Unlike recent seasons where The Bend hosted the championship finale, the South Australian venue now lands in the middle of the calendar, but the pressure on riders remains just as intense across all five championship classes.

Read our ASBK content here…

In the premier SW-Motech Superbike category, Harrison Voight (McMartin Racing Ducati) arrives with the championship lead after winning three of the opening five races. Teammate and five-time champion Josh Waters sits second, trailing by just 14 points, while Jacob Roulstone (Motocity Honda) holds third after a strong start to his rookie Superbike campaign.

Cru Halliday sits fourth following a pair of podiums at Sydney Motorsport Park, while Anthony West, Cameron Dunker, Glenn Allerton, Mike Jones, Jonathan Nahlous and Jack Favelle remain closely grouped in a tightly contested standings battle.

Jones will be one to watch at The Bend, with three wins and eight podiums from 11 races at the circuit, and will be aiming to bounce back after a subdued start to the season.

Elsewhere, the Kawasaki Supersport championship is led by Jake Farnsworth ahead of Valentino Knezovic and Josh Soderland, while the Supersport Next Gen class sees Olly Simpson narrowly leading Tom Edwards and Hayden Nelson.

The always unpredictable Supersport 300 class has already produced four different winners in five races, with New Zealander Tyler King leading the standings ahead of rookie Orlando Peovitis.

The BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup will also feature at The Bend, with Tom Cameron arriving with a 22-point lead after winning all three races at the Sydney opener.

Fans attending the event can also enjoy off-track entertainment including stunt shows, a trade alley, bike displays and a free Sunday pit-lane walk. Get your tickets here…

The post Stakes rising as Penrite ASBK Championship heads to The Bend appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Roulstone (Motocity Honda) produced one of the rides of the weekend in race two, launching from third position on the final lap to snatch his maiden ASBK Superbike victory in just his second start. In contrast, Voight (McMartin Racing Ducati) was untouchable in race three, delivering a clinical, front-running performance to underline his status as an early title favourite.

With a 1-4-1 scorecard across the three races, Voight emerged as the overall round winner and leaves Phillip Island with a six-point championship lead over Roulstone, 68 points to 62, heading into round two at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 27–28. Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) sits third overall on 56 points.

“I’m chuffed with how things have gone this weekend,” Voight said. “My pace was great, and even in the mixed conditions of race two I was thinking about the championship. Overall, it’s been a fantastic start to the year.”

SW-Motech Superbike

Light drizzle played a significant role in both 11-lap Superbike races, creating constant tyre-choice headaches for teams and riders. After a frantic switch to slicks following the sighting lap of race two, defending champion Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) launched strongly and controlled the race until the closing moments.

Waters came under increasing pressure from Glenn Allerton before being overwhelmed on the final lap, with Dunker slicing through at Turn 2 and Roulstone diving past at Turn 4. Roulstone then executed a perfectly judged move on Dunker exiting Turn 10 to secure a sensational breakthrough Superbike victory. Waters held on for third ahead of Voight, Glenn Allerton, Anthony West, Mike Jones and Cru Halliday.

Race three belonged entirely to Voight. Breaking away from the pack almost immediately, the 19-year-old reeled off a blistering 1:30.855 on lap three – just shy of his own circuit benchmark – before managing his advantage as drizzle returned late in the race. It marked Voight’s third Superbike victory at Phillip Island in only seven starts.

Behind him, the battle for the podium remained intense. Roulstone briefly ran off on lap eight and dropped to seventh, but mounted a strong recovery to finish fourth behind Voight, Jonathan Nahlous and Dunker. West completed the top five ahead of Waters, Allerton and Jack Favelle. After round one, Waters sits fourth in the championship standings on 50 points, followed by Nahlous (47), West (45), Allerton (42) and Jones (42).

Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen

Declared a wet race but ridden at dry-race intensity, the final Kawasaki Supersport/Supersport Next Gen encounter delivered one of the finishes of the season. Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati) claimed victory by a scarcely believable 0.001 seconds after drafting past Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati) at the line.

Simpson had nearly thrown away his chances moments earlier with a near-crash at Turn 9, allowing Toparis to take lead. Refusing to concede, Simpson regrouped and struck back in the final metres to seal his second win of the weekend.

