Josh Waters collects first 2026 victory

Reigning Champ takes fighting win ahead of Halliday and Nahlous in Sydney Motorsports Park Race 1

Blessedly dry conditions greeted the field for the warm-up lap after the horrendously dicey qualifying sessions, with McMartin Racing’s Ducatis lined up together at the front of the grid and Jonathan Nahlous’ Yamaha poised alongside as the major spoiler. When the lights went out, Josh Waters launched cleanly, but Harrison Voight executed a bold dive up the inside at Turn 1 to steal the lead. Cru Halliday slotted in behind to make it three McMartin-prepared Ducatis at the head of the train, while early drama unfolded behind them when Cameron Dunker ran wide at Turn 2 and many other riders followed, opening the door for Jacob Roulstone to surge forward into fifth.

Voight led the opening laps from Waters, Halliday and Nahlous, with Roulstone hanging on at the back of that group and Anthony West next in line. Voight looked spectacular at the front, riding on the edge and sliding the Ducati on the Turn 1 exit as he tried to break the tow. Waters began to pressure him with stronger drive off the final corner, but each time the leader answered with a super-committed entry to Turn 1. As the pace settled into the high 1:29s, Roulstone started to lose touch, and Glenn Allerton capitalised to go through and take fifth on the Superbike Advocates Ducati, giving the Honda man a tough task to repeat his Phillip Island heroics.

The fight for the lead flared on lap four when Waters finally forced his way ahead, only to run wide and hand the position straight back to Voight. Moments later, Nahlous made his own move, diving past Halliday at Turn 5 and immediately latching onto the rear of the leading Ducatis. On the next lap Waters again got the better launch onto the straight and this time made it count, driving past Voight and taking control at the front. Behind, Halliday and Nahlous pounced on the suddenly vulnerable Voight, shuffling him back as Allerton began to apply pressure as well – now the fastest rider on track in 5th.

With clear track ahead, Waters stretched the lead to around half a second, looking ominously comfortable, though Halliday and Nahlous refused to let him disappear. Voight, after looking so strong in practice, started to fade from the podium battle, hinting at possible machine issues. Further back, Mike Jones was mired around tenth, perhaps missing out on some confidence after a big crash in qualifying yesterday.

As the laps ticked down, the contest sharpened into a three-way fight. Waters’ drive onto the straight remained his biggest weapon, repeatedly pulling him a crucial few bike lengths, but Nahlous was increasingly aggressive on the Yamaha, swarming Halliday’s tail through Turn 2 and searching for a way to turn pressure into position. Nahlous had brilliant corner entry speed, but couldn’t quite get close enough to dive past.

With two laps to go, Halliday rallied for one last serious push, closing to within a couple of tenths of Waters as Nahlous hovered a further half-second back, poised to pounce if the Ducati pair tangled. On the final lap, Waters drove hard up the straight with the rear tyre sliding as he picked the bike up early and fed in the power. Halliday looked into Turn 2 but couldn’t make it stick, and Nahlous ran wide there, ending his victory hopes. Waters stood the McMartin Ducati on its nose on the brakes as Halliday searched desperately for an inside line, but the McMartin Ducati rider stayed composed through the final corners, drifting out of the final as he took the chequered flag.

Waters took a measured, clinical victory – his first win of the year – while Halliday briefly fell back into Nahlous’ reach but held on to claim second. Nahlous was first Yamaha home in third, 1.2 seconds from the win. Voight finished a distant fourth after his early fireworks, Roulstone came home fifth on the Honda, Allerton followed in sixth ahead of Favelle and Marcus Hamod, with Jones and West rounding out the top ten – both of who will be searching for answers before race 2 takes place under the Sydney Motorsport Park floodlights.

Josh Waters

“Voight actually got me into turn one, but huge thanks to my team, the bike was awesome. Conditions were slightly slippery, there were lots of movements but I knew where my rivals were quicker than me, and I knew where I could go a little bit quicker. Tonight’s race is going to be difficult under lights. I don’t think it’s gonna rain like normal, so yeah, let’s give it a go. I’ll try my hardest.”

2026 ASBK SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK RACE 1