2026

Youth versus experience as ASBK reaches thrilling Queensland finale

By MA Media 0

The 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli (ASBK) concludes at Queensland Raceway from June 26-28, in what has boiled down to a tantalising two-way shootout for title honours between teammates Harrison Voight and Josh Waters.

The McMartin Racing Ducati duo sit at opposite ends of the SW-Motech Superbike spectrum: the precocious Voight embarking on his first full-time campaign, while the wily veteran Waters is now in the twilight of his career and leaving no stone unturned to make every post a winner.

On paper, it’s Voight’s championship to lose. He holds a 24pt lead over Waters, and there is a good chance that he will become the second youngest Australian Superbike champion on Sunday – behind the late Anthony Gobert, who was 19 when he was successful in 1994 on a Honda.

If Voight does get the wobbles, though, the speed and guile of Waters could become telling – while riders like Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha), Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati) and Queensland Raceway specialist Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) could also have a huge say in the final proceedings.

It won’t only be a battle of nerves in Superbikes at Queensland Raceway, though, with title honours also up for grabs in the Kawasaki Supersport/Supersport Next Gen, Race and Road Supersport 300, BLU CRU R3 Cup and BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup classes, while the Superbike Masters riders are back for more entertaining action.

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ASBK round five event program

SW-Motech Superbike
If Voight wins – and after two unflappable start-to-finish victories in the last round at Morgan Park Raceway that could be a distinct possibility – he will obviously put the SW-Motech Superbike issue beyond doubt.

At the other end of the spectrum, if lap record holder Waters sweeps the round – pole position and two wins – Voight only requires 7-7 finishes and he will still be crowned ASBK champion by 1pt.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the reality will most likely be somewhere in between, in what is the closest Superbike grand finale since Troy Herfoss and Waters ventured to The Bend on equal points in 2023.

Meanwhile, Dunker’s round will be a mix of opportunity and threats. After a stellar season, he sits third in the standings: still within striking distance of Waters but with Halliday, Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati), Jones and Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha Racing Team) lurking close behind.

Jones has been the dominant Superbike figure at Queensland Raceway in recent years, while Allerton has the most Superbike wins of anyone at the compact layout near Ipswich.

Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha) and John Lytras (Caboolture Yamaha) will also be pushing hard in the grand finale, while Anthony West (DesmoSport Ducati) returns after missing the last two rounds with a hand injury.

A late entry is former Superbike front runner Broc Pearson (Honda), who is planning to make a full-time ASBK return for the 2027 summer season.

Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen
Two championships will be decided on Sunday, with Valentino Knezovic (Addicted to Track Yamaha) and Tom Edwards (BCperformance Kawasaki) leading the Kawasaki Supersport and Kawasaki Supersport Next Gen classes respectively.

Knezovic and Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) have both enjoyed turns atop the Supersport standings, with Knezovic the more consistent while Farnsworth has the most wins – but also two DNFs which could prove to be hammer blows for his championship aspirations.

Knezovic leads by 16pts and is poised to claim rookie honours, just like Dunker in 2023.

Jordy Simpson, Ghage Plowman, Josh Soderland and Sam Pezzetta – all Yamaha – will fight for third in the championship.

In Supersport Next Gen, another intra-team battle looms large with Edwards just 4pts ahead of Hayden Nelson.

The pair has been inseparable all year on their Kawasakis, and it will now come down to the two 14-lap races on Sunday to crown the inaugural class champion.

Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati) and Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal) will have a major say in who wins the championship, with the latter switching from Ducati back to Yamaha for the final round.

Race and Road Supersport 300/BLU CRU R3 Cup
The action is going to be quintessentially manic in the Race and Road Supersport 300 and BLU CRU R3 Cup classes at Queensland Raceway with slipstreaming and late braking duels.

In Supersport 300, Riley Nauta (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki) unseated Tyler King (Kawasaki) from the top at Morgan Park, continuing a remarkable turnaround for the Queenslander.

Nauta now has five wins on the bounce and leads King by 4pts (198 to 194), with both coming off podium results at Queensland Raceway in 2025.

Orlando Peovitis (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki) is third on 176pts, while Tara Morrison (Kawasaki, 167pts) is the only other rider who can produce some late damage.

In the R3 Cup, Oscar Lewis (116pts), defending champion Jordy Simpson (108pts) and Matthew Ritter (101pts) are the front-runners, with Connor Lewis (95pts) and Seth Dellow (94pts) the dark horses.

BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup
With two perfect scores out of three rounds, Tom Cameron is poised to be crowned BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup champion for 2026. He has a massive 37pt lead over Callum Campbell, with Ryder McKenna a further 32pts back in third.

McKenna isn’t assured of third place, as there are three riders (Patrick Lucchitti, Lucas Hislop and Charlie Nichols) all within 5pts behind him.

Meanwhile, expressions of interest to be a part of the 2027 OJC program are now open for riders aged 11-U16.

For more information and to apply for the 2027 grid (starting November 2026), head to the OJC page on the ASBK website. Expressions of interest close on July 24.

Superbike Masters
Standby for more Superbike Masters excitement, in a category which is extremely popular on and off the track. The level of presentation is impressive, and the riders are always more than keen to chat about their magnificent machines.

The Superbike Masters battle lines at Queensland Raceway will be drawn over three races, with the Period 7 Suzuki GSX-R750 of Ashley Woolford and the Period 6 Yamaha FZR1000 of Jack Passfield again expected to loom large after they dominated the series opener at Morgan Park Raceway.