Nahlous Shines in Wild Queensland Weekend for Omega Racing Team


Round 5 of the 2025 Australian Superbike Championship brought the action to Queensland Raceway, near Ipswich, south of Brisbane. A unique stop on the season calendar, ASBK riders lined up alongside the Supercars Championship, creating a fascinating and high-octane atmosphere for teams and fans alike.

 

#20 Jonathan “JJ” Nahlous continued his impressive rookie season in the premier class, keeping his Yamaha YZF-R1 inside the Top 10 in every session across the three-day event.

 

Friday’s opening practice session was held in damp conditions, where JJ demonstrated his wet-weather prowess to record the second-fastest time in a field of more than 20 riders. The track dried for FP2, and JJ adapted quickly, finishing in 4th position.

 

Qualifying saw the pace heat up, with JJ pushing through some minor bike issues to progress into Q2 - the shootout for the fastest 12 riders. He matched his PB lap of 1:07.9 to secure P6 and a second-row start for the weekend’s three races.

 

Or at least, that was the plan. Race 1 was cancelled due to a combination of oil and heavy standing water on track, with the unpredictable Queensland weather once again playing its part.

 

In Race 2, JJ held his ground in the Top 10 despite being pushed wide at Turn 2 and a small mistake at Turn 4. He recovered strongly, climbing from 10th to 7th early on and maintaining that position through to the chequered flag, a solid result that boosted confidence heading into Sunday.

 

The final race was another wild affair in the opening laps, but JJ dug deep, persevering with fading brakes to cross the line in 6th. He also set his fastest race lap of the weekend - a 1:08.1 on Lap 4.

 

A solid points haul leaves JJ 8th in the championship standings at a circuit not traditionally his strongest. With momentum building, JJ and the Omega Racing Team now look ahead to the next round at Victoria’s iconic Phillip Island circuit this weekend, September 6–7.

 

The team extends its deepest thanks to our valued supporters, including major sponsors Omega Appliances, Complete AV, RKChain, Motul, Knight Designs, Bikebiz, PirelliMoto, Motocity Wollongong and Yamaha Motor Australia.


Words: Russell Downie and Rebecca Bowdidge

Images: Pit Lane Studio