Craig McMartin
Interview reflecting on ASBK 2025
A former front-line racer turned championship-winning team owner, Craig McMartin has steadily built one of the most formidable operations in the ASBK paddock.
With Josh Waters securing his fifth Australian Superbike Championship, the McMartin Racing Ducati squad once again proved that a tight-knit team with clear direction can outperform some bigger outfits.
There is no doubt that the Ducati is the best tool to have in ASBK competition, but it is also perhaps one of the most complex to get the best out of. Time after time, McMartin and his crew have proved to do that far better than anyone else.
We sat down with Craig McMartin to talk about the 2025 season, the strengths of the Ducati platform, behind the scenes, the reality of running a top-tier ASBK outfit, and where McMartin Racing is headed.
Season Rewind & Team Performance
How do you reflect on the team’s season as a whole? Were the results in line with your expectations?
McMartin – “I’m very satisfied with the season; it exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Was there a defining moment this year where you felt the team had truly hit its stride?
McMartin – “QR was one moment that stands out, as it hasn’t been one of our strong tracks.”
What was the toughest race weekend for the team, and what did you learn from it?
McMartin – “One Raceway was tough as the expectation to win the championship weighed heavily on Josh’s shoulders. I think I didn’t stress enough to Josh that it didn’t matter if he won the championship there or not.”
In a season full of variables, what was the most significant internal challenge you had to manage?
McMartin – “There was nothing major, small things like the mechanics, like a certain type of microfiber, and they have green ones in the bag, and Josh doesn’t like green, so I take them out and leave them at home.”
On Josh Waters
Josh just secured his fifth championship, the last two of those, of course, coming with you. What makes him such an effective winner?
McMartin – “His natural talent is exceptional, and his work ethic away from the track is amazing; his training and willingness to ask how he can improve are second to none.”
Do you remember the moment you realised he was the right rider for your program?
McMartin – “He filled in for Wayne at MotoGP support races and won all three races for the first time on the bike. Adrian and I decided to do the last two rounds of ASBK with him, and his results and fit with the team worked well.”
Are you locked in with Josh for 2026?
McMartin – “Josh is locked in for 2026. Josh, Gin and their kids are part of the family. We have so much fun together, so there is no reason to change.”
How does Josh’s feedback shape the team’s technical direction?
McMartin – “It’s a combination of his feedback and Adrian looking at the data that determines the setup changes.”
In your eyes, what’s the most underrated part of Josh’s approach to racing?
McMartin – “Josh never went well at QR, and we asked him to change his riding and approach to that track. He listened and did everything we asked him to do, so his willingness to improve himself to win after all these years is very underrated.”
How much of the team’s success is down to chemistry versus outright speed?
McMartin – “It’s a bit of both, the team get on so well together as we all want to win but always have fun and laughs along the way, plus Josh’s outright speed is amazing.”
The Ducati Platform
What makes the Ducati platform so effective in ASBK?
McMartin – “Ducati produce the bike to a high level in standard trim; the engine produces good power, which leaves more time to work on the chassis.”
Has the Panigale evolved in ways that have changed how you operate the team?
McMartin – “No, we would work the same no matter what bike we have.”
What area of the bike provides the most significant competitive advantage?
McMartin – “The engine.”
Where is the bike still vulnerable, or at least, not as strong as you’d like?
McMartin – “Turning in certain types of corners, the Yamaha has a very good chassis that suits a lot of our tracks and has an advantage in that area, as Mike said in your interview, with him thinking the only area the Ducati is better is on acceleration out of the corner, the bikes are fairly even across all the tracks.”
How much freedom do you have to innovate on the Ducati package within ASBK rules?
McMartin – “We have the same freedom as the other manufacturers, maybe not as much as Yamaha, as they have been given more with parity, but the others we are the same.”
Team Structure & Leadership
What’s the hardest part about running a top-level ASBK team today?
McMartin – “Everything away from the track, I build the bikes, book flights, accommodation, etc. The races are the fun part, as I have an amazing team of people who will go above and beyond at the track.”
Is there someone in the garage who deserves far more recognition than they get?
McMartin – “Everyone in the garage deserves more recognition for their hard work; the people in the team are more important than the equipment you have.”
What’s the most important trait you look for when bringing someone into the team?
McMartin – “How they fit in with the rest of the team is number one; we can teach them about the bike.”
How has your leadership style evolved from your early days to now?
McMartin – “It hasn’t changed.”
Technical Philosophy & Strategy
Are you a data-first team owner, or is instinct still a major part of your decision-making?
McMartin – “Definitely data first, as all our decisions are made by checking the data.”
What’s the biggest technical breakthrough you’ve had in recent years?
McMartin – “We have learned a lot over the last few years; not one thing stands out. Just a lot of small things add up.”
Is there one area where you never stop trying new ideas?
McMartin – “There is not a lot we can do to the engine in our rules, so we are always trying to make the overall package better.”
How much does rider preference shape your technical direction?
McMartin – “Rider preference is number one; we always listen to Josh and ask what he needs and make final decisions with the data.”
Do you think the current ASBK regulations reward clever engineering or simple consistency?
