Blow by blow recap from the final ASBK bout of the season from The Bend

ASBK 2025

Round Eight – The Bend
SW-Motech Superbike Race Two

Josh Waters led Cru Halliday, Mike Jones and Jonathan Nahlous through turn one for the first time when the final Superbike bout of 2025 got underway at The Bend on Sunday afternoon. Cam Dunker and Broc Pearson were the next to negotiate the opening turns as they strived to stay in touch with that leading quartet.

Jack Davis’ Yamaha then erupted in a cloud of smoke at the end of the opening lap, which forced officials to put out the red flag, sending riders back onto the grid to await a full restart as the oil was cleaned up through turns 17 and 18.

There was a very lengthy delay as track staff strove to make the circuit safe for racing.

Cru Halliday was missing from the grid for the shortened nine-lap restart due to machinery problems.

Jonathan Nahlous led Mike Jones into turn one when the race got underway again as Cam Dunker, Max Stauffer and Troy Herfoss gave chase. A dreadful start for Josh Waters saw him in sixth place early on, ahead of Broc Pearson, Anthony West and John Lytras.

Nahlous continued to lead the entire opening lap as Cam Dunker challenged Jones for second place around the back of the circuit.

Jones shrugged off the advances of the youngster to edge away a little early on lap two as he got back on terms with Nahlous. That trio were starting to break away from fourth-placed Max Stauffer, who had his hands full with Josh Waters.

Jones hit the lead on lap three, but the fastest man on the circuit was Josh Waters. The champ had dispensed with Stauffer and Dunker on his march forward, but the leading duo were almost two seconds further up the road.

Waters steadily reeled in Nahlous and Waters over the next few laps. With three laps to run, a second covered the lead trio.

Jones, Nahlous and Waters were five seconds clear of fourth-placed Broc Pearson by lap seven.  The three leaders were the only riders lapping in the 1m50s, and they were consistently recording those times, but Nahlous and Jones appeared to have Waters’ measure in this contest.

As they started the final lap, Jones led Nahlous by a second, and the youngster looked to have enough of a gap over Waters to make it two second places from two starts at this championship finale.

Mike Jones was the clear winner at the chequered flag but had been pushed hard all the way by Nahlous.

Josh Waters rounded out the podium and finished on equal points for the round with Mike Jones, but the YRT man got the round win thanks to his win coming in the final race.

Jonathan Nahlous took third place for the round from his two second-place finishes on the Omega Appliances-backed Honda.

Anthony West again had to forge his way through the field after a slow start, climbing to fourth place in the final laps to also secure fourth place for the round.

Cam Dunker’s 31-point haul for the round saw him take fifth for the round and fourth in the championship. An excellent result for the youngster and his Melbourne-based MotoGo Yamaha outfit in what has been a busy year for them both here and in the Asian Road Racing Championships.

Jonathan Nahlous finished his rookie season sixth in the Australian Superbike Championship, only two points behind three-time champ Glenn Allerton.

SW-Motech Superbike Race Two Results

SW-Motech Superbike Round Points

SW-Motech Superbike Championship Points

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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

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