ASBK – Mark McGregor on the Road Racing Association and recent success

ASBK 2025

As the penultimate round of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship got underway at a windy One Raceway, we took the opportunity to quiz Addicted to Track Team Owner Marc McGregor about the recent progress made by his team and the development of the Road Racing Association Australia.

On-track success & team progress

Mark, Phillip Island was a breakthrough for your Addicted to Track team with Anthony West scoring a maiden Superbike race win for the team, after also taking pole position.

On top of that, young Jack Favelle has shown real flashes of speed at Sydney Motorsport Park and Morgan Park. And you are well in the fight for second place in the Superbike championship. What has changed within the team this season that’s lifted performance to this level?

Marc McGregor – “To be honest, the team has stayed on a positive trajectory looking to continually improve. Building the team to support riders with their personal development and allow them to be successful on track has been a journey; the process is always under review. We have maintained a focus on building great bikes with the best equipment allowed and simultaneously investing effort into the riders to bring forward a return on effort and capital. Simply, we have a clear process being executed where we all going in the same direction and are determined on doing all the small things right rather than making big changes.”

From racing to representation

Away from the track, you’ve been instrumental in forming the Road Racing Association of Australia, designed to give teams and riders a stronger collective voice. Have you been encouraged by the response from competitors so far — are they rallying behind the cause?

MM – “The Riders Association had been talked about for more than a decade that I am aware of. It’s been a super positive response from the ASBK paddock, understanding that the intent is to have a collective that want to improve our sport, like the Addicted to Track team by doing small things that will build to a better outcome. The Riders Association want to contribute to a better outcome with transparency – that means more entrants, sponsors and spectators or followers.”

Early impact & MA response

How have your initial approaches to Motorcycling Australia been received? Do you sense the governing body is genuinely listening to concerns, and have there been any early wins for teams or the championship as a result of these talks?

MM – “We have had some great conversations and open dialogue; the Riders Association need to find where our energy and value can assist ASBK to get a positive outcome. We see having a ‘seat at the table’ for the Rider Association as a big step towards that. Its not been without challenges, like finding the right spokesperson for the RRAA – that position is still vacant.”

Policy debate: Testing ban

One of the more contentious rules is the new 21-day testing ban before ASBK rounds at the same circuit. While the intention was to cut costs, it has had unintended consequences at the club and state levels. A recent example saw riders unable to participate in the PCRA historic event held here at One Raceway. Has the association raised this with MA, and are you pushing for refinements or dispensations in cases where it clearly doesn’t equate to Superbike testing?

MM – “The Riders Association see supporting club and local racing as a mandatory piece for the growth of our sport. There are a couple of ways to achieve this: by syncing calendars to align so that the 21-day test ban isn’t an issue, or by granting exemptions for local racing. Probably a mixture of both required.”

Calendar reform: Summer season shift

The summer series idea has floated around for decades, and word is 2026 might finally serve as the transition into a summer-based championship. Is the association actively pushing for that shift, and do you think it could solve some of the long-standing calendar headaches ASBK has faced? (edit, the transition to a summer season for ASBK is now official)

MM – “The Riders Association discussed the merits of a Summer Series at our June meeting and passed the suggestion to ASBK. We see a lot of positives for the change that includes a dedicated off-season, so it will be good to see the 2026 calendar revealed.”

Technical regulations & enforcement

Without asking you to speak for the association’s official stance, from your perspective as a team owner with real investment on the line: what do you see as the biggest issues with ASBK’s technical rules? And perhaps even more critically, how confident are you in the way those rules are enforced?

MM – “At this point, RRAA doesn’t have a technical strategy outside parity being available to all competitors and teams.”

Practical challenges: Parts & machinery

Another major challenge teams have faced is parts supply. I have been hearing countless stories of long delays for spares and service items, sometimes extending to many months. It’s only made worse by the fact that many riders are now racing models that are no longer current dealership stock. Is this an issue your outfit has had to navigate as well?

MM – “Global supply chains are changing and evolving, with a combination of just-in-time and batched manufacturing – this change isn’t just impacting the motorcycle industry. It is forcing the hand of competitors and teams to hold more capital assets as ‘rolling spares’ which has the obvious negative impact on cashflow.”

Internal dynamics: Competing interests

Within the association itself, there will inevitably be competing interests. Putting the argument for a move to a control electronics package for the whole field aside for a moment. For instance, say one team is pushing for a specific electronics package for their bike model, while another team is lobbying for a different electronics suite for the same motorcycle model. In situations like that, do you see the association trying to build a consensus and present a unified voice to MA, or will the association itself stay out of instances like that and instead let individual teams advocate for their own agendas with Motorcycling Australia?

MM – “To date the Riders Association has been focussed on suggestions for operational improvement, not getting into the detail on technical – that’s obviously going to evolve in line with the OEM’s and MA’s Road Race Commission, Rules and Technical and ASBK.”

Electronics packages continue to be the bugbear of modern racing

A control ECU has been adopted almost universally around the globe these days, from domestic competitions such as BSB, through to global competitions such as World Supersport and MotoGP. This serves not only the interests of parity but also the much easier checks for compliance by officials. Again, I know you probably can’t answer as a collective for the Road Racing Association without preparing a statement with members beforehand, but what is your personal take on where we are now, and where you think we should be going?

MM – “This is a massive topic that will need all stakeholders to invest time into a strategy, without a multi-layered engagement we will see failures, unintended consequences.”

Closing: Outlook & wrap-up

Thanks for your time, Mark. Best of luck to you, Anthony, Jack and the rest of your Addicted to Track riders this weekend.

MM – “Addicted to Track has high expectations to finish the 2025 ASBK year on a positive note across the three classes.”

SW-Motech Superbike Championship Points

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Kawasaki Supersport Championship Points

Pos	Rider	Bike	Points
1	J. Mahaffy	Yam	265
2	A. McDonald	Yam	241
3	O. Simpson	Kaw	234
4	T. Bramich	Yam	184
5	H. Nelson	Kaw	172
6	J. Farnsworth	Yam	162
7	M. Hamod	Hon	158
8	L. Russo	Yam	115
9	W. Nassif	Yam	111
10	J. Newman	Yam	109
11	S. Pezzetta	Yam	101
12	R. Gilbert	Yam	93
13	C. Swain	Yam	85
14	T. Edwards	Yam	84
15	J. Torres Cabrera	Yam	65
16	B. Quinlan	Yam	62
17	G. Nelson	Yam	58
18	L. Waters	Yam	54
19	M. Simpson	Yam	51
20	C. Turner	Yam	45
21	D. Van Rosmalen	Yam	43
22	T. Zhao	Yam	31
23	C. Middleton	Yam	29
24	H. Ford	Yam	26
25	C. Morrison	Yam	20
26	D. Adams	Yam	19
27	M. Tustin	Yam	15
28	S. Mikami	Yam	15
29	H. Fordyce	Yam	8
30	S. Boldrini	Yam	5

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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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