McMartin – “I think all motorsport rewards clever engineering.”
Rivalries, Competition & the State of ASBK
Which rival team pushed you the hardest this year, and how?
McMartin – “Mike Jones has pushed us all year; he has been on the same bike for a long time now and has learnt how to ride it well.”
What do you think ASBK is doing well right now, and what needs improving?
McMartin – “Not much, it’s a dictatorship that doesn’t listen to the competitors or advertise the sport enough, but the staff and volunteers we deal with at the track are amazing.”
Has the competition become more unpredictable, or more predictable, over the last few years?
McMartin – “More predictable.”
Who is the next big threat emerging in the category?
McMartin – “Jonathan Nahlous, the amount of riding he does at all the tracks is amazing, and he has come a long way this year.”
If you could change one thing in ASBK to improve competitiveness, what would it be?
McMartin – “Testing ban, there are some riders who ride so much, the lower budget teams just cannot compete.”
Ducati’s Role & International Influence
How closely do you work with Ducati in Italy? Do you get meaningful support or insight?
McMartin – “Ducati Corse considers us the number one team in Australia, and they do help us with different things.”
How closely do you pay attention to WorldSBK developments, and do any of those ideas translate to ASBK?
McMartin – “We always keep an eye on what developments are happening, but not much translates to ASBK as our bikes are a lower spec than WSBK.”
Has Ducati ever been surprised by something your team has achieved here?
McMartin – “No.”
Would you take the team overseas for a wildcard if the opportunity arose?
McMartin – “Maybe if we had the right equipment to be competitive.”
The Business Side
How difficult is it to balance the financial realities of racing with the desire to improve the bike and the program constantly?
McMartin – “It’s very difficult to balance it, I always look to improve the bike and overall package, but I am a privateer team with a small budget, so there are things I would like to do but cannot as there isn’t the budget.”
What do you think sponsors misunderstand most about running a superbike team?
McMartin – “How much it costs to run the team.”
What’s the hardest part of securing and retaining partners?
McMartin – “ASBK is so slow at getting the calendar and information out about TV and social media numbers, etc., that most companies have already finalised budgets before we get the information.”
Do you think ASBK has become more expensive to compete in over the last decade?
McMartin – “A lot more expensive.”
Long-Term Vision
Where do you want the team to be in five years? Bigger?
McMartin – “I want to still be winning championships and having fun.”
Do you feel a responsibility to help develop the next generation of Ducati riders?
McMartin – “No, it doesn’t work like that in here as our championship.”
Is there a long-term plan for the team beyond ASBK, wildcards, international events, a second rider, or expansion?
McMartin – “You never know what the future holds, maybe a second rider.”
What does success look like for the McMartin team in the long view?
McMartin – “More championships.”
Philosophy
When you look back at your own riding career, what lessons still shape how you run the team today?
McMartin – “I run it the way I always wanted things as a rider, I will always run it that way.”
What’s a misconception about you that you’d like to correct?
McMartin – “Sometimes people forget I’m a private team, I do everything away from the track, build and maintain the bikes, book flights and accommodation and work with sponsors, etc.”
What’s the funniest, or strangest, moment you’ve experienced as a team owner?
McMartin – “Last season, when I thought Josh won the championship, not realising Mike got past Troy on the last corner.”
McMartin Racing will be in action this Friday night at the St. George Summer Nights Series with Harrison Voight. Josh Waters will ride the bike for the first time this year in a fortnight’s time at Phillip Island ahead of the season opener at the Victorian venue on the weekend of February 22.
Ducati riders have won five of the last seven Australian Superbike Championship crowns. DesmoSport Ducati won with Mike Jones in 2019 on the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition, while Wayne Maxwell won in 2020 and 2021 on a McMartin Ducati V4 R.
Josh Waters comes into season 2026 with McMartin Ducati after winning the last two titles on the trot with the team and is the hot favourite for a hat-trick. The last rider to win three titles in succession was Shawn Giles, who won in 2000, 2001 and 2002 before his streak was broken by his young Suzuki team-mate Craig Coxhell in 2003.
Josh Waters is the only rider to have won five Australian Superbike Championships and is working towards a record-extending sixth in 2026.
Mike Jones is the only rider to have won three ASBK Championships on three different brands of machinery. Mike’s first crown was won on a Kawasaki before his Ducati win in 2019. Mike’s Yamaha title in 2022 broke a 15-year drought for YRT. Jonathan Nahlous is expected to join Jones at YRT this season.
Anthony West had a great season in 2025 with Addicted To Track on a Yamaha and almost managed to usurp Jones for second in the title before ultimately finishing third. The veteran will line up on a DesmoSport Ducati V4 R in 2026 and is testing with the team at Phillip Island this week.
2026 ASBK Provisional Calendar
| 2026 ASBK PROVISIONAL CALENDAR | ||
| Round One | February 20-22 | Phillip Island, VIC (WorldSBK) |
| Round Two | March 27-28 | Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW |
| Round Three | May 1-3 | The Bend, SA |
| Round Four | May 29-31 | Morgan Park, QLD |
| Round Five | June 26-28 | Queensland Raceway, QLD |
