Voight shows blinding pace at SMP finale – Nahlous lifts St. George Summer Nights title

MOTUL Summer Night Series hosted by St. George MCC
Sydney Motorsport Park – Gardner GP Circuit
Pirelli Unlimited F1 and F2

Words and images by Nick Edards / Half Light / RbMotoLens

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The third and final round of the MOTUL St George Summer Nights Series 2024-25 (SNS05) took place over the evenings of February the 7th and 8th at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The event saw ideal conditions on Friday, but Saturday’s weather proved to be a major factor. The track never fully dried, and as thunderstorms rolled in, organisers were forced to abandon the meeting approximately an hour earlier than scheduled.

Event Format

Given the unique structure of the SNS series, it’s worth reiterating how the event is organized. Six classes compete, with pairs of classes sharing track time. For SNS05 Round Three, the line-up featured:

• Pirelli Unlimited F1 (international/national riders) & Unlimited F2 (club-level riders)
• AGV 600 F1 (international/national riders) & 600 F2 (club-level riders)
• Kabuto 400cc & Falco Formula St George, making their first appearance of the year, replacing Airoh Unlimited F3 & Five Gloves Retro, which participated in the first two rounds.

Race Format

Points for the round were determined by the aggregate results from both nights of racing. The format remained consistent across both days, with each paired class scheduled for:

• One 10-minute qualifying session per night
• Three seven-lap races per night

This meant each class had two qualifying sessions and six races over the event. The progressive grid system was applied:

• Qualifying results set the grid for Race 1
• Race 1 results determined the grid for Race 2
• Race 2 results determined the grid for Race 3, and so on

Coverage

As is customary for SNS, our coverage is split into two reports. This first report focuses on the Pirelli Unlimited F1/F2 classes, while a second report will cover AGV 600 F1/F2, Kabuto 400cc, and Falco Formula St George.

Race Reports for Pirelli Unlimited classes at Rounds One and Two can be found here:
2024/2025 St. George Summer Night Series

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Time Constraints and Race Adjustments

Time is always a crucial factor at Summer Nights events, as maintaining the schedule requires minimal turnaround time between sessions.

Any overruns can cause disruptions later in the evening, with the 10:30 PM curfew serving as a hard stop, allowing for very little flexibility beyond that.

The early abandonment of Saturday’s racing due to weather meant that all classes missed out on their third race of the night.

Friday fared much better, though a series of red flags, restarts, and recovery delays led to some time loss. Despite this, Pirelli Unlimited F1/F2 managed to complete its full three-race schedule, while one other race was lost due to time constraints.

Stacked F1 Lineup & F2 Contenders

The F1 grid was packed with talent, featuring a strong line-up of riders. Cru Halliday, Matt Walters, Arthur Sissis, Tom Toparis, and Anthony West made their first appearances of the season, joining series regulars such as Jonathan Nahlous, Josh Brookes, and Jack Favelle.

Also returning for Round Three was Glenn Allerton, looking to put his new-for-2025 Ducati through its paces. Unfortunately, ECU issues limited his track time, preventing him from making a significant impact on the results.

In F2, the top club-level riders were out in force, with series leader Dom De Leon leading the charge, joined by Chris Dunne, Timothy Griffith, Harley Borkowski, and other key competitors.

Championship Standings Heading into Round Three

As Round Three got underway, JJ Nahlous led the F1 standings with 117 points, holding a comfortable gap over Josh Brookes (88 points) in second, and Jack Favelle (86 points) in third.

In F2, Dominic De Leon sat atop the leaderboard with 130 points, just nine points ahead of Chris Dunne (121 points), while Tim Griffith (97 points) rounded out the top three.

With 25 points awarded per race win, the championship was still wide open, setting the stage for an intense weekend of racing.

Friday Qualifying – A Windy Shake-Up

Qualifying took place just as a southerly wind swept across the track, offering relief from the afternoon heat and shaking up track conditions.

