ASBK Superbike and Supersport Qualifying round-ups from Phillip Island

ASBK 2025
Round Six – Phillip Island
SW-Motech Superbike

A cool but stunning morning greeted the ASBK paddock at Phillip Island as Superbikes rolled out for their opening 25-minute practice at 0950. The track temperature sat at 18 degrees, and it was Anthony West who wasted no time making his mark.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Image RbMotoLens

The Addicted to Track Yamaha rider looked sharp from the first laps, diving straight into the 1:32s before setting a 1:31.921 on his ninth circuit. Only Josh Waters could join him in that bracket, the McMartin Racing Ducati looking supremely fast and stable with more speed clearly on tap if Waters chose to dig deeper.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Image RbMotoLens

Mike Jones and Broc Pearson were next best, both about half a second adrift of the leading pair. Cru Halliday continued his adjustment to the Ducati V4 R, finishing just over a second behind Waters. Though running Stop & Seal colours, Halliday’s bike is prepared by McMartin, and the collaboration is set to continue for the remainder of 2025.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Cru Halliday – Image RbMotoLens

Jack Favelle and Jonathan Nahlous both impressed in the low 1:33s, edging out Troy Herfoss, who was quickly into a lengthy debrief with the YRT crew as he works with the team through the closing three rounds of the season. Max Stauffer slotted into ninth with Cam Dunker rounding out the top ten ahead of Ty Lynch.

By FP2, the sun was out, the temperature was climbing, and Westy was at it again… Straight out the gate with a 1:31.685, then a 1:32.029 for good measure. Waters responded with a 1:31.726, but it was Broc Pearson who briefly stole the spotlight with a 1:31.437 on the DesmoSport Ducati.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Anthony West – Image RbMotoLens

Not to be outdone, West dropped the hammer with a 1:30.928, a time no one else got near in FP2. He ended the session on top ahead of Pearson and Waters, with Jones fourth. Halliday continued to chip away at the gap, Favelle again looked solid, and Herfoss slashed nearly a second from his earlier best to close to within half a second of Jones.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Troy Herfoss – Image RbMotoLens

Stauffer and Dunker were both into the 1:32s for eighth and ninth, while Nahlous rounded out the top ten just ahead of Lynch.

Conditions only improved further for FP3, setting the stage for what looked like a perfect final hit-out of the day.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Smokescreen activated… Image RbMotoLens

That was until Cam Dunker ran on at turn one after suffering an engine failure on the main straight.

You can actually see oil still beading along the bottom edge of the bellypan. Inside the bellypan were bits of engine… Image RbMotoLens

This resulted in a lengthy delay in proceedings as the track was cleaned up after the oil-down.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Track clean up – Image RbMotoLens

Riders exited the pits again around 1450. That man Westy was right back at it from the off… Straight back into the 31s, a 1m31.924, followed by a 1m32.180 and a 1m31.699 before returning to the pits. Josh Waters knocked Westy out of P1 in the dying seconds of the session, a 1m31.351 to the champ good enough to top FP3, but Westy was still top on combined times courtesy of his 1m30.928 from FP2. Broc Pearson’s 1m31.437 was good enough for third on combined times ahead of Mike Jones, Troy Herfoss and Max Stauffer. Herfoss had found more speed on the YRT YZF-R1M to close within a tenth of Mike.

Qualifying

Q1 got underway just after 1530, and again, Westy was quick out of the blocks. A 1m31.109 on his first flying lap set the initial target for others to chase.

The top 12 from Q1 would graduate to Q2, thus, with a time that quick on the boards, Westy would sit out the remainder of the session in the pits.

Mike Jones – Image RbMotoLens

Mike Jones dropped in his first 31 of the day in Q2, a 1m31.803, to secure his spot in Q2.

