In the fast lane: 2026 Penrite ASBK Championship kicks off at Phillip Island

After a pre-season bursting with major headlines, the 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) begins at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit from February 20-22 alongside the FIM Superbike and Supersport World Championships.

Thanks to Penrite Oil joining the ASBK Championship as naming rights sponsor, 2026 already has a fresh look and feel about it – which has been dramatically heightened thanks to riders swapping teams and young guns joining the paddock for the first time.

The intrigue has been off the charts, but it all now comes down to performing on the big stage with the SW-Motech Superbike, Kawasaki Supersport/Supersport Next Gen and Race and Road Supersport 300 categories to contest three races each in round one of the 2026 championship.

A total of 76 ASBK riders will be in action alongside the international classes, featuring a multitude of current and former Australian champions – but only one will be in defence mode: Mildura speedster Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati), who was clinical in claiming a fifth Superbike title in 2025.

As well as ASBK action, spectators at Phillip Island will be able to cheer on Aussie stars Remy Gardner and Oli Bayliss in the world Superbike and Supersport classes.

Tickets are available for Phillip Island here or at the gate across the three days.

Related: Phillip Island entry lists
Related: Phillip Island event schedule

SW-MOTECH SUPERBIKE
Perform a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis of the 24 SW-Motech Superbike riders at Phillip Island and one stands above all others: Waters.

Over the last two years, he’s finished on the podium in all 10 Superbike races at Phillip Island, for a superb strike rate of seven victories. Only two riders competing this weekend have managed to lower his colours during that period: Anthony West and Harrison Voight.

Waters may have enjoyed limited track time over the last few months, but with an unflappable temperament and outstanding Phillip Island credentials he’s likely to step straight back into his metronomic groove.

But the star power certainly runs deep in 2026, which will keep the blowtorch on Waters.

West, who’s made a high-profile switch to DesmoSport Ducati, and Phillip Island lap record holder Voight (McMartin Racing Ducati), who’s joined ASBK full-time, are again firmly in the hunt, and the talent pool continues on: current No.2 Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team), Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools East Racing Yamaha), Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha Racing Team), Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati), Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha), Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati) and Jacob Roulstone (Honda).

The gifted Dunker – a recent winner of the prestigious Harvie Wiltshire Memorial Trophy at Phillip Island and a flat track heavyweight – and Nahlous have also switched teams in 2026, while 2024-2025 Moto3 world title campaigner Roulstone will be joined in the rookie ranks by former Australian Supersport 300 champions Marcus Hamod (Honda) and Josh Newman (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati).

Roulstone has adapted seamlessly to the Honda Superbike, while Nahlous’ form has been outstanding, with his confidence now sky high following a clean sweep in a state-based event at Sydney Motorsport Park last weekend. His scalps included teammate Jones, Roulstone, Allerton and Aussie international Josh Brookes.

The stacked 24-rider field also includes speedsters such as John Lytras (Yamaha), Luca Durning (DesmoSport Ducati) and Ty Lynch (Unitek Racing Yamaha), which sets the scene for a blockbuster season opener.

Waters is the favourite, but could there be three separate winners over the weekend? In such a competitive field, and with Phillip Island’s famous ‘micro climate’ always keen to have a say in proceedings, that’s a distinct possibility.

KAWASAKI SUPERSPORT/SUPERSPORT NEXT GEN
The massive anticipation in Kawasaki Supersport is on the same level as Superbike, with fresh faces such as 2025 Supersport 300 champion Scott Nicholson (TeamBWR Yamaha), Josh Soderland (Yamaha), Valentino Knezovic (Addicted to Track Yamaha) and Jordy Simpson (Yamaha) joining incumbents such as Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) and Will Nassif (Yamaha).

But the talent show doesn’t end there, with Sam Drane (Yamaha), Italian Roberto Tamburini (Addicted to Track Yamaha) and Marianos Nikolis (MotoGo Yamaha) also in the 18-rider field at Phillip Island, as well as emerging teens such as Ghage Plowman (Yamaha) and Lauchy Williams (Stop and Seal Yamaha).

Farnsworth, who’s been in ominous pre-season form, is the highest placed Supersport rider remaining from 2025, with Jack Mahaffy and Archie McDonald having now moved on while Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati), Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki) and Tom Edwards (BCperformance Kawasaki) have all switched to the Supersport Next Gen class where they will join Stop and Seal Ducati pair Tom Toparis and Ryan Yanko.

Both classes shape as roll-of-the-dice affairs to find a winner(s), with Phillip Island the first real litmus test for 2026.

The Supersport and Supersport Next Gen races will be over 10 laps.

RACE AND ROAD SUPERSPORT 300
Potential winners abound in the adrenalin-charged Race and Road Supersport 300 class, but there are some standouts: Jordy Simpson (Yamaha), New Zealander Tyler King (Kawasaki), Tara Morrison (Kawasaki) and Riley Nauta (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki).

Morrison and Simpson both won races at the corresponding round last year, while Nauta was undoubtedly the fastest rider on track at the tail end of 2025.

But rarely does a Supersport 300 follow a ‘normal’ pattern, particularly at Phillip Island with the slipstreaming element included in the matrix. And there will also be plenty of heat coming from riders graduating from BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup, Rossi McAdam one of them, where close-quarters racing is par for the course.

The Supersport 300 races will be over eight laps, with the first on Friday afternoon.

Images: Russell Colvin and RbMotoLens