Harrison Voight, not a series regular but always a strong competitor when he fronts, wasted no time asserting his dominance. Voight secured pole position with a blistering 1m29.939, nearly two-seconds clear of Josh Brookes (1m31.757), who edged out Jack Favelle by just two-hundredths of a second for second place.

Series leader Nahlous lined up fourth on the grid, leading row two, and finishing less than half a second behind Favelle.

In F2, Timothy Griffith topped the timesheets with a 1m36.316, placing him 14th overall on the grid. Scott Gardner (1m36.505) and Jack Passfield (1m37.205) followed closely in 15th and 16th.

Championship front-runners De Leon and Dunne were just behind them, setting up a competitive battle for the races ahead.

Friday Qualifying Results

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Pirelli Unlimited F1 and F2 – Friday Race One

Harrison Voight launched off the grid and never looked back, controlling the race from start to finish. His fastest lap of 1m29.999 was well over a second quicker than the next fastest, set by Josh Brookes, who crossed the line nearly six-seconds behind Voight in second place.

JJ Nahlous put in a strong effort but couldn’t quite close the gap to Brookes, finishing third, just a second behind the BSB veteran. Sean Condon and Jack Favelle rounded out the F1 top five.

In F2, Dominic De Leon claimed victory in class, finishing 13th overall, and securing 25 crucial championship points to extend his lead over Chris Dunne, who finished fourth in category.

Scott Gardner and Timothy Griffith completed the F2 podium, with Gardner finishing three and a half seconds behind De Leon.

Race One Results

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Pirelli Unlimited F1 and F2 – Friday Race Two

Harrison Voight once again proved untouchable in the second bout, showcasing both speed and consistency with a fastest lap of 1m29.942—making him the only rider to dip below 1m30 in any race on Friday.

He stormed to another commanding victory, finishing just under four-seconds ahead of Josh Brookes—an impressive margin at this level.

The battle for third through fifth was a thriller, with Sean Condon, Anthony West, and JJ Nahlous crossing the line within just over a tenth of a second of each other, making for one of the tightest finishes of the night.

In F2, Dominic De Leon was on fire, taking his second category win of the night while finishing 13th overall with a best lap of 1m35.362. He crossed the line six-seconds ahead of Timothy Griffith, who secured second in class.

Chris Dunne and Scott Gardner finished in close company behind Griffith, while Harley Borkowski rounded out the F2 top five.

Race Two Results

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Pirelli Unlimited F1 and F2 – Friday Race Three

Harrison Voight went on to complete a perfect night, securing his third straight victory with a dominant seven-second win over JJ Nahlous.

Nahlous, however, had to fend off a charging Anthony West, who finished just one-tenth of a second behind him in what was a thrilling battle for second place.

Cru Halliday, racing for Stop & Seal this year, finished fourth, while Jack Favelle rounded out the top five.

As for Josh Brookes, his night—and ultimately his weekend—came to an abrupt halt due to a small component failure on his home-built Honda. With no replacement part available before Sunday, his promising weekend was cut short in disappointing fashion.

In F2, Dominic De Leon continued his relentless form, finishing 10th overall and securing another category victory.

He crossed the line seven seconds ahead of Timothy Griffith, while Scott Gardner finished a close third—just seven-hundredths of a second behind Griffith. Chris Dunne and Harley Borkowski completed the F2 top five.

Championship Standings After Friday Night – F1 Standings

1. JJ Nahlous – 171 points
2. Jack Favelle – 133 points
3. Josh Brookes – 117 points

With a 38-point lead, Nahlous looked strong for the series win, but with Favelle still within striking distance, any slip-up on Saturday could have changed the championship picture.

F2 Standings

1. Dominic De Leon – 205 points
2. Chris Dunne – 173 points (-32)
3. Timothy Griffith – 155 points

De Leon’s 32-point lead over Dunne made him the heavy favourite for the F2 championship, but with 25 points per race win still up for grabs, a late charge from Dunne remained a possibility

Race Three Results

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Pirelli Unlimited Saturday F1 and F2 Qualifying Two

Saturday’s Wild Weather: A Race Against the Storm

The weather forecast leading up to the event hadn’t been promising, but after Friday’s perfect conditions, there was hope that Saturday might hold out. Unfortunately, that hope was short-lived.

