Breakthrough for Omega Racing Team at Sodden Phillip Island


Round Six of the 2025 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) returned to Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, the fast and flowing coastal 4.445km circuit that remains a favourite among riders and fans alike.


Omega Racing Team’s Superbike rider, #20 Jonathan “JJ” Nahlous, delivered one of the standout performances of the weekend, handling the extreme weather with ultimate composure to bank two top-six results.


SUPERBIKE

Saturday brought perfectly dry and sunny conditions, with Nahlous hitting a top lap of 1:32.730 to qualify 9th, and acknowledging the progression made across each session despite not placing as high in the field as he'd hoped. Sunday’s racing, however, was shaped by the weather. Race one was run in torrential rain, with heavy wind, puddles and standing water across the track. Nahlous persisted through the chaotic conditions despite running wide in the early stages of the race, and claimed a strong 6th place finish.


Race two brought an even greater test. The weather had eased, but the surface remained patchy, with dry lines in some corners and damp patches in others. Together with the team, Nahlous made the bold call to run Pirelli slick tyres, with the hope of generating enough heat through the dry corners to maintain control in the damp zones. The gamble paid off. He launched into the leading group for an exciting six-way battle that lasted all the way to the chequered flag, where he crossed the line in 5th place.


The results secured him P4 overall, and whilst narrowly missing out on a podium this round, both Nahlous and the team couldn't be happier. With two rounds to go, Nahlous currently sits 7th in the championship standings, just two points shy of 6th.

SUPERSPORT

In the Supersport category, #65 Will Nassif delivered another consistent performance on his Yamaha YZF-R6. He qualified with a 1:36.886 on Saturday to place him 11th on the grid. Race one's ten-lap skirmish was held just before the rain arrived, and saw Nassif climb to 8th place, collecting another 14 championship points. Race two was run in tougher conditions, with lap times slowing by more than 10 seconds per lap, but Nassif held firm for 9th place. Nassif's results secured him P6 for the round, and bring him within four points of 8th in the championship standings.



SUPERSPORT 300

#63 Mitchell Cartwright and #84 Zac Russo continued their development in the spectacularly competitive and massively subscribed Supersport 300 field on their Yamaha YZF-R3’s, with more than 30 bikes jostling for position across practice, qualifying, and three races.


Both riders showed major improvements in the dry, with Cartwright tightening his lap times by 2.5 seconds across free practice, and matching his previous PB. Russo was able to find over 3 seconds between FP1 and FP2, setting a new PB which he surpassed again in Q1.  Both boys then got to enjoy the full and complete Phillip Island experience, with hazardous conditions across Races ones and two, before the sun reappeared for the weekend's finale.


The slippery conditions took their toll for Russo in Race 1 with a DNF, but he gridded up again for Races 2 and 3 in the ultimate show of resilience to finish the weekend with some competitive battles. Cartwright bounced back from a tough Saturday to take P18 in Race 2, climbing 11 places from a P29 start in a standout effort for the 21-year old.


The whole team are eagerly anticipating the challenge of Goulburn's One Raceway for the season's penultimate round on October 4th-6th.


A huge thank you to our Omega Racing Team's naming sponsor Omega Appliances for their continued support, as well as ongoing season sponsors: Complete AV, RKChain, Motul, Knight Designs, Bikebiz, PirelliMoto, Motocity Wollongong and Yamaha Motor Australia.


Words: Russell Downie and Rebecca Bowdidge.

Images by Pit Lane Studio.