ASBK round three: Supersport, Supersport 300 and R3 Cup reviews

Round three of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway on May 2-4 had it all: intrigue, tension, twists and turns and stunning performances from seasoned veterans to gifted teens.

Ducati duo Josh Waters and Glenn Allerton were the race winners in a fascinating SW-Motech Superbike shootout, so now let’s breakdown what transpired in the Kawasaki Supersport, Race and Road Supersport 300 and ShopYamaha R3 classes.

ASBK ROUND THREE RESULTS

Kawasaki Supersport
Plenty of smiles in the Kawasaki Supersport paddock after two of the category’s more popular statesmen – Tom Bramich and Olly Simpson – won a race each around the 3.126km layout.

The victories also snapped the all-conquering Stop and Seal Yamaha team’s five-race winning streak, although Jack Mahaffy did extend his lead in the championship standings with teammate Archie McDonald competing overseas.

Bramich’s victory on his Yamaha in race one was his third in Supersport, and his first since the final ASBK round at The Bend in 2023.

He held his nerve despite intense pressure from fellow Victorian Mahaffy, who was riding with an injury after a crash in the Asia Road Race Championship round in Thailand the week before. Jesus Torres Cabrera (Yamaha) was an excellent third, fighting his way back through the pack after being run wide on lap one.

“It’s great to be back up here: it’s been far too long,” said Bramich. “It’s been a tough start to the year, but my team never gives up and we continue to make progress.”

Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki), Cameron Swain (Stop and Seal Yamaha) and Marcus Hamod (Honda) were the next riders home, while a jump-start penalty followed by an off-track excursion amounted to a disappointing race for polesitter Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha), who finished 10th.

Simpson (BCperformance Kawasaki) also ran off the circuit and finished ninth, but the South Aussie’s redemption came in race two after a stirring battle with Bramich, Mahaffy and Farnsworth – which also included feisty Spaniard Torres Cabrera before he lost the front end at turn four.

Just 0.398sec separated the leading quartet at the end, with Bramich second from Mahaffy, Farnsworth, Nelson and Swain.

It was not only BCperformance’s first win in Supersport, but also the first time a Kawasaki had tasted success in the class since way back in 2018.

After three of seven rounds, Mahaffy is now on 148pts from Simpson (121), McDonald (109), Bramich (102), Nelson (98) and Hamod (91).

Race and Road Supersport 300
As tradition dictates, the Race and Road Supersport 300 class produced plenty of drama and excitement – and some of the ‘dive bombs’ under heavy braking were not only spectacular, but sometimes a little ambitious!

Champions Ride Days teammates Jake Paige (1-1-17) and Riley Nauta (10-3-2) made it a 1-2 overall in Supersport 300, ahead of fellow Kawasaki rider Tyler King (8-4-4).

Scott Nicolson (Kawasaki) was the other race winner at Queensland Raceway, while Oscar Lewis (Motoschool Racing Yamaha) also finished on the podium.

Race two was a battle of attrition after Nicholson retired with a bike issue, while there were crashes for polesitter Hudson Thompson (Yamaha) and Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha) and the Simpsons – Mitch and Jordy – ran off the track in unison.

Lewis was second from Nauta, King, Nikolas Lazos (Yamaha) and Tara Morrison (Kawasaki).

After two red flags, a three-lap dash in the final battle saw Nicholson get the chocolates ahead of Nauta and Thompson.

The second red flag was flown after Lewis tapped the rear of Paige, with both riders going down at turn four. Paige made the restart from pitlane, and collected vital championship points.

Nicholson leads the championship on 158pts from Morrison (144), Jordy Simpson (134), Thompson (133) and Paige (130).

ShopYamaha R3 Cup
Only a couple of small rain bands swept across Queensland Raceway across the weekend, and the ShopYamaha R3 Cup riders bore the brunt of them.

On a damp track in races one and three, Mitch Simpson and Hudson Thompson were the dominant riders, with the former eking out the slightest of victories on both occasions.

In race two, 14-year-old Victorian Nikolas Lazos scored his maiden win in the class after a seven-rider drag to the finish line.

Thompson’s three second places saw him take the round honours from Mitch Simpson, Jordy Simpson and Oscar Lewis, while Mitch Simpson (103pts) leads the title from Jordy Simpson (88), Lazos (73), Lewis (73) and William Hunt (66).

Round four of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul continues at Morgan Park Raceway on June 13-15.