ASBK ROUND 05 | Queensland Raceway Wrap

Josh and Mike Jones put on a Superbike masterclass in front of 50,000 Supercars fans

Josh Waters and Mike Jones were once again locked in a two-wheeled duel at Queensland Raceway for the fifth round of the Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship over 8-10 August, with both riders taking one win each on Sunday after an oil spill forced the cancellation of the opening race on Saturday.

With the Superbikes co-headlining with the Repco Supercars on the return trip to QR, McMartin Racing’s Waters showed his intentions early with a convincing run to pole position (and that critical championship point). This translated into a confident holeshot for Waters but he wasn’t the only one with a great start; his McMartin Racing teammate Harrison Voight was also flying from the third row, surging to second in the opening laps before mechanical problems forced him out of the race.

The pace was intense in the early stages, with the factory Yamaha of Jones holding second but under immense pressure from the Superbike Advocates Ducati V4 R of Glenn Allerton. Allerton was in turn under fire from the Desmosport Ducati V4 R of Broc Pearson. Jones’ track knowledge meant he could take advantage of every bump, however with everyone running at such a fast pace, lines were deep and a small mistake at turn three on lap five saw him relinquish second, with plenty of ground to make up.

The top five included the Addicted to Track Yamaha R1 of Anthony West, who was still within striking distance, but out front Waters wanted to check out. Jones, knowing the day’s results were crucial for his championship chances, looked to be on the limit every lap but still managed to successfully hunt down Waters with his trademark slice up the inside at turn two.

From there it was a relatively easy three-lap dash to the flag, with the winning margin 0.674 seconds.

“I’m a little bit surprised to be up here to be honest; Josh had so much pace in qualifying,” Jones said afterwards. “The Yamaha Racing Team just hasn’t stopped trying, so a big thank you to them as well.”

An improved start and excellent control under braking played a large part in allowing Pearson to grab the final podium spot, with Allerton and West completing the lead group.

Pearson made an even better start to the second race, aggressive off the line to hold third but Waters was again untouchable, revealing later he had visited his cousin Cam’s Tickford Racing physio in between races.

While Jones struggled early on, Voight, who was making a guest ASBK appearance in between his World Junior GP Moto2 commitments, picked off Allerton with a long-range pass at the final corner. Next lap saw a similar move on Pearson came completely unglued, putting the pair of them into the gravel.

Now promoted to second, Jones was again tasked with hunting down Waters, but this time the Ducati rider had a little in reserve.

Behind them, the battle was now on for the final podium spot, with West piling the pressure on Allerton. The gap was a few tenths at most, and at stages West was right on Allerton’s rear wheel – but unable to find a way past.

The order remained unchanged to the line, with Waters scoring an impressive one-second victory over Jones.

Cam Dunker (MotoGo Yamaha) completed the top five with rookie JJ Nahlous (Omega Racing Team – Yamaha), leaving Max Stauffer (Yamaha Racing Team) a gritty sixth after having just returned from Suzuka 8 Hours duty. Incredibly, Stauffer said the collarbone he broke just one week prior to Suzuka had caused him no trouble and he could now focus on working his way up the grid at the remaining rounds.

After running in third in wet free practice, Addicted to Track’s Jack Favelle struggled somewhat for dry pace to finish 10-8 for the weekend, while Arthur Sissis (Stop & Seal) made a welcome return to the grid with an 11-9 score card. Local privateer John Lytras (Caboolture Yamaha) continues to impress with a 9-10 result and ninth for the round.

The ASBK championship now shifts south to Phillip Island with a full complement of support classes in a two-day meeting over 6-7 September.

Marcus Hamod Debut

Supersport regular Marcus Hamod made an unexpected wildcard this weekend, switching out his Honda CBR600RR for the 1000cc Fireblade. Hamod was primarily using the weekend to keep up his race fitness in between rounds and had only ridden the bike three times prior. He left the weekend with an impressive 13-12 result and an intact body. “I managed to get some track time in, and from the times I was doing I thought it would be okay to enter,” Hamod said. “I’ve got Paul Free and Christian Rossi in my corner. We progressed pretty well in those three days; I think I was lucky to have those guys in my corner. The main focus was electronics, developing traction and wheelie control. With my riding, I had to adapt as well. I had to change my lines on entry and exit… it was a lot to learn in one month!” Hamod said although he was very pleased with the weekend, he intends to jump back on the 600 for the remaining ASBK rounds. “I’m using this weekend for practice. Maybe I will make the step up next year!”

Round Winner’s Words

“That win in the second race was incredibly satisfying. The truth is we didn’t really change anything on the bike between races. Before the first race I was feeling a little bit nervous, maybe a little tentative. The pace was incredibly quick and with Mike riding so strong I knew I needed something extra for the second race. It was all in my mind; the guys just reminded me to believe in myself and it really was as simple as that. Craig, Adrian and the team have delivered a perfect bike this weekend and I know we’re heading to tracks where I’m more of a favourite, but there is no chance I’ll be taking it lightly. The level is so high all the way through the field right now.”

Who is the Superest?

ASBK fans had to deal with the disappointment of the opening race being cancelled on Saturday after one of the Toyota 86 Series cars dumped oil all over the track. As a result, the new safety delegation of Glenn Allerton and Anthony West, along with MA’s Tom Williams, made the universally accepted call to not race. While that was a downer, the reported crowd over the three days was 50,000 people – no doubt new fans are being converted, particularly when Superbikes lap about one second faster than Supercars.

Thanks, Pops!

Veteran racer and all-round gentleman of the paddock Michael Edwards announced his retirement after the QR round on Sunday, saying he wanted to finish in front of his home fans.

Edwards, who runs Northstar Yamaha in Brisbane, has raced for the Addicted to Track team the last few seasons – part of a racing career that spans 30 years. Congratulations, Mick! It is a true inspiration to see such a wide age group represented on the grid. You’ll be sorely missed on the grid I’m sure, but I don’t think you will be too far away from the paddock!

2025 ASBK ROUND 5 POINTS

2025 ASBK Championship Standings