Waters holds off Halliday and Nahlous in tense SMP...

Spherical Two – SMSP – SW-Motech Superbike

Race One

The younger weapons might have proven the previous guard the way in which on the Phillip Island season opener, however Josh Waters fired an emphatic warning shot again throughout their bows at Sydney Motorsport Park. The defending champion had already laid down a marker by taking pole in sketchy circumstances beneath lights on Friday night time, and when the sphere assembled for Saturday night’s opening 13-lap Superbike race, Waters seemed decided to remind everybody that have nonetheless counts. The opening contest was run in a lot kinder circumstances than qualifying, with sunny skies, ambient temperatures at 20.9 levels and the observe at 34.5 levels.

Harrison Voight was excellent away from the road and grabbed the holeshot, main McMartin Racing team-mate Waters via the opening turns as the sphere charged into the primary lap. Behind them, Cru Halliday instantly put himself within the combat, whereas Jonathan Nahlous and Jacob Roulstone additionally settled into the main group. There was early drama additional again when Cameron Dunker crashed at Flip 3, bringing a untimely finish to his race nearly as quickly because it had begun, whereas Josh Newman additionally did not make it past the opening lap. It was a busy, nervous opening part, with riders clearly nonetheless trying to find grip and confidence because the race settled into form.

Voight accomplished the opening lap in entrance, simply 0.024 seconds away from Waters, with Halliday third and Nahlous fourth. Roulstone was subsequent in line, whereas Glenn Allerton was already starting to maneuver into rivalry from just a little additional again. The main group was tightly packed as they began lap two, Voight nonetheless simply holding sway, however Waters was proper there, Halliday was looming, and Nahlous was not letting the main trio out of his sight. Roulstone remained effectively positioned, and Allerton was beginning to wind up, clearly sensing that the entrance group was inside attain.

The complexion of the race modified on lap three. Waters discovered a approach via and took management on the entrance, lastly dislodging his youthful team-mate and shifting into the lead for the primary time. On the similar second, Allerton underlined his intent by punching in a 1m29.664, the quickest lap of the race at that time, as he closed on the main quartet. It was sufficient to maneuver him into fifth and maintain him firmly hooked up to the combat, whereas Halliday and Nahlous continued to stalk the McMartin Ducati pair forward of them. For a second, it seemed as if the race may change into a real six-rider contest.

However whereas Voight had led the early operating, the stability of energy was starting to vary. Waters seemed more and more composed on the entrance, and though Voight initially tried to stick with him, Halliday and Nahlous had been the riders carrying the stronger momentum. By lap 5, the order behind Waters had modified decisively: Halliday had moved into second, Nahlous was as much as third, and Voight had slipped again to fourth. It was a important part of the race. Waters was now in clear air, Halliday had the tempo to remain in contact, Nahlous had additionally established himself as a real podium menace, and Voight’s early edge was starting to fade.

Waters then delivered what proved to be the decisive blow. On lap 5, he fired in a 1m29.471, the quickest lap of the race, and that was sufficient to create the small however important margin he would defend to the flag. Halliday refused to let him get away and responded by determinedly staying inside vary, whereas Nahlous additionally remained shut sufficient to maintain each males trustworthy. Their tempo was relentless. By lap six, Halliday had closed to inside 0.585 of the lead, with Nahlous simply 0.854 behind Waters, and from there the race developed right into a tense three-rider contest on the entrance. Voight, in the meantime, was now not in a position to run with them and needed to flip his consideration to managing fourth place.

Because the laps ticked down, Waters, Halliday and Nahlous started to interrupt clear. Their benefit over Voight steadily grew via the center and latter phases, and by the closing laps, it was apparent that the win and the rostrum would come from that trio alone. Waters by no means fairly escaped, however each time Halliday seemed like drawing him in, the defending champion had a solution. Nahlous, too, was shut sufficient all through to threaten if both of the Ducatis forward made the slightest mistake. It made for a captivating remaining third of the race: Waters measured and exact on the entrance, Halliday probing for a gap, and Nahlous shadowing the pair on the Yamaha ready for a possibility.