Tom Edwards (BCperformance Kawasaki) was close behind in third ahead of Jake Farnsworth, Hayden Nelson, Will Nassif, Roberto Tamburini and rookie Ghage Plowman. Tamburini leads the Supersport standings after round one on 69 points, while Simpson tops Supersport Next Gen from Edwards and Nelson.

Race and Road Supersport 300

Morning drizzle created sketchy conditions for the final Race and Road Supersport 300 race, but it mattered little to Tara Morrison (Kawasaki), who dominated the shortened four-lap encounter for a commanding three-second victory.

It marked Morrison’s third Phillip Island win in the past nine races and lifted her to third in the championship standings. Lincoln Knight (Yamaha) finished second, while Jordy Simpson completed a clean sweep of third places for the weekend. The 2026 ASBK Championship now moves to Sydney Motorsport Park for round two on March 27–28.

Full results can be found for all classes here…

Round one of the Penrite Australian Superbike Championship delivered a fitting finale at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, with Jacob Roulstone and Harrison Voight claiming the SW-Motech Superbike honours in dramatically different fashion on Sunday. Press: ASBK Media Photos: RbMotoLens

Roulstone (Motocity Honda) produced one of the rides of the weekend in race two, launching from third position on the final lap to snatch his maiden ASBK Superbike victory in just his second start. In contrast, Voight (McMartin Racing Ducati) was untouchable in race three, delivering a clinical, front-running performance to underline his status as an early title favourite.

With a 1-4-1 scorecard across the three races, Voight emerged as the overall round winner and leaves Phillip Island with a six-point championship lead over Roulstone, 68 points to 62, heading into round two at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 27–28. Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) sits third overall on 56 points.

“I’m chuffed with how things have gone this weekend,” Voight said. “My pace was great, and even in the mixed conditions of race two I was thinking about the championship. Overall, it’s been a fantastic start to the year.”

SW-Motech Superbike

Light drizzle played a significant role in both 11-lap Superbike races, creating constant tyre-choice headaches for teams and riders. After a frantic switch to slicks following the sighting lap of race two, defending champion Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) launched strongly and controlled the race until the closing moments.

Waters came under increasing pressure from Glenn Allerton before being overwhelmed on the final lap, with Dunker slicing through at Turn 2 and Roulstone diving past at Turn 4. Roulstone then executed a perfectly judged move on Dunker exiting Turn 10 to secure a sensational breakthrough Superbike victory. Waters held on for third ahead of Voight, Glenn Allerton, Anthony West, Mike Jones and Cru Halliday.

Race three belonged entirely to Voight. Breaking away from the pack almost immediately, the 19-year-old reeled off a blistering 1:30.855 on lap three – just shy of his own circuit benchmark – before managing his advantage as drizzle returned late in the race. It marked Voight’s third Superbike victory at Phillip Island in only seven starts.

Behind him, the battle for the podium remained intense. Roulstone briefly ran off on lap eight and dropped to seventh, but mounted a strong recovery to finish fourth behind Voight, Jonathan Nahlous and Dunker. West completed the top five ahead of Waters, Allerton and Jack Favelle. After round one, Waters sits fourth in the championship standings on 50 points, followed by Nahlous (47), West (45), Allerton (42) and Jones (42).

Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen

Declared a wet race but ridden at dry-race intensity, the final Kawasaki Supersport/Supersport Next Gen encounter delivered one of the finishes of the season. Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati) claimed victory by a scarcely believable 0.001 seconds after drafting past Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati) at the line.

Simpson had nearly thrown away his chances moments earlier with a near-crash at Turn 9, allowing Toparis to take lead. Refusing to concede, Simpson regrouped and struck back in the final metres to seal his second win of the weekend.

Tom Edwards (BCperformance Kawasaki) was close behind in third ahead of Jake Farnsworth, Hayden Nelson, Will Nassif, Roberto Tamburini and rookie Ghage Plowman. Tamburini leads the Supersport standings after round one on 69 points, while Simpson tops Supersport Next Gen from Edwards and Nelson.

Race and Road Supersport 300

Morning drizzle created sketchy conditions for the final Race and Road Supersport 300 race, but it mattered little to Tara Morrison (Kawasaki), who dominated the shortened four-lap encounter for a commanding three-second victory.

