The lightweight war is looking more competitive than ever in 2025
After finding red hot form in the second half of 2024, Stop&Seal’s Jack Mahaffy has firmed as a title favourite in the Michelin Supersport class along with teammate Archie McDonald. Mahaffy says it was make or break for him after a heavy crash at Queensland Raceway last year. “After round three I had to make a conscious decision if I was ‘all in’ with racing. As soon as I made that decision, I saw a noticeable difference in my results. I’ve tried to keep the momentum rolling during the off season, picking up the training a notch and working with the guys who have come home from overseas. I do a lot on the Ohvale and when you train with people like Joel Kelso, Cam Dunker and Marianos Nikolos, you notice the tenths to be gained.” Riding an Ohvale has given Mahaffy a competitive advantage, he says. “The bikes have a lot of power for the small tracks; they teach you to respect a bike. Some small bikes are too forgiving. The Ohvale teaches you to have that respect the same way you need to respect a Superbike.”
Mahaffy is also relishing the challenge of competing against teammate Archie McDonald. “Archie races hard in Spain, but I’m no stranger to that either. Other guys can be super predictable, trying the same move lap after lap. Archie races the same way he is off the bike; erratic at times, spontaneous as well. Our relationship is very competitive. I really enjoy it.”
“In 2025 I want to show that I’m one of the best riders in the country. Robbie (Bolger) and Claire have put so much trust in me.”
BC Performance have hopefully finalised their line-up, with Olly Simpson to test the Kawasaki Ninja 636 at Phillip Island over the Victorian State Titles weekend. The test from Simpson comes after a test with Tom Bramich at the second round of the Motul Summer Night Series at Sydney Motorsport Park. Bramich decided to pass up the opportunity and will now line up on his Yamaha R6 that he has successfully campaigned with over the last four years. Simpson could potentially partner Hayden Nelson, the young rider from Taree continuing with BC Performance for a second season.
Jake Farnsworth will be back again this year, a little wiser from the year before and now ready to mount a challenge for the title. “We’ve changed our bike set-up a little bit; we’re using the YEC Yamaha ECU, whereas before we ran the Woolich flash. It’s not a massive gain but everything is a bit more refined.” He says that last year he placed a high priority on finishing races after the 2023 season where there were a lot of crashes. “I feel a lot more confident to go for the title. I rode a bit reserved last year but I’ve had to learn consistency and better race craft.” Farnsworth told AMCN his off-season has been full of training, and the challenge now is to find the right mix of knowing when to really go for it.
