Edwards extends Next Gen lead as Simpson dominates in ASBK finale

Round Five – QLD Raceway
Kawasaki Supersport Race One

The inaugural Kawasaki SuperSport/Next Gen race at Queensland Raceway was always going to carry a lot of championship weight, with both titles still to be decided in the final two 14-lap contests of the 2026 ASBK season.

Tom Edwards started race one from pole after setting a new qualifying benchmark on Saturday, but with Olly Simpson, Tom Toperis and Hayden Nelson alongside or immediately behind him on the grid, there was little chance the BCPerformance Kawasaki rider could make things his own.

The Edwards versus Nelson equation was particularly well drawn, with only four points separating the two Kawasaki teammates on Sunday. Every position between the pair mattered, while both Simpson and Toperis had the pace to make a huge impact on how the inaugural Next Gen crown would be played out.

Toparis added another upset to the weekend by parking the Ducati V2 and returning to his trusty Yamaha YZF-R6 for the final, immediately putting the Stop & Seal machine on the front row and in the mix with the Next Gen title fighters.

In the traditional Supersport battle, Valentino Knezovic came into the day with a 16-point lead over Jake Farnsworth, but Farnsworth did what he needed to do in qualifying by placing his Yamaha ahead of the points leader on the grid. It pitted the two main Supersport title heroes together in the opening race.

three leaders in three turns

Ollie Simpson was the last man to take his grid position before the lights went out to signal the start of the final Supersport/Next Gen race of the 2026 season on Sunday morning. Edwards capitalized on pole to lead them through Turn 1, but Hayden Nelson attacked at Turn 2 before Simpson won the back chute on the Ducati. Three different leaders in the first three corners gave an early indication of how dire things were going to be.

As the field completed the opening laps, Simpson led Edwards by 0.257 of a second, with Nelson third, Toperis fourth, and Farnsworth fifth.

Simpson held the lead for the remainder of the opening lap and quickly moved into the 1m 10s. Toparis was already starting to get down to business, setting about chasing the leading trio, while Edwards had a big moment under the brakes at Turn 3 on the second lap, but somehow kept the Kawasaki under him before things got too bad.

Topris Speed, But Turn 3 Pain

Toparis looked set to join the main battle proper, but his challenge unraveled on lap three when he spun at Turn 3. The mistake cost him more than 20 seconds and dropped him to the back of the field, effectively eliminating him from podium contention.

Edwards had his ears back in an attempt to keep up with Simpson, but it was Nelson who overtook his teammate for second on lap five. The BCPerformance Kawasaki pair then continued their privateer championship battle behind Simpson, with Farnsworth in fourth place trying to keep them honest while also needing to maximize his Supersport points.

Simpson continued to distance himself from his pursuers, racing together in the mid 1m 10s laps and later lowering his best to 1m 10.412s in lap 11.

The fastest lap of the race ultimately went to Toperis, who was 13th when he uncorked a 1m10.368 on lap eight, underscoring what could have been after his start. A new lap record is some consolation.

Edwards hits back

Edwards then took second from Nelson with four laps remaining, holding off his teammate at the flag by just 0.060 seconds. Farnsworth was still close enough to keep the Kawasaki pair honest, but ultimately finished 0.988 behind Nelson and 4.718 behind race winner Simpson.

Simpson was a clear and dominant winner, winning by 3.670 seconds after leading every full lap. Edwards finished second overall and first among title contenders Next Gen Riders, while Nelson completed the podium.

Anubhav Sarmun put strong pressure on Knezovic for fifth place at the end of the race, finishing just 0.228 behind the Supersport championship leader, while Sam Pezzetta, Jordy Simpson, Josh Soderland, Lachie Williams and Ghez Plowman rounded out the top 12.

Will Nassif was the only non-finisher, stopping at Turn 4 after completing 12 laps.

championship pictures

That result means Edwards takes a seven-point lead over Nelson going into the final race of the season this afternoon, 209 points to 202. Simpson is now third in the Next Gen standings at 159, ahead of Toparis at 131 and Eddie Leeson at 50.

In the Supersport ranks, Farnsworth took six points from Knezovic after including a Queensland Raceway pole point, reducing the gap from 16 points to ten. Knezovic still had the lead, 204 to 194, heading into the final race, with Jordy Simpson in third on 152.

Supersport/Next Gen Race One Results

Next Generation Championship Points

Supersport Championship Points

2026 asbk calendar