It marked Morrison’s third Phillip Island win in the past nine races and lifted her to third in the championship standings. Lincoln Knight (Yamaha) finished second, while Jordy Simpson completed a clean sweep of third places for the weekend. The 2026 ASBK Championship now moves to Sydney Motorsport Park for round two on March 27–28.

Full results can be found for all classes here…

The post ASBK Round 1 | Sunday Reports, Roulstone and Voight Rule appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The Queenslander wasted no time asserting control, launching his McMartin Racing Ducati into the lead from the outset and steadily stretching his advantage across the 11-lap encounter. Calm, precise and relentlessly fast, Voight was never seriously challenged on his way to a crushing win in just his sixth career Superbike start.

Behind him, the battle for the remaining podium places delivered the race’s drama. Superbike rookie Jacob Roulstone (Motocity Honda) rode with remarkable maturity to secure second place, while Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) completed an all-young-guns SW-Motech Superbike podium.

As Voight checked out up front, a multi-rider freight train developed behind. Roulstone and Dunker traded blows while Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) remained poised just off their rear wheel, biding his time in trademark fashion.

Defending champion Josh Waters endured an eventful race, running off at Turn 4 on lap two before recovering to latch onto the leading group. He was joined by Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha Racing Team) and polesitter Anthony West, forming a six-rider train that ultimately stayed intact to the chequered flag.

The order remained unchanged at the finish, with Roulstone crossing the line 2.932 seconds behind Voight and narrowly ahead of Dunker, Waters, Jones and Nahlous. For Waters, fifth place marked his first non-podium Superbike finish at Phillip Island since the opening round of the 2022 season.

West finished seventh ahead of Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati), Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati) and Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha), rounding out the top 10.

Supersport: Simpson and Tamburini share honours

The Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen classes delivered two fiercely contested races under perfect Phillip Island conditions. Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati) claimed race one by just 0.075 seconds from polesitter Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki), while evergreen Italian Roberto Tamburini (Addicted to Track Yamaha) capitalised on late-race drama to win race two by nearly a second over Tom Edwards.

Across the two races, Tamburini emerged as the top Supersport performer ahead of Valentino Knezovic and Scott Nicholson, while Simpson led the Supersport Next Gen standings from Edwards and Nelson.

Supersport 300: King takes Trans-Tasman honours

The Race and Road Supersport 300 class again produced edge-of-the-seat racing, with New Zealander Tyler King emerging victorious after an eight-lap all-in brawl. Just 0.593 seconds covered the top 11 riders at the finish, with Jordy Simpson completing the podium ahead of Rossi McAdam, Jake Senior and Phoenix O’Brien.

Lincoln Knight set the fastest lap of the race despite finishing at the tail of the leading pack, underlining the ferocity of the contest. Races two and three of the SW-Motech Superbike class will be held on Sunday morning and afternoon as Round 1 of the 2026 ASBK season continues.

The post ASBK Round 1 | Saturday Reports From Phillip Island, Voight Wins appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

After a pre-season marked by major rider moves, fresh faces and renewed sponsorship, the championship’s first round kicks off with stacked grids across all classes – SW-Motech Superbike, Kawasaki Supersport/Supersport Next Gen and Race & Road Supersport 300.

A total of 76 riders are entered for round one, including current and former ASBK champions, national contenders and promising newcomers. Only Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati), fresh from claiming his fifth Superbike title in 2025, heads into the weekend as the defending champion.

The opening round also brings renewed energy to the paddock thanks to Penrite Oil’s expanded role as naming-rights partner, reinforcing local motorsport support in its centenary year.

Spectators will see a deep talent pool battling on track, with standout performers such as Anthony West, Harrison Voight, Mike Jones, Cameron Dunker and Jonathan Nahlous among those poised to shine. Emerging riders like Marcus Hamod and Josh Newman also join the fray in the Superbike class, while Kawasaki Supersport and Next Gen fields boast strong entries from both experienced and younger racers.

As always at Phillip Island – with its fast, flowing layout – the season opener promises close, high-speed racing before the championship heads to Sydney Motorsport Park, The Bend, Morgan Park and Queensland Raceway later in the calendar. Read our 2025 ASBK content here…

The post ASBK 2026 News | Round One Race Action Kicks Off This Weekend! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....