West launches into 2025 ASBK Championship in fine style

Anthony West has fired an early warning shot to his rivals, setting the fastest time in practice for round one of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at the Phillip Island Grand Circuit.

The Queensland veteran topped both SW-MOTECH Superbike practice sessions on his Addicted to Track Yamaha, finishing the day ahead of defending champion Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) and Yamaha Racing Team’s Mike Jones

In brilliant conditions at Phillip Island today, Archie McDonald (Stop and Seal Yamaha) topped Kawasaki Supersport qualifying, while Tara Morrison (Kawasaki) made history in Race and Road Supersport 300 by becoming the first female to win in the fiercely contested class – her victory coming after a typically thrilling multi-bike lunge across the finish line.

ASBK ROUND ONE RESULTS

And there’ll be more scintillating action to come across the weekend, with the balance of the ASBK program as well as hostilities in round one of the FIM Motul Superbike World Championship featuring Aussies Remy Gardner, Luke Power, Oli Bayliss and Harrison Voight.in the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes.

Tickets are available for Phillip Island by clicking here, or at the gate.

SW-MOTECH Superbike
It was a case of deja vu in today’s SW-MOTECH Superbike practice sessions, with West the pacesetter in both ahead of Waters, Jones and Glenn Allerton, the latter making his debut on the Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati.

The gap between West and Waters was minimal – 0.047 seconds – and then it was over a second back to Jones.

Cameron Dunker (MotoGo Yamaha Race Team) was the big improver in the second practice session, rocketing up to fifth overall to finish the day ahead of impressive rookie Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha), Max Stauffer (Yamaha Racing Team), returning international Tom Edwards (Motoschool Racing Yamaha), Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati) and John Lytras (Yamaha).

Next up for the 25-rider Superbike field is ‘early bird’ qualifying at 8:05am on Saturday morning, followed race one at midday.

Josh Waters brushed aside concerns of a recently broken collarbone with his strong pace. Image: RbMotoLens

Kawasaki Supersport
The Kawasaki Supersport grid at Phillip Island is a tantalising mix of established stars, emerging talent and Supersport 300 graduates, with the 2025 championship shaping as the most competitive in recent memory.

For the moment, though, the incumbents have the upper hand, with Stop and Seal Yamaha teammates Archie McDonald and Jack Mahaffy claiming the quinella in qualifying, followed by Olly Simpson on his new BCperformance Kawasaki.

McDonald’s 1:34.945 is a new Supersport qualifying best lap, eclipsing Simpson’s previous one-year-old benchmark of 1:35.187. The lap record of 1:34.628 is held by reigning champion Jonathan Nahlous, which could be at risk when race one is held in cooler conditions at 9:25am on Saturday.

Yamahas fill the next four spots on the grid thanks to Tom Bramich, Declan van Rosmalen (Addicted to Track), Jake Farnsworth and Cameron Swain. Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki) was eighth.

All 23 riders qualified.

Albury’s Archie McDonald is galvanised for a massive Kawasaki Supersport opening round. Image: Russell Colvin

Race and Road Supersport 300
Tara Morrison’s victory in the opening Race and Road Supersport 300 race – which featured a whopping 41 riders – was spectacular, drafting her way to the lead at the death knell to pip Jordy Simpson (Yamaha) by a scant 0.058 seconds.

In a cliff-hanger blanket finish of the highest order, Scott Nicholson (Kawasaki) finished third, while the top eight riders all finished within one second of Morrison.

At the equivalent ASBK Championship round in 2024, Morrison scored a breakout podium finish in the final race before injuries curtailed what was a promising campaign.

In 2025, after a sensational pre-season, she’s now reached the Supersport 300 summit – but she had to scramble and fight the whole way after Nicholson held sway in the first half in the eight-lapper.

It was inevitably going to come down to a final lap rolling scrum, though, and that’s how it turned as riders jockeyed and fought for precious Phillip Island real estate.

Oliver Short (Kawasaki), Jake Senior (Yamaha), front-row starter Hudson Thompson (Yamaha), Tom Nicholson (Kawasaki) and junior dirt track star Sam Drane (Yamaha) saw out the top eight.

Race two is at 8:50am tomorrow.