Josh Waters and Cru Halliday waited until halfway through the session before securing their berths with a 1m31.697 and 1m31.724, respectively. Waters had been quicker during practice, but Halliday’s time was half a second quicker than he had managed earlier. The team is working together…

Josh Waters – Image RbMotoLens

For the last half of the Q1 session, the track was mainly quiet; the top 12 were all in the pits, happy enough that they would make it through to Q2. Not a very exciting spectacle for the few spectators who turned up to watch today. There was then a ten-minute break before things got a bit more serious as the pit exit opened for the 15-minute Q2 session.

Anthony West set the early benchmark at 1m31.499 ahead of Broc Pearson (1m31.606) and Mike Jones (1m31.894).

Broc Pearson – Image RbMotoLens

Josh Waters and Cru Halliday were circulating together once again, Waters crossing the stripe to set a 1m31.725 with Halliday right behind on 1m31.996. Halfway through the session, Max Stauffer was sixth, Jack Favelle seventh, and Troy Herfoss eighth. Most riders had now returned to the pits.

Troy Herfoss – Image RbMotoLens

Anthony West was one of the first back out as riders started to shape up for their final effort. He made it count too, lowering his marker to 1m30.462! Westy is on fire this weekend. Only a tenth outside the lap record set by Waters here last year.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Superbike Qualifying – Anthony West

Josh Waters then put in a 1m31.162 to move up to P2 ahead of Mike Jones, who had reeled off a 1m31.326, while Broc Pearson was fourth on 1m31.520.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Superbike Qualifying – Josh Waters

Max Stauffer was finding his feet again on his old bike, dropping in a 1m31.973 to secure a spot on the second row. Qualifying just ahead of him was Cru Halliday.

Jack Favelle will head the third row alongside Troy Herfoss and Jonathan Nahlous.

One rider missing from the action today was Glenn Allerton. The Superbike Advocates rider woke up with some painful back trouble that required some medication to be administered, which ruled him out of proceedings today. If Allerton pulls up okay overnight, he will start from the back of the grid on Sunday. Alongside him will be Cam Dunker, who, after his engine failure in practice, did not make it out in qualifying.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Superbike Qualifying – Anthony West on pole

The opening 11-lap Superbike race is slated to get underway at 1100 on Sunday morning before the second and final equally short bout starts at 1445. Conditions are forecast to be less than ideal. There is a strong chance of rain along with blustery winds.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Superbike Qualifying
SW-Motech Superbike Combined Qualifying Results

