the race and I was a sitting duck. In race two the red light held for quite some time & the clutch slipped which gave me a 10 second penalty, we then had a red flag due to rain and I then had to start from 12th place due to the penalty. The team made a gamble to opt a harder rain tyre in-case it dried out but the track was very wet & I had absolutely no feeling whatsoever. I still salvaged a 6th place but I feel like we really had speed to battle for the wins this weekend & we did not deliver that. Morgan park is up next, a track I feel like we should be one of the guys to beat, so let’s see how it plays out and hope to get back to the top of the box.”
Superbike Advocates Racing
Superbike Advocates Racing celebrated a milestone moment at Round 3 of the 2025 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway, with Glenn Allerton charging from the back of the grid to claim the team’s first-ever ASBK race win — capping off a weekend defined by determination, resilience, and triumph.
Following a strong pre-event test at the 3.126km circuit known as “The Paperclip,” the team arrived in Queensland with confidence. The Ducati V4R had been dialled in to suit the six-turn layout, and expectations were high. However, Friday’s practice sessions presented multiple technical challenges, including a faulty fuel injector and persistent electrical issues. Despite the setbacks, the team responded swiftly, and Allerton posted the fastest time in the final session — a promising 1:07.5 lap.
Saturday’s qualifying brought further frustration as electrical gremlins resurfaced, shutting down the bike during Glenn’s flying laps. With limited time to resolve the issue, the team was unable to log a competitive time, relegating Allerton to the back of the grid for Sunday’s races.
Regrouping overnight, the team meticulously reworked the wiring harness and electrical system. Their efforts paid off in Sunday morning warm-up, where Allerton finished second, confirming the bike was back in top form.
Race One saw Allerton launch off the line with intent, slicing through the field in the opening laps. By lap two, he had broken into the top ten and maintained a relentless charge, consistently lapping in the high 1:07s. In a thrilling final-lap push, he executed two decisive passes to finish an incredible fourth — a heroic ride from the back.
Race Two began under dry skies with storm clouds approaching. Glenn quickly began advancing, anticipating a potential red flag to reset the grid. The gamble worked: after six laps, heavy rain halted the race with Allerton running sixth.
Back in pit lane, the team executed a rapid switch to wet tyres and adjusted suspension and electronics settings. On the restart — now an eight-lap dash in full wet conditions — Allerton wasted no time. He surged into the lead on lap one and never looked back, managing pressure from Anthony West and gradually extending his advantage to claim a commanding 4.5-second victory.
The result marks Superbike Advocates Racing’s first ASBK win and a second-place overall finish for the weekend — a testament to the team’s rapid growth, technical capability, and competitive spirit, all within just three rounds of their debut ASBK season.
Glenn Allerton
“I came into Queensland with high expectations after a great test. I’ve always loved this track, and even though practice and qualifying didn’t go our way due to electrical issues, the team never gave up. Starting from the back felt like a huge task, but I just stayed focused, rode hard every lap, and P4 in Race One was a great result. Before Race Two, I saw the dark clouds coming and thought, ‘Let’s move now and hope for a reset.’ When the red flag came, it played into our hands. The team nailed the wet setup, and the bike was brilliant in the rain. To come from the back and win like that — it’s one of the most satisfying victories of my career. I’m proud of everyone in the team. This win means so much, and I can’t wait to get to Morgan Park and chase that feeling again.”
Onyabike KW Civil McMartin Racing with K-Tech
Josh Waters and the Onyabike KW Civil McMartin Racing with K-Tech Team defied history to at Queensland Raceway during round three of the ASBK Championship. Queensland Raceway is a unique track, one that has not delivered favourable results for the team in previous years and has always been a happy hunting ground for championship rivals.
As per a normal weekend, three practice sessions signalled the start of the weekend on Friday, with another session on Saturday morning before the two-stage qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
Josh and the Onyabike KW Civil McMartin Racing with K-Tech team made sure that the rest of the field were on notice, topping the times from the four practice sessions to fire a warning shot across the bow of the locals who usually dominate on their home turf.
For the second year in a row, and just like in Sydney at the previous round, light rain in the second half of the final qualifying session meant that Josh and the Onyabike KW Civil McMartin Racing with K-Tech team didn’t get the opportunity to attack with a new tyre.
On a used tyre Josh and the Ducati V4R still managed to go under the previous best ever lap of Queensland Raceway to secure second place and an important front row grid position.
Josh got a sensational launch off the line to lead the field into turn one with Polesitter Mike Jones right on his tail.
