SUPERBIKES : WHERE THE STARS PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE
K RIDERS
SUPERBIKES : WHERE THE STARS PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE
The Australian Superbike Championship kicks off for another year , at the undisputed home of motorcycle racing . What does 2025 have in store ?
The mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Superbike Championship presented by Motul ( ASBK ) returns for season 2025 where the entire paddock is in readiness for what ’ s set to be another year of intrigue .
As the calendar expands to eight rounds , it all kicks off this weekend at Phillip Island alongside the opening round of WorldSBK , where the stars of the premier SW-Motech Superbike class will again lay it all on the line to the tens of thousands of spectators that venture out to the popular Victorian-based circuit .
At the front of the charge is Josh Waters ( Ducati ), the McMartin racer returning after a highly successful year where he claimed his fourth Australian Superbike title , the first rider in ASBK history to do so ! Second and third-placed Mike Jones ( Yamaha ) and Broc Pearson ( Ducati ) are also back for more . Likewise , Anthony West and John Lytras are also back for another crack on Yamaha machinery .
While it was unclear at the time of writing if he would contest a full season of ASBK , Troy Herfoss ( Ducati ) will return for at least the opening round with DesmoSport Ducati to display his talents to the world , just as he did in the King of the Baggers class of MotoAmerica last season where he won the championship .
The headline story from the off-season is the elevation of young gun Max Stauffer to the Yamaha Racing Team to partner three-time ASBK champion and last year ’ s runner up , Mike Jones . His speed and maturity was impressive , consistently riding competitively and leading races for large portions on his way to four podium finishes and fourth-place overall in the points standings . His ability to handle the pressure of the promotion to the factory Yamaha squad and being Jones ’ teammate will be one to watch as the season unfolds .
Stop & Seal Racing came out firing in its first crack at ASBK last season and expands for season 2025 with three full-time Superbike entries set to take on the might of the frontrunners . Headlining the charge is Cru Halliday with the former Yamaha Racing Team rider making a fresh start with a new team , but on similar Yamaha machinery , hoping to catapult the squad as a regular frontrunner . Joining him is Arthur Sissis , who impressed with his half-season campaign with the squad in 2024 that netted three podiums at Phillip Island and The Bend , while two-time Australian Supersport champion Tom Toparis steps up within the squad to contest a full season in SW-Motech Superbike .
Fresh from his maiden season in the Australian Superbike class , 17-year old Cameron Dunker ( Yamaha ) is ready to go for another shot at the premier class of ASBK . The teenager had an almighty impressive year in the class considering his young age , improving at each round where he made the necessary gains to feature more regularly inside the top five towards the end of the season , the highlight being a maiden podium in the opening race at One Raceway . For 2025 , Dunker makes the switch to Melbourne-based MotoGo Yamaha Racing and his progress in season two will be one to watch .
Succeeding Dunker as the Australian Supersport champion last year , 18-year old Jonathan Nahlous ( Yamaha ) steps up into SW- Motech Superbike for the first time . The New South Wales-based rider will undertake his maiden season in an independently run capacity where , just like Dunker last year , his main objective will be to gain as much experience as possible on greater capacity machinery , with top-10 finishes the initial goal .
Despite a largely difficult season in 2024 where he finished 10th in the championship and missed the final round at The Bend due to injury , three-time champion Glenn Allerton returns for another crack , switching to Superbike Advocates Racing on Ducati machinery in the process . Still lightning quick and maintaining good pace with the front runners on his day , the 44-year-old will be out to recapture his race-winning form from years gone by in his new venture with the Sydney-based outfit .
While that ’ s the heavyweights covered as they embark on the opening round of a new season , there ’ s other unknown factors that come into the equation which makes for a tantalising proposition . Harrison Voight ( Ducati ) returns for the opening round of Phillip Island for the second successive year with McMartin Racing in the SW-Motech Superbike class , where he will aim to repeat his strong showing from last year that netted podium finishes in all three races . Meanwhile , Japanese rider Kota Higuchi is heading ‘ down under ’ to have a crack with the Aussies .
How will it all play out ? It ’ s going to be a pearler to watch .
AUSTRALIAN SBK RIDERS 35