Afternoon showers left the track damp as 1830 approached and bikes rolled out for qualifying. A dry line briefly emerged, but by mid-evening, the rain returned—this time, for good. The moderately heavy showers deterred some racers, but many still braved the wet conditions.

Then, at 2130, things fell apart completely. Thunder and lightning, which had previously been localised away from Sydney Motorsport Park, moved in directly over the circuit.

As a safety precaution, track marshals were called back in, because standing in a metal-framed marshalling post during a thunderstorm isn’t exactly ideal—or safe.

By the time the marshals returned to their base, the skies fully opened up. The rain radar showed no sign of relief, and with the 2230 curfew looming, the event was formally abandoned, as it was clear that conditions wouldn’t improve.

The Impact on Pirelli Unlimited

The result? A damp qualifying session, two wet races, and no Race Three—not the way anyone wanted to close the series. But when Sydney’s summer weather decides to make a statement, you simply roll with the punches.

Saturday Qualifying – De Leon Sets the Benchmark

In the tricky conditions, F2 series leader Dominic De Leon delivered an exceptional lap, clocking 1m38.813—a staggering gap to Jack Favelle (1m42.655), underlining just how impressive De Leon’s time was.

Josh Brookes, riding a spare bike, took third, followed by JJ Nahlous and Ryan Yanko, completing the top five. In F2, the next fastest after De Leon were Timothy Griffith, Chris Dunne, William Steuart, and Harley Borkowski.

The field was noticeably depleted compared to Friday, with just 19 riders taking to the track—far fewer than the 35 competitors who had raced the previous night.

Saturday Qualifying Results

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Pirelli Unlimited F1 and F2 – Saturday Race One

With the weather worsening, only three F1 riders lined up for Race One on Saturday, and they unsurprisingly took the top three positions. Jack Favelle secured victory, finishing 1.5 seconds ahead of JJ Nahlous, while Ryan Yanko crossed the line 12-seconds further back in third.

Favelle’s best lap of 1m45.136 was a clear reflection of the challenging conditions—a stark contrast to Friday’s dry pace, where he had been lapping 14 seconds faster.

F2: De Leon Prevails Again

Despite the treacherous conditions, Dominic De Leon showcased his adaptability, securing another F2 category win. Timothy Griffith and Chris Dunne battled hard for second place, with Griffith edging out Dunne by less than two-tenths of a second.

Interestingly, Griffith’s fastest lap (1m47.534) was over a second quicker than De Leon’s best (1m48.892), but it wasn’t enough to secure victory—a red flag ultimately cut short his charge, sealing De Leon’s win.

Race One Results

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Pirelli Unlimited F1 and F2 – Saturday Race Two

Race Two turned out to be the final Pirelli Unlimited race of the night, the event, and the entire series. While the weather dampened the spectacle, full credit goes to the riders who braved the conditions and went for it.

A special mention goes to Ryan Yanko, who took a well-earned victory, crossing the line half a second ahead of Jack Favelle. JJ Nahlous, the only other F1 rider to grid up, finished third, a couple of seconds behind Favelle.

F2: De Leon Completes a Perfect Weekend

Dominic De Leon wrapped up an unbeatable two nights of racing, securing his fifth consecutive win and finishing fourth overall on track after a thrilling battle with Chris Dunne.

Behind them, Timothy Griffith took third in category, while Andrew Simson—who had been competing in Airoh Unlimited F3 in earlier rounds—deserves recognition for stepping up to the faster F2 category for Round Three and finishing fourth. Brendan Faithfull rounded out the F2 top five.

A Wet & Fitting End to the Series

As Pirelli teams waited in the pits, hoping for a return to the track, it quickly became clear that the night was over. The final confirmation came when the official abandonment announcement was made over the pitlane PA.