Additional again, Voight was doing all he might to hold onto fourth as Allerton and Roulstone hovered inside putting distance. Allerton had proven critical velocity within the early and center phases, however his tempo started to ebb away over the ultimate laps as his Ducati began to expire gas. Allerton’s lap occasions climbed into the low 1m31s after which dropped away extra sharply on the final two laps as his V4 starved for gas, opening the door for Roulstone. The Honda rider had been persistently fast and tidy, and that paid off within the closing phases. On the ultimate lap, Roulstone lastly bought forward of Allerton to say fifth, demoting the veteran Ducati rider to sixth after what had earlier seemed like a possible top-five end.

On the entrance, the ultimate lap was precisely the type of showdown the gang needed. Waters took the last-lap board with Halliday nonetheless firmly within the hunt, and with Nahlous shut sufficient behind to capitalise on any mistake. Halliday gave chase all the way in which to the chequered flag, however Waters had sufficient in reserve to soak up the stress and convey it house.

After 13 laps, Waters took the win by 0.656 seconds over Halliday, with Nahlous rounding out the rostrum one other 0.556 seconds again. It was not a runaway victory, nevertheless it was a champion’s experience: managed, medical and delivered beneath stress.

Voight in the end got here house fourth, 8.015 seconds behind Waters after main the opening two laps.

Roulstone’s late-race persistence earned him fifth, Allerton needed to accept sixth, and Jack Favelle quietly banked a robust seventh after a strong, constant experience.

Marcus Hamod received the scrap for eighth, heading Mike Jones and Anthony West in a tightly packed combat that ran all the way in which to the flag, with solely 0.512 seconds separating that trio on the end. It was precisely the type of race that confirmed how a lot depth there’s on this 12 months’s discipline, even past the rostrum locations.

Simply as importantly, Waters’ win had fast championship significance. Voight nonetheless left race one as championship chief on 85 factors, however Waters’ victory, plus the bonus level for pole, lifted him to 76 and stored him proper within the title hunt. Roulstone is second within the standings on 78. Nahlous additionally strengthened his place with third, whereas Halliday’s runner-up end introduced him additional into the dialog because the Sydney weekend gathered momentum. For all of the speak of the brand new technology after Phillip Island, Waters had delivered a well timed reminder that the established benchmark in Australian Superbike will not be about to yield quietly.

Superbike Race One Outcomes

Pos	Rider	Bike	Time/Hole
1	J Waters	Duc	19m33.255
2	C Halliday	Duc	+0.656
3	J Nahlous	Yam	+1.212
4	H Voight	Duc	+8.015
5	J Roulstone	Hon	+12.032
6	G Allerton	Duc	+13.766
7	J Favelle	Yam	+14.427
8	M Hamod	Hon	+17.066
9	M Jones	Yam	+17.224
10	A West	Duc	+17.578
11	J Lytras	Yam	+35.387
12	T Lynch	Yam	+51.361
13	D Adams	Suz	+1m09.088
14	C Holding	Yam	+1m13.651
15	B Wilson	Yam	+1m24.551
16	L Durning	Duc	+1m30.981
17	M Kemp	Yam	+1m35.679
18	M Rindel	Yam	1 Lap
Not Categorised
DNF	L Jones	Yam	10 Laps
DNF	J Quinn	Yam	10 Laps
DNF	J Newman	Duc	11 Laps
DNF	C Dunker	Yam	12 Laps

Superbike Championship Factors

pos	rider	Bike	Whole
1	H Voight	Duc	85
2	J Roulstone	Hon	78
3	J Waters	Duc	76
4	J Nahlous	Yam	65
5	G Allerton	Duc	57
6	C Dunker	Yam	56
7	A West	Duc	56
8	C Halliday	Duc	55
9	M Jones	Yam	54
10	J Favelle	Yam	49
11	M Hamod	Hon	43
12	J Lytras	Yam	39
13	L Durning	Duc	28
14	B Wilson	Yam	26
15	C Holding	Yam	24
16	T Lynch	Yam	15
17	J Quinn	Yam	15
18	L Jones	Yam	10
19	D Adams	Suz	8
20	M Kemp	Yam	8
21	M Rindel	Yam	8
22	R Hudson	Yam	4
23	A Senior	Yam	3
24	M Carr	Hon	1

2026 ASBK Calendar

2026 ASBK PROVISIONAL CALENDAR
Spherical One	February 20-22	Phillip Island, VIC (WorldSBK)
Spherical Two	March 27-28	Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW
Spherical Three	Could 1-3	The Bend, SA
Spherical 4	Could 29-31	Morgan Park, QLD
Spherical 5	June 26-28	Queensland Raceway, QLD