Our Aussie Superbike analyst Matt O’Connell lists his landmark moments
1. Josh Waters and McMartin Racing – title No. 5
How can this win not be on the list? Not content with a record-breaking fourth title last year, Waters, McMartin and Adrian Monti knew they needed something extra special in 2025 with Queensland picking up extra dates. The ASBK talent pool has been an embarrassment of riches the last seven or eight years, with many riders in their mid 30s (or beyond!) with a very complete skill set. Herfoss, Jones, West Allerton, Staring, Maxwell or Halliday – all race winners on their day, but Josh Waters simply delivers and looks to improve year on year. McMartin Racing are the benchmark in ASBK Superbike – the team sticks to a process-oriented approach and are rarely flustered. Who would bet against them for title No.6?
2. Westy wins at PI
Anthony West’s win at Phillip Island in Race 2 was one of the most emotional moments of 2025. It marked a culmination of three years of development by the Addicted to Track team; all of a sudden they were in the frame for race wins at every round. The win was one thing but, more importantly, West challenged the factory Yamaha R1 of Mike Jones constantly, narrowly missing out on second in the championship. West always had a clear idea of what was needed to win races and team boss Mark McGregor backed that vision and resourced the team appropriately in a huge show of trust. West regularly commented that consistency in bike set-up was key, and every round he knew what to expect from his R1.
3. Aussie success at FIM MotoMini World Series
Australia has come a long way since 2022 when our riders first contested the FIM MiniGP World Series. Back then, neither rider made the Super Final, such was the level of worldwide competition. Since then, the 190cc class has been added and this year, Judd Plaisted (pictured here with Joel Kelso) took fifth in the overall standings despite a small crash in the Super Final in Spain. The highlight was a podium second placing in the first race followed by fifth in race two. Jake Paige also did well, running as high as second in the opening race after qualifying ninth. In the Super Final Paige went down while running in sixth to finish 17th overall. In the 160cc class, Chaz Williams finished 10th overall after a 9-7 result. Austin Attard posted an 11-18 result in the heats before a crash in the Super Final left him 16th overall. An excellent showing from Team Australia!
4. ASBK moves to a summer series
It’s finally happened and I don’t think I’ve seen or heard a negative comment about the MA move to transition ABSK to a summer series. One of the big stumbling blocks has always been the practical switch… how would the dates be managed? I think MA has done a great job here and if you haven’t heard, this is how it works: the 2026 season will begin in February in conjunction with the Phillip Island WorldSBK round, as we’re used to. The season will wrap up in June at Queensland Raceway before restarting in October and finishing at The Bend in April 2027. It’s a massive undertaking both in planning and stakeholder agreement – MA, well done!
5. Stop & Seal – Robbie Bolger and Claire Sharkey
I don’t know if this pair would be on Motorcycling Australia’s Christmas card list, but they should be. In Supersport, they gave Jack Mahaffy and Archie McDonald a career lifeline. Those two didn’t squander the opportunity, delivering top results and entertainment. Similarly, the team was prepared to run Tom Toparis on a Superbike but they have bigger plans – let’s see what Stop & Seal do with the Panigale V2 next year. What about Cru Halliday? Bolger realised that if nothing changes, nothing changes and somehow convinced Craig McMartin to prepare him a Panigale V4 R! The icing on the cake was Brit Kyle Ryde – perhaps the biggest domestic Superbike star in the world – making an appearance at The Bend. Robbie and Claire are unique characters without a doubt, but go on MA, send Robbie a Christmas card!
6. Jack Favelle – the quiet achiever
Who would have thought Jack Favelle would be a bonafide Superbike front runner in 2025? Late last year Favelle asked Addicted to Track team owner Mark McGregor if he could ride a Superbike and, backed by people like Steph Redman, Favelle has excelled. He finished eighth in Supersport in 2024, so the switch to Superbike was a leap of faith by himself and the team. He took a series of top-five finishes at SMSP and led the field at Phillip Island, often challenging his more experienced teammate Anthony West. His overall finish of 10th in the standings doesn’t take into account a broken elbow and smashed knee after a nasty crash at One Raceway which put him out for the rest of the year.
7. Allerton wins at QR
Glenn Allerton’s win at Queensland Raceway in the wet is another lesson in persistence. Throughout his years at BMW, Allerton always showed up with absolute commitment and a desire to find a race-winning solution. With new backers in Lecha Khouri and Superbike Advocates, that persistence paid off. The switch to Ducati machinery showed promise but consistency was a problem. There were teething problems with the Panigale V4 R – the results showed just how complex that machine is. With a strong technical team led by Jake Skate, their overall result of fifth in the points has the potential to be higher next season – and with a rider who turns 45 in 2026!
8. Cam Dunker – Energizer Bunny!
I don’t think there would be a weekend in the year where Cam Dunker isn’t racing something at a high level on two wheels. ASBK Superbike, Asia Road Racing Championship, Aussie Flat Track Nationals, FIM Mini GP… Cam Dunker is a busy young man. Dunker impressed with a string of podiums and top-five results in ASBK (including two podiums at the tricky One Raceway) for an overall result of fourth in the points. He took out the Mini Bikes Pro class in FIM Mini GP convincingly and won races on his way to third in the Aussie Flat Track Nationals – a result that could have been higher if not for a missed round due to his Asia Road Racing Championship commitments.
9. Road Racing Association Australia kicks off
Riders, teams and officials now have a combined voice in the paddock after the Road Racing Association of Australia was established during the year. Monthly meetings are held online where members can openly discuss any issues they feel are relevant in an open forum – which, of course, included the transition to an ASBK Summer Series. Other developments include having rider representatives form part of the safety process at tracks. If you’re interested in becoming a member, look up the group on Facebook.
10. Jonathan Nahlous – rookie switches to Honda
2024 ASBK Supersport champion Nahlous made the step up to Superbike this season, reeling off a series of top-10 results riding with his family-run team backed by Omega Appliances. During testing at The Bend, Nahlous crashed his Yamaha R1, and with a replacement motorcycle not available in time for the One Raceway round, he made the switch to Honda. This was made possible by the Hamods, proprietors of MotoCity. The switch immediately showed promise with top-10 results – but then Nahlous stunned with a double podium at The Bend.
LET’S NOT FORGET…
What about Troy Herfoss returning to YRT? That was a big moment in 2025 and conversely – Max Stauffer, what can shake loose in the rider market to keep this young talent on a Superbike?
Supersport – how many great performances outside of the Stop & Seal boys were there? Olly Simpson (pictured) and Hayden Nelson on the BC Performance Kawasakis, Jake Farnsworth grabbing his first win. We saw a few riders enter Next Gen Supersport like Tom Toparis and Luca Durning, but it remains to be seen if that category will take off in Australia, mainly due to cost.
And Mike Jones…he didn’t get a mention in my top 10 but that guy is a complete legend. We take it for granted that he will run at the front and a repeat of 2023 is always on the cards.
