Aboard the Ducati V4R, the 2025 victory came in qualifying where his nearest rival Mike Jones had to qualify fastest on his Yamaha YZF-R1 to keep a very slim winning chance alive.

Waters is a three-decade champion with title victories, firstly in 2009 on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 followed by successes in 2012, 2017, 2024 and now 2025.

“Awesome feeling, five times!” Waters said.

“There was lots going on in my head, I knew that we had done a lot of work. The job was almost done but I thought that stuff could happen.

“Such a relief to get the job done . . . so happy.”

Jones was fastest in Qualifying 1 in cool 15 degrees Celsius ambient where the track temperature barely touched 30. But he could only manage second in Qualifying 2 for the Top 12.

Pole Position was taken be Cru Halliday with the Ducati rider pulling out a 1L50.028 very late in the 15-minute decider.

Waters was second for much of the session with an initial 1:50.667 before he finished fifth on 1:50.367 after he was jumped by Jonathan Nahlous (Honda CBR RR) and Broc Pearson (Ducati).

Cameron Dunker (Yamaha) joined the session late and finished sixth ahead of three-time Troy Herfoss (Yamaha), Ant West, Max Stauffer (Yamaha), Glenn Allerton (Ducati), Ty Lynch and John Lytras, both on Yamahas.

The eighth and final round to the Australian Superbike Championship concludes with two 11-lap races at 10:50am and 2:15pm ACDT and will be livestreamed and televised on SBS and SBS On Demand.