Harrison Voight unstoppable in ASBK race one

Young guns lock out the top positions with Roulstone second and Dunker third after classic Phillip Island five-way battle for the podium

The sun ducked out from behind the clouds just in time for the start of ASBK Superbike Race 1, the conditions ideal to host the first race of the season.

Voight launched cleanly and took the holeshot, while Josh Waters had a small wheelie off the line that immediately put him on the back foot. Behind them, Dunker went for a seriously committed move on Waters into Turn 3, and Roulstone swept into third at Siberia, the Honda showing genuine pace for the first time in a while.

Waters’ difficult start continued into lap 2, with Jones now climbing all over him in the fight for fourth. Waters then ran wide at Turn 4, dropping more ground as Roulstone began to pressure Dunker heavily into the same corner.

All of a sudden Waters was down to 8th from 2nd on the grid and struggling to find a rhythm, while Voight started to edge away at the front. Roulstone lunged again at Turn 4 and this time made it stick on Dunker, moving into second. Further back, West’s poor qualifying was hurting as he battled with Halliday over fifth.

Roulstone started riding defensively to keep Dunker at bay, and that brief respite was all Voight needed as he stretched the gap beyond a second after punching out the fastest lap.

By Lap 5, the podium fight was properly brewing. Jones had reeled in Dunker and was threatening to turn it into a three-way war for second. Waters, meanwhile, finally started to claw back positions, getting past Halliday for seventh and closing on the West/Nahlous scrap.

Roulstone was doing an outstanding job in second, maximising the Honda’s straight line speed to keep the stalking Yamahas at bay.

The battle erupted again on Lap 7. Dunker had a look into Turn 1 but couldn’t make it work, with Jones looked increasingly menacing in fourth. Dunker struck back and got through on Roulstone – only for the Honda man to respond immediately.

Roulstone repaid the pass on the straight, the Honda clearly having the legs out of turn 12. Dunker wasn’t having it though, forcing the issue through Southern Loop and pushing both riders wide, allowing Jones to through to sweep through into second.

The intense battle for 2nd position had allowed the now-settled Waters, West and Nahlous to close right back in, creating a 5 rider fight for the podium places.

Up front, Voight was completely untroubled. Four seconds behind, Waters launched a desperate move up the inside of Jones at Turn 3, and suddenly the podium positions were under siege. Roulstone held firm though – covering Dunker through Turn 4 and Siberia, then going defensive into MG. The run to the line was a drag race, but Roulstone kept it together to claim second, with Dunker just holding on behind him as Waters fell agonisingly short in fourth after the late charge.

At the chequered flag, the message was clear: the young guns are coming. Harrison Voight did an incredible job in his first Superbike Ducati race, but the ride of the race arguably belonged to Roulstone, outduelling Dunker in his first ever Superbike ride – on a privateer Honda he first threw a leg over a month ago.

2026 ASBK PHILLIP ISLAND RACE 1