2025

Waters and McDonald set Morgan Park alight in ASBK qualifying

By MA Media 0

Josh Waters and Archie McDonald have set Morgan Park alight in qualifying for round four of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Morgan Park Raceway in Warwick.

Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) secured his first SW-Motech Superbike pole position at Morgan Park and the 16th in his illustrious career, while McDonald (Stop and Seal Yamaha) now owns the new best lap around the 2.96km circuit in the Kawasaki Supersport class after his scorching qualifying lap.

Racing will be held in the Superbike and Supersport classes on Sunday, while the Race and Road Supersport 300, ShopYamaha R3 Cup, BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup and Superbike Masters classes have already greeted their first winners for the weekend under brilliant Queensland sunshine.

MORGAN PARK ASBK RESULTS

All the elements are now in place for a sizzling Sunday, with 12 races on the schedule and a huge pitlane party during the lunch break.

And for the kids, there’s a free Mini Moto come and try it session to get a taste of powered two-wheel action.

To purchase tickets for ASBK round four, click here.

Round four of the Australian Superbike Championship is supported by the Southern Downs Regional Council.

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Waters has scored his first pole position in the SW-Motech Superbike class at Morgan Park. Image: Russell Colvin

SW-Motech Superbike
Morgan Park specialist Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) sat atop SW-Motech Superbike qualifying until about four minutes to go when Waters seized the initiative with a searing 1min12.354s lap.

That benchmark wouldn’t be bettered, although Jones refused to wave the white flag as he lowered his best lap to 1:12.432 with about a minute to go.

Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 1:12.774) secured the final position on the front row for Sunday’s two 16-lap races, while Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati, 1:12.787) heads row two and also has the speed and craft to challenge for race wins.

Impressive rookies Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 1:12.832) and Jonathan Nahlous (Omega Racing Team Yamaha, 1:12.971) will start alongside Pearson, with the top 10 in qualifying completed by Max Stauffer (Yamaha Racing Team), Cameron Dunker (MotoGO Yamaha), John Lytras (Caboolture Yamaha) and last-start winner Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati).

Sixteen Superbike riders will line up for race one at 11:25am on Sunday.

Mike Jones will be chasing more wins at Morgan Park on Sunday. Image: RbMotoLens

Kawasaki Supersport
McDonald and Tom Edwards (Team BWR Yamaha) both eclipsed the existing six-year-old lap record in a frenetic 25 minutes of Kawasaki Supersport qualifying.

McDonald then went one step further and set a new Morgan Park best lap with a scorching 1m14.171s to put himself on pole ahead of Edwards – making his return to Australian Supersport after a five-year absence – and Jack Mahaffy (Stop and Seal Yamaha).

Despite missing the last round at Queensland Raceway due to European commitments, McDonald is still in championship contention – now 38pts behind Mahaffy after his bonus point for pole position.

Olly Simpson (BCperformance Kawasaki) is second in the standings, and he qualified in seventh after a crash at turn 10 put the brakes on anything better.

In front of Simpson are Tom Bramich (Apex Yamaha), Jake Farnsworth (Worth Race Developments) and Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki) in positions 4-6, while Cameron Swain (Caboolture Yamaha), Corey Turner (Yamaha) and Jesus Torres Cabrera (Yamaha) completed the top 10 in the 22-rider field.

Archie McDonald put his stamp on Kawasaki Supersport qualifying. Image: RbMotoLens

Race and Road Supersport 300 and ShopYamaha R3 Cup
Scott Nicholson (Kawasaki) produced the perfect follow-up from pole position in the opening Race and Road Supersport 300 race, leading for most of the shortened six-lap journey – truncated after a crash at turn 10 brought out the red flag – to just edge out Yamaha trio John Pelgrave, Hudson Thompson and Nikolas Lazos.

Kawasaki duo Oliver Short and Jake Paige were fifth and sixth.

With closest championship rival Tara Morrison (Kawasaki) finishing ninth, Nicholson is now 28pts in front, with Thompson in third.

The ShopYamaha R3 Cup opener was just as intense, although it was missing polesitter Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha) who injured his hand in a Supersport 300 qualifying bingle.

The eight-lap race was a stunner, with the biggest smile reserved for Thompson who greeted the chequered flag over Phoenix O’Brien and Pelgrave – the top eight separated by a second.

Both classes will have two more hitouts on Sunday.

BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup
A special moment for Xavier Curmi, winning his first BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup race in a thriller from Connor Lewis, polesitter Chaz Williams, Rossi McAdam and Jai Strugnell.

The championship race has tightened too, with Williams now only 8pts in front of Lewis.

The BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup top three in race one: (L to R) Lewis, Curmi and Williams. Image: RbMotoLens

Superbike Masters
As expected, Beau Beaton (Ducati 851) took the Superbike Masters opener by the scruff of the neck, and finished well ahead of Joshua Mathers (Yamaha FZR1000) and Ben Burke (Honda VFR750).