Pos

Rider

Bike

Time/Gap

A. West

Yam

1:30.462

J. Waters

Duc

+0.700

M. Jones

Yam

+0.864

B. Pearson

Duc

+1.058

C. Halliday

Duc

+1.243

M. Stauffer

Yam

+1.511

J. Favelle

Yam

+1.878

T. Herfoss

Yam

+2.097

J. Nahlous

Yam

+2.268

T. Lynch

Yam

+3.398

R. Yanko

Yam

+3.770

J. Lytras

Yam

+3.941

B. Wilson

Yam

+5.084

P. Linkenbagh

Yam

+6.721

L. Jones

Yam

+6.867

O. O’Donovan

Kaw

+7.007

M. Kemp

Yam

+8.848

D. Carberry

BMW

+8.886

SW-Motech Superbike Championship Points

Pos

Rider

Bike

Points

J. Waters

Duc

261

M. Jones

Yam

207

A. West

Yam

192

G. Allerton

Duc

161

C. Dunker

Yam

150

B. Pearson

Duc

147

M. Stauffer

Yam

147

J. Nahlous

Yam

142

J. Favelle

Yam

137

J. Lytras

Yam

126

C. Halliday

Yam

109

R. Yanko

Yam

A. Sissis

Yam

T. Lynch

Yam

T. Edwards

Yam

J. Soderland

Yam

T. Toparis

Yam

M. Walters

Apr

M. Edwards

Yam

P. Linkenbagh

Yam

M. Aizuddin

Bmw

E. Leeson

Yam

C. Holding

Yam

M. Hamod

Hon

B. Beaton

Yam

N. Mahon

Yam

A. Senior

Yam

S. Condon

Yam

K. Higuchi

Suz

M. Kemp

Yam

Kawasaki Supersport Qualifying

Archie McDonald set the tone in Saturday morning practice, topping the timesheets with a 1m34.335 aboard his YZF-R6. Stop & Seal team-mate Tom Toparis wasn’t far behind, clocking a 1m34.637 on the Next Gen-spec Ducati V2, while Jake Farnsworth (Worth Racing YZF-R6) was the only other rider to dip into the 34s with a 1m34.958.

Archie McDonald – Image RbMotoLens

When qualifying rolled around, Archie wasted no time stamping his authority. He strung together a 1m34.6, then a 1m34.487, before smashing his own qualifying lap record with a 1m33.950; a full second under the benchmark he’d set at the Island back in February.

And just to underline the point, the Albury-Wodonga youngster went even quicker on his sixth lap, stopping the clocks at 1m33.808. Record lowered again, job done…

Archie McDonald – Image RbMotoLens

Second on the Q1 timesheets was Tom Toparis, six-tenths adrift of his Stop & Seal team-mate McDonald.

Jake Farnsworth – Image RbMotoLens

Jake Farnsworth slotted into third, another six-tenths back, and just a shade off his FP2 pace. Tom Bramich took fourth, with Hayden Nelson rounding out the top five.

Jack Mahaffy – Image RbMotoLens

Jack Mahaffy was nursing a bent frame; the team hopes to swap it out overnight, but still managed to salvage sixth. Tom Edwards’ session was interrupted by a fall at Turn 4, stunting his progress in the opening qualifier.

Tom Toparis – Image RbMotoLens

Tom Toparis went down at turn six halfway through Q2, which saw his chances of improvement go up in smoke. Jake Farnsworth did improve marginally but remained third quickest on combined times.

Hayden Nelson was another one to improve in Q2, moving up to fourth while demoting Tom Bramich to fifth.

Hayden Nelson – Image RbMotoLens

Tom Edwards and Levi Russo improved their standing to eighth and ninth, respectively, while Luca Durning, another to improve in the afternoon, rounded out the top ten on the DesmoSport Ducati V2.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Supersport Qualifying – Archie McDonald on pole

Remaining on top, though, without turning a wheel in Q2, was Archie McDonald.

ASBK 2025 – Round Six – Phillip Island – Supersport Qualifying – Archie McDonald on pole
Kawasaki Supersport Qualifying Results

Pos

Rider

Bike

Class

Time/Gap

A. McDonald

Yam

1:33.808

T. Toparis

Duc

+0.634

J. Farnsworth

Yam

+1.144

H. Nelson

Kaw

+1.419

T. Bramich

Yam

+1.599

J. Mahaffy

Yam

+2.193

O. Simpson

Kaw

+2.197

T. Edwards

Yam

+2.426

L. Russo

Yam

+2.713

L. Durning

Duc

+2.786

W. Nassif

Yam

+3.078

J. Newman

Yam

+3.208

S. Pezzetta

Yam

+3.934

R. Gilbert

Yam

+4.261

M. Simpson

Yam

+4.651

M. Hamod

Hon

+5.386

M. Tustin

Yam

+6.356

T. Zhao

Yam

+6.542

B. Quinlan

Yam

+9.158

Kawasaki Supersport Championship Points

2025 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar

Round
Location
Date

1
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC
Feb 21-23

2
Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW
Mar 28-29

3
Queensland Raceway, QLD
May 2-4

4
Morgan Park Raceway, QLD
Jun 13-15

5
Queensland Raceway, QLD (Superbike Only)
Aug 8-10

6
Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC
Sept 6-7

7
One Raceway, NSW
Oct 3-5

8
The Bend, SA
Nov 7-9

ASBK Superbike and Supersport Qualifying round-ups from Phillip Island

Tags: