ASBK’s summer opener gets a soaking that cancels race three

2027 Australian Superbike Championship

Round One Recap – Phillip Island

ASBK’s new summer series looked decidedly wintry at Phillip Island on Sunday morning. Heavy overnight rain left the circuit thoroughly soaked, and the third and final Superbike race of the opening round was cancelled.

The planned distance had already been trimmed from 11 laps to eight, but the field never got its Sunday showdown. That leaves Saturday’s two races to tell the story of the season opener: a breakthrough victory for Jonathan Nahlous, an emphatic response from Harrison Voight, and Yamaha and Ducati sharing the one-two finishes.

Nahlous makes his breakthrough

Saturday’s opening race belonged to Jonathan Nahlous, who charged from eighth on the grid to claim his first Superbike victory. Rain spots made for a nervous opening on slick tyres, but the Yamaha Racing Team youngster quickly worked his way through the early exchanges and took command.

Glenn Allerton and Jack Favelle had supplied plenty of entertainment before that, including Favelle’s audacious move around the outside at Siberia. Once Nahlous hit the front, however, it was Cam Dunker who emerged as his main threat. Dunker reeled him back in, only for Nahlous to respond and pull clear again to lead a Yamaha one-two.

Voight recovered from a slow start to take third after a late scrap with Cru Halliday, who had set the fastest lap of the race. Favelle crossed the line fifth but was subsequently disqualified for using unmarked tyres, promoting Allerton to fifth and Josh Waters to sixth.

Voight answers, Halliday holds firm

Voight admitted he had taken too long to get going in the opener. There was no such hesitation in his Race Two response, the defending champion getting away early and leading every lap despite another helping of rain spots.

Dunker led the pursuit for much of the race, with Halliday and Allerton keeping him busy. Halliday eventually found his way past the Yamaha rider late in the contest, then had to withstand everything Dunker could throw at him on the final lap. The Ducati held on by just four hundredths to complete a one-two for the Italian marque.

Allerton finished fourth ahead of Nahlous, while Jacob Roulstone improved to sixth. For Halliday, the result came with encouragement from a set-up change that finally allowed him to turn the bike where he wanted it. Dunker had two podiums from two starts, but was still looking for that first win of the new campaign.

Voight takes a narrow lead to The Bend

With Sunday’s race cancelled, Voight leaves Phillip Island on 44 points in the provisional standings, three ahead of Nahlous. Dunker and Halliday are also close enough to make their presence felt immediately at round two, with the leading quartet covered by just seven points.

Allerton sits fifth after his fifth and fourth places, while John Lytras holds sixth following a solid first weekend with Addicted To Track Racing. Waters is seventh in the standings after sixth and ninth on his DesmoSport Ducati debut, leaving the five-time champion with work to do when the series resumes.

How many will make the trip to The Bend?

The championship now heads to The Bend in South Australia on November 13–15, when the rest of the ASBK paddock joins the show. Supersport Next Gen, Supersport 300, R3 Cup and the Oceania Junior Cup are on the program alongside the Superbikes, with Superbike Masters also adding to the action.

Phillip Island attracted 31 Superbike entries and put 28 riders on the grid for Saturday’s opener. That was an encouraging sight, particularly after only 12 riders contested the wet final race of the previous season. The question now is how much of that grid will follow the championship beyond the Grand Prix support slot.

The South Australian entry list will give us a better indication of how much depth the new summer championship can carry through the season.

There is certainly enough happening at the front to make the trip worthwhile. Nahlous has his first win, Voight has reminded everyone why he carries the number one, Dunker has been on both podiums and Halliday has found a set-up he likes. The Bend’s 4.95-kilometre, 18-turn International circuit will test them in a very different way, while Waters will look to bring his new DesmoSport partnership into the fight.

The rest of the summer campaign

After The Bend, the championship heads to One Raceway on December 4–6 for the final round of 2026. Queensland Raceway then opens the new year on January 15–17, 2027.

Phillip Island gets another turn on February 19–21 alongside the opening round of the Superbike World Championship, before the six-round season concludes under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 19–20.

ASBK Superbike Championship
After Round One

Pos	Rider	Bike	Points
1	H. Voight	Duc	44
2	J. Nahlous	Yam	41
3	C. Dunker	Yam	38
4	C. Halliday	Duc	37
5	G. Allerton	Duc	33
6	J. Lytras	Yam	28
7	J. Waters	Duc	27
8	J. Roulstone	Hon	26
9	M. Jones	Yam	26
10	M. McLaren-Wood	Yam	20
11	B. Pearson	Hon	19
12	J. Newman	Duc	16
13	J. Martin	Yam	13
14	B. Wilson	Yam	13
15	L. Durning	BMW	12
16	J. Favelle	Hon	11
17	T. Binaisse	Suz	9
18	J. Quinn	Yam	8
19	M. Hamod	Yam	5
20	S. Bleazby	BMW	3
21	C. Holding	Yam	3
22	E. Leeson	Yam	1

2027 ASBK Championship Calendar

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