Josh and the Onyabike KW Civil McMartin Racing with K-Tech Ducati V4R were unable to break away in the early laps and Jones was able to slide past on lap three and hold the lead for a few laps.
Josh was able to repay the favour on lap five and then proceeded to do the unthinkable and pull away from Jones over the next few laps opening up a lead of .9, setting a new lap record on lap eight. Jones retaliated and reduced the gap on lap ten, but Waters responded immediately extending the lead over the next few laps and took the chequered flag with a comfortable margin to take his first ever Superbike race win at Queensland Raceway.
Race two got underway with threatening clouds on the horizon and the possibility of rain falling during the race. Josh once again got a brilliant launch and let the field through turn one, but Jones responded immediately at turn two to take the lead, Ant West also pushed past Josh a corner later.
Josh got the Onyabike KW Civil McMartin Racing with K-Tech Panigale V4R back into second quickly and held that position when the red flag came out due to the heavy showers drenching the track.
Quick adjustments were made to the Onyabike KW Civil McMartin Racing with K-Tech Ducati to adapt to the changed conditions, Pirelli wet weather tyres fitted, suspension and electronic settings adjusted, and the riders were back out on track for an eight-lap race.
Josh got a good start and took a few laps to survey the track conditions before picking up the pace and beginning a charge forward. Fifth on lap one, fourth by lap three. Josh moved into third on lap six and held that position to the flag to take a solid points haul and the round victory, his third in a row.
Josh has now extended his championship lead over Jones as the Onyabike KW Civil McMartin Racing with K-Tech team head to the next round at Morgan Park with a thirty-two-point lead.
Josh Waters
“Overall, another great weekend for me, I knew leading into the weekend it wasn’t going to be easy coming to Queensland Raceway as my championship rivals are so strong at track. I was able to improve my riding, and the team gave me an amazing package to work with. Race two started off dry, I felt comfortable sitting in P2 but unfortunately a few laps in the rain came. In the restarted wet race my feeling wasn’t great, but I was able to work my way to third which was good enough to secure the overall round win for the weekend. A huge thank you to my team, sponsors and supporters.”
Craig McMartin
“This was a round we worked hard to improve as historically it’s not been one of our best tracks. Adrian, Josh and I spoke a lot about how to improve and it all paid off with the race one win and Josh was comfortable in the second race before the rain started and the race was stopped. In the wet restart Josh did what was needed to finish in front of Mike, so it was a really successful weekend. Thank you to all the members of the team for their hard work over the weekend, their dedication is second to none and all our sponsors, especially Onyabike adventures, KW Civil and Pirelli tyres.”
Motoschool Racing Team
Motoschool Racing Team’s Connor Lewis excelled at Queensland Raceway at the third round of the Australian Superbike Championship, clinching the Oceania Junior Cup round win with two race victories and a second place to leave him second in the overall standings.
With slipstreaming skills crucially important, Lewis had the added challenge of a slippery surface in the opening race.
Connor Lewis
“I wasn’t expecting it to rain this weekend but the results have been fantastic. I took it easy in the wet, there was oil on the track and we had to be really careful and there were lots of crashes. The second race was dry but there was a lot of barging and bumping and I found myself in the perfect spot to make the slipstream pass from the last corner. I just had to go for it in the final race but Chaz (Williams) got one back on me!”
Also posting outstanding results for the Motoschool Racing Team was older brother Oscar who took two outstanding podiums in Supersport 300 with a third in the opening race followed by a podium second.
A racing incident in the final outing while battling at the front was the only low point in a breakout weekend for the Northern Beaches based brothers. Oscar capped off his efforts with three solid points finishes in the R3 Cup, finishing just off the podium and fourth for the round.
Teammates Elijah Andrew and Zane Beckinsale also continue to show improvement, with Andrew hitting personal best times in every session despite some setbacks and a mechanical problem in the final race.
Andrew finished 21st in the opening race while Beckinsale took a best result of twelfth in the wet opening R3 Cup race, having to avoid plenty of carnage to score valuable points where he now sits sixteenth in the standings.
Haydan Parker – Motoschool Racing Team Owner
“I’m incredibly proud of the whole Motoschool team after this round with a big congratulations to Connor and Oscar Lewis. The entire Lewis family, including their parents Brad and Sue – they put their heart and soul into this sport and it shows in the results. It was also a very promising weekend for Elijah, it’s the best I’ve seen him ride and I feel like he is coming into his own. He takes on feedback, he listens, and although the results aren’t there on paper yet, I believe there is a lot more to extract and we’ll continue to push for that.”
