Josh Waters on cusp of rewriting ASBK history at One Raceway

The penultimate round of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) will be held at One Raceway from October 3-5, with Josh Waters aiming to etch his name even further into the record books.

The McMartin Racing Ducati veteran is targeting SW-Motech Superbike title No.5, just one year after he became the first rider to win four titles in the premier class.

Waters has a 69pt (306 to 237) lead over Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team), which means he can win the Superbike crown as early as Sunday morning if he starts from pole position, wins race one and Jones finishes third.

That’s a best-case scenario, but the odds are certainly stacked in favour of the canny Mildura missile leaving One Raceway with a huge smile on his face.

But fate may have other plans, and Waters could also see his championship fortunes diminished, setting up a pressure-cooker grand finale at The Bend in November.

Either way, the atmosphere will be tense at One Raceway as Australia’s finest circuit racers trade blows on the tight and twisty layout, joined by the Kawasaki Supersport, Supersport Next Gen, Race and Road Supersport 300 and BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup ASBK classes, as well as an international flavour thanks to the Yamaha R3 BLU CRU Asia-Pacific Championship.

The on-track entertainment at One Raceway will also include the popular ASBK pillion rides, as well as stunt shows thanks to ASBK’s resident wheelie and stoppie guru, TJ Stuntz.

SW-Motech Superbike
We already know the two 20-lap SW-Motech Superbike races will be doozies from start to finish, where even the slightest mistakes could be costly.

In 2024, five riders shared the podium positions across the day, and it’s likely to be the case again as Waters looks to lock away the title against a fierce opposition which has other ideas.

After a lacklustre round six at Phillip Island by his usual lofty standards – a 5-7 scorecard – Jones finds himself in a tricky situation: he still has Waters in his distant sights, but he also has a red-hot Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 234pts) on his bumper after the Queenslander won his maiden Superbike race at Phillip Island following 10 previous podium finishes.

Jones is up for the fight on all fronts, though, with a stellar record at One Raceway – seven podiums and two wins from the last 14 races – and pole position in 2024.

Fourth to seventh in the standings is split by just 17pts, with Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati) leading the way from Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), Cameron Dunker (MotoGo Yamaha) and Jonathan Nahlous (Omega Racing Team Yamaha).

Throw in a rejuvenated Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati), Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha) and Goulburn native Troy Herfoss (Yamaha Racing Team) – fresh from a third place finish in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers title – and the tight and twisty One Raceway is set to provide juicy battles galore.

Last year, Pearson and Jones shared the wins, while West, Waters and Dunker also finished on the podium.

Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen
The Kawasaki Supersport class has been superb all year, with the ‘freight train’ expected to reconvene at One Raceway.

Jack Mahaffy (Stop and Seal Yamaha) is on top with 220pts from Olly Simpson (BCperformance Kawasaki, 199pts) and Archie McDonald (Stop and Seal Yamaha, 195pts).

Meanwhile, sixth-placed Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha, 147pts) broke through for a long-awaited first win at Phillip Island, and he’ll have Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki, 165pts) and Tom Bramich (Yamaha, 155pts) in his sights if his searching form continues.

Nelson was third in both races last year, while other contenders at One Raceway will include Tom Edwards (Team BWR Yamaha), Marcus Hamod (Honda), Josh Newman (Addicted to Track Yamaha), Levi Russo (Motoschool Racing Team Yamaha) and Will Nassif (Omega Racing Team Yamaha).

Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal) and Luca Durning (DesmoSport Ducati) will also continue their mini battle in the Supersport Next Gen class, both riding Panigale V2s.

Race and Road Supersport 300
Six races of absolute manic competition remain at One Raceway and The Bend before the 2025 Race and Road Supersport 300 champion is crowned.

With a 67pt (292 to 225) lead over fellow Kawasaki rider Tara Morrison, Scott Nicholson has a stranglehold on proceedings after being a model of consistency all year.

The championship is clearly his to lose, but with 36 riders in this weekend’s stacked field he clearly can’t play the conservative card too early.

In third spot is Jordy Simpson (Yamaha, 208pts) ahead of Jake Paige (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki, 190pts) and Tyler King (Kawasaki, 190pts).

Recently, Paige booked a trip to Spain to compete in the FIM MiniGP World Series final in Valencia, while King celebrated his second win in the class at Phillip Island last month.

BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup
The breeding ground of Australian circuit racing champions.

If you haven’t witnessed these kids, aged 11-15 years old, you are in for a jaw-dropping treat. The fleet of identical Yamaha YZF-R15s mightn’t have raw speed but just wait until the races start!

Not only are they super talented riders, but they also thrive on close quarters racing with a large number arriving from dirt track backgrounds.

But there are some that have not raced in anything before and prove that if you start them early…

Connor Lewis leads the official Australian Junior Road Race Championship class from long-time leader Chaz Williams and Xavier Curmi, with Hunter Charlett, Rossi McAdam, Jai Strugnell and Ghage Plowman also lurking.

Images: RbMotoLens