Australian Superbike champion Josh Waters received a blast from his past when he arrived at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit to prepare for today’s third Superbike race of the weekend. A patina-stained winner’s cup that looked every bit as old as the 2002 date engraved on its plaque.

The Team Suzuki Ecstar rider received a visit from a member of Victoria’s Preston Motorcycle Club to present him with the Junior Clubman Award trophy the 30-year-old had won 15 years earlier.

“Preston was the club I raced junior road racing with, and unfortunately I couldn’t make it to the Preston Club awards back in 2002, so they finally got the trophy to me,” Waters said, admiring the old mug he said would take pride of place in the trophy cabinet at home.

Waters looks set to require some extra baggage space for the return trip to Mildura. After claiming the 2017 Australian Superbike Championship at the Phillip Island circuit just a couple of weeks ago, he now has a firm hold on the Phillip Island Championship crown after securing his third Superbike win of the weekend earlier today. Waters gambled on slick tyres on a track that was dry at the top and bottom, but wet in the middle section, and endured a see-saw battle with wet-tyre-shod riders, Jed Metcher, Michael Blair and Mitch Levy who led the early running. As the track dried, Honda’s Brian Staring and Josh Waters took over the front-running for the last lap, and Staring looked set for his first Superbike win of the year, but was denied by a determined Waters in the run to the flag.

By Chris Dobie