2025

Jones on pole after record-breaking ASBK Superbike qualifying

By MA Media 0

Yamaha pilot Mike Jones has set a new best lap at Queensland Raceway on his way to pole position for round three of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK).

In a frantic qualifying session, Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) slugged it out with Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) and Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), the trio all taking turns at the top of the timesheets.

After returning serve with each other for five minutes, Jones finally lowered the SW-Motech Superbike best lap to 1m06.485s – after which a light shower swept across the circuit, putting the skids on the epic shootout.

Waters and Pearson qualified in second and third for Sunday’s two 16-lap races.

Qualifying was held across the ASBK spectrum on a sizzling Saturday at Queensland Raceway, while racing also commenced in the Race and Road Supersport 300, ShopYamaha R3 Cup and BLU CRU Oceania Cup classes.

QUEENSLAND RACEWAY ASBK RESULTS

On Sunday it’s racing from start to finish, with the on-track action commencing at 9am.

At 12:30pm, there will be a huge pitlane walk, open to all ticket holders, where fans can get autographs from their favourite riders as well as ASBK ambassadors Garry McCoy, Troy Corser, Steve Martin and Chris Vermeulen.

Other entertainment will include stunt shows and the ASBK trade alley.

The SW-Motech Superbike top three: (L to R) Josh Waters, Mike Jones and Broc Pearson

SW-Motech Superbike
Jones was delighted to bank another front position start at Queensland Raceway.

“It’s great to claim pole position, but I know it will be another kettle of fish tomorrow,” he said.

“The track has been fast this weekend, so I knew we’d probably get down to the times we did during qualifying.”

While the back and forth between Jones, Waters and Pearson captured most of the SW-Motech Superbike qualifying attention, there was plenty of jockeying going on for positions on the second row.

Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha) eventually qualified in fourth, with Max Stauffer (Yamaha Racing Team) and impressive privateer John Lytras (Yamaha) to start alongside him.

Positions 7-10 were filled by Jonathan Nahlous (Omega Racing Yamaha), Arthur Sissis (Stop and Seal Yamaha), Cameron Dunker (MotoGO Yamaha) and Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha).

Meanwhile, the most successful Superbike rider at Queensland Raceway – seven-time winner Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati) – will start from the rear of the 18-bike grid after mechanical gremlins ruined his shot at qualifying glory.

Mike Jones secured pole after a thrilling SW-Motech Superbike qualifying

Kawasaki Supersport
A maiden pole position for the flying Jake Farnsworth in Kawasaki Supersport, who will be joined on the front row by fellow Yamaha riders Jesus Torres Cabrera and Tom Bramich.

“After missing the recent test at Queensland Raceway, we’ve been building nicely over the weekend so I couldn’t be happier with pole position,” said Farnsworth.

“It’s been a wild season so far with mechanicals and crashes, but we’ve worked so hard to get here and many people have sacrificed so much.”

Farnsworth is in an unfamiliar 10th in the standings, but he’s now in a prime position to leapfrog back up the standings in tomorrow’s two 14-lap races.

Spanish visitor Torres Cabrera continues to impress, not only with his raw speed but the ability to learn new tracks in the blink of an eye, while Bramich is another one who is keen to right the ship after a difficult start to 2025.

Championship leader Jack Mahaffy (Stop and Seal Racing) qualified in fourth from BCperformance Kawasaki pair Olly Simpson and Hayden Nelson, Will Nassif (Omega Racing Yamaha) and Josh Newman (Addicted to Track Yamaha).

Farnsworth’s speed has been building nicely, and he was rewarded with Kawasaki Supersport pole

Race and Road Supersport 300 and ShopYamaha R3 Cup
Yet another bustling Race and Road Supersport 300 battle, with Jake Paige (Kawasaki) snapping his run of second places to win his first race in the category and move up to fifth place in the standings.

Paige was a deserving winner after doing most of the heavy hauling. Other than lap one, he led over the finish line at the completion of every circuit, including the one that mattered most as he defeated Scott Nicholson (Kawasaki) and Oscar Lewis (Yamaha) in a blanket finish.

Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha), polesitter Hudson Thompson (Yamaha) and Tara Morrison (Kawasaki) were the next home in the field of 26 finishers.

Knezovic (once) and Lewis (twice) lowered the lap record, with Lewis now holding the new benchmark at 1:20.975 – obliterating the previous one-year-old mark of 1:21.696.

Nicholson extended his championship lead to 19pts (133 to 114) over Thompson and Morrison now tied in second. Jordy Simpson (Yamaha, 110pts) and Paige (101) are next.

In the ShopYamaha R3 Cup, Mitch Simpson defeated polesitter Thompson by a wafer thin 0.009sec in a wet race one. Jordy Simpson was third and then daylight to Oscar Williams and William Hunt in fourth and fifth.

Races two and three in both classes will be held on Sunday.

Paige (#55) would not be denied in the Race and Road Supersport 300 opener

BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup
In slick conditions, the first attempt at the BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup opener was red-flagged after four riders went down at turn two – including front row starters Ghage Plowman and Xavier Curmi – which meant only 16 riders lined up for the restart.

The six-lap race eventually boiled down to a three-way scrimmage to the chequered flag, with Connor Lewis winning from Chaz Williams and Jai Strugnell.

Ethan Pelgrave and Hunter Charlett saw out the top five.

Lewis is now just 10pts behind Williams in the championship battle, with two more races to come on Sunday.