Edwards and Nelson at BCperformance Kawasaki in 2026
Tom Edwards will join incumbent Hayden Nelson at BCperformance Kawasaki in 2026, with the pair to contest the first official Supersport Next Gen Championship on ZX-6Rs.
Once again, the Supersport Next Gen and Supersport riders will compete in the same races this year, which will see the pair take on the likes of Ducati Panigale V2-mounted pair Tom Toparis and former BCperformance Kawasaki rider Olly Simpson.
Edwards, 24, brings proven front-running credentials to the team. The 2026 season will mark his third full-time year in the Australian Supersport Championship, with his standout performance coming in 2021 when he claimed second overall.
“I’m really excited to be racing for the BCperformance Kawasaki team,” said Edwards. “While I haven’t ridden the ZX-6R yet, I’ve been watching how it performs in both the Supersport World Championship and the Australian Supersport Championship, and it look like a very competitive package.
“I’m able to bring a lot of racing experience from World Supersport, and having someone like Bryan Staring in my corner as my crew chief is going to be a huge benefit. With Bryan as crew chief and Callen Robertson as my mechanic, I think we’ve got a really strong package.
“On top of that, I’m excited to have Hayden as my teammate. He’s been getting faster every season and knows the ZX-6R very well, so between the two of us, hopefully we can make the bike a winning package throughout the 2026 season.”
Edwards raced full-time in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship from 2018-2020 before progressing to the FIM Supersport World Championship from 2022-2024. During that time, Edwards amassed 46 race starts at world championship level.
Hayden Nelson in the 2025 Supersport title. Image: Russell Colvin
Meanwhile, Nelson, 18, returns for his third year with the Parramatta-based team following a strong 2025 campaign, where he finished fourth overall in the championship. Nelson enters the 2026 season focused on building upon that result, armed with valuable experience and an established relationship with his crew.
“As a team, I think we had a strong 2025 season, and the move to the Next Gen Supersport class sets us up to find more speed and improved handling from the existing package,” said Nelson, who recorded his best result of the season with a second-place finish in race two at Phillip Island during round five in September.
“I’m looking forward to developing the new ZX-6R this year alongside Tom Edwards. I believe Tom’s personality and experience will be a great fit for the team as a whole. Round one can’t come soon enough. I’m very excited to see what the team and I can do.”
BCperformance Kawasaki will commence its five-round 2026 ASBK campaign at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from February 20-22.