Oscar Lewis
“This weekend was amazing and I feel like I am beginning to show my potential, particularly in the ultra-competitive Supersport 300 class. This weekend we were able to qualify on the second row which definitely helped. It’s so good to be able to run with the front guys and to be able to step onto the podium twice was such a good feeling. I can’t wait now for the next month to head back to Queensland for the Morgan Park round.”
Elijah Andrew
“This was my best race weekend, although it mightn’t look like it on paper! I set plenty of PB laps and made up eight places in race one. Some minor front end changes worked well for race two where I made up ten places with more PBs. For the final race my gear link rod failed on the out lap which meant I couldn’t take the start. We were also penalised for being underweight in race two which was disappointing, but there are plenty of positives and we are moving forward.”
Zane Beckinsale
“It was a tough weekend at Queensland Raceway, I couldn’t quite find the pace I know I’m capable of. I’m staying focused and confident that all my hard work will pay off, and the results will come soon.”
Kawasaki BCperformance Racing Team
BCperformance Kawasaki’s Olly Simpson claimed a spectacular second race victory and third overall on the Kawasaki Supersport podium at the third round of the 2025 Australian Superbike Championship in Queensland, while teammate Hayden Nelson finished one position behind in fourth place.
Riders were exposed to a variety of weather conditions across the race weekend, with the Queensland Raceway surface providing a fresh challenge for the Team Green crew each time they hit the circuit.
Free practice on Friday saw Simpson slot his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R into P1 on the timesheets with a 1m11.166s lap-time, as Nelson sat fifth after recording a 1m11.608s. Qualifying saw Simpson post a 1m11.148s for fifth on the grid while keeping a new tyre up his sleeve in favour of race strategy, with Nelson one position behind in sixth with a 1m11.212s.
South Australian talent Simpson continued his form as a round front-runner in both races, which was highlighted by a nail-biting second race victory as the top four riders put on a brilliant performance, covered by less than half a second as they crossed the finish line. Combined with a ninth-place finish in race one after an off-track excursion, Simpson finished third overall for the weekend.
Olly Simpson
“It was a really solid weekend for us as a team. We had really good practice sessions up towards the top and had good pace, even in qualifying – I was fifth on the grid, but I saved an extra tyre, so I had solid race pace. Unfortunately, in race one I ran into a small drama, went off the track and finished ninth, which was a bit disappointing considering how I felt. The last race was awesome, it was a battle, and I managed to come away with the win there. Massive thanks to the team for giving me a great bike all weekend.”
Nelson, meanwhile, was also competitive throughout the weekend on his BCperformance Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, extracting a fourth-place finish in race one for what he deemed as the maximum performance for that encounter. Fifth in race two after a measured ride in the afternoon, saw the 18-year-old finish with a 4-5 scorecard for fourth overall.
Hayden Nelson
“Fourth and fifth in the races, we banked some really good points again, and I think P4 in the first one was the best we could get out of it. Fifth in race two, I was a little disappointed with that. I put my head down to catch the boys at the front, but they had a bit of a slip-stream train going, so I thought better of it and stayed consistent. We’ve taken a massive step with the bike this weekend, and I’m looking forward to the technicality of Morgan Park.”
Kelvin Reilly – BCpeformance Kawasaki Team Manager
“A first win in the Kawasaki Supersport class from Olly is fantastic and I’m a little emotional right now. This is our first Australian championship race win since 2019 as well, and this weekend the team did such a great job and worked really hard. Both boys are just getting faster and faster, and the same goes for our Ninjas, we just improve every time we go racing. A massive thank you to all of our partners who support the team, we’re very grateful for the help.”
Kawasaki riders were also remarkably competitive in the Supersport 300 category in Queensland, where Champion’s Ride Days-backed Jake Paige rode his Ninja 400 to victory, followed by Riley Nauta in P2 and Tyler King in third place. Scott Nicholson and Tara Morrison completed the top five, making it an all-Kawasaki lockout in positions 1-5 this weekend.
In terms of the Kawasaki Supersport Championship standings, Simpson climbs to second position, with Nelson sitting in fifth following three rounds of ASBK competition for 2025.
SW-Motech Superbike Championship Points
2025 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar
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| Round | Location | Date |
| 2 | Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW | Mar 28-29 |
| 3 | Queensland Raceway, QLD | May 2-4 |
| 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 |