The conditions were so bad that even the awards ceremony had to be moved indoors. Instead of the usual outside podium presentation, everyone crammed into a garage, leading to a chaotic but memorable moment—so much so that the announcer had to tell the crowd to quiet down at least fifteen times.

A wild, unpredictable, and unforgettable way to close out the MOTUL St George Summer Nights Series 2024-25.

Race Two Results

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Points

In F1, Jack Favelle and JJ Nahlous finished the meeting tied on 92 points, but Favelle took the overall win on countback thanks to his Friday night race victory.

Ryan Yanko put in a strong and consistent performance, securing third place on 80 points—a testament to his steady pace over both nights.

Final Championship Standings – F1

1. JJ Nahlous – 209 points 🏆
2. Jack Favelle – 178 points (-31)
3. Josh Brookes – 128 points

With a 31-point margin, Nahlous claimed the F1 title in dominant fashion, edging out his good friend Favelle. It had been a tough series for Brookes as he was on the tools to build himself a race bike from scratch, but his never-give-up attitude saw him fight his way to a well-earned third place overall.

The calibre of talent in this series is remarkable, and it speaks volumes about St. George MCC’s reputation that they continue to attract national and international-level riders to what remains, at its heart, a club event.

F2: De Leon’s Dominance Seals the Title

In F2, Dominic De Leon put on a masterclass, finishing the meeting with 125 points and securing the title by a 29-point margin over Timothy Griffith. Chris Dunne pushed hard all weekend in an effort to close the gap, but De Leon’s pace was simply too strong.

Dunne earned a well-deserved third place for the meeting with 90 points, proving just how competitive the fight at the top was.

Final Championship Standings – F2

1. Dominic De Leon – 255 points 🏆
2. Chris Dunne – 211 points (-44)
3. Timothy Griffith – 193 points

A smiling and humble De Leon lifted the F2 title, capping off a phenomenal season. Dunne’s relentless determination made the battle exciting until the very end, while Griffith’s resilience saw him push through a challenging season to secure third overall.

Season Five: Another One for the Books

Season Five of the MOTUL St. George Summer Nights Series had its ups and downs, but its winning formula—a fantastic track, stunning floodlights, and the unwavering dedication of volunteers—made it yet another season to remember.

The Night Series family continues to grow stronger, and now the countdown begins—just ten months until Season Six kicks off!

Congratulations to all riders, teams, officials, volunteers, medics, and everyone else who makes this series the highlight of the racing calendar for so many.

Quotes

JJ Nahlous – Pirelli Unlimited F1

“The last round was a good round having both wet and dry conditions starting off with dry on Friday. We had lots of competition and learned a lot from being able to follow them and see what they do differently to me. We had a lot of things to try coming into the weekend as we don’t have any data or experience on the Superbike, we’re learning it all for ourselves.

“Friday was good for us, trying these different things and learning more what the changes worked and what didn’t. I’m starting to feel more comfortable on the bike which has been good. Saturday night was wet the whole night which was a bit of fun keeping things interesting, trying different things with the bike and enjoying the process. Overall the series was really good for me, I didn’t miss a race and raced in all conditions. This series was an awesome way to start off my first season on the Superbike and it was cool to be able to race with some of the best is Australia.”

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Jack Favelle – Pirelli Unlimited F1

“Round 3 treated me very well, we made great progress on Friday in the dry, beating my previous PB by a second. In the races, I was starting to be able to hang onto the more experienced riders in front which I was super excited about. Saturday was great for me with it being wet as I know I can be fast in the rain.

“It’s a-shame the more experienced riders didn’t go out so we didn’t have a benchmark to see how fast we actually were. But I was very happy to go 2 seconds faster than last time at Round 1 in similar wet conditions. The sprint series has been perfect for me to be able to improve my riding and to get to grips with racing the R1 before we go into ASBK in a few weeks time! And of course I was super happy to take out the round win and second for the series!!”

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Josh Brookes – Pirelli Unlimited F1

“This year has been the third consecutive year that I’ve taken part in the St George Summer Nights Series. The first two years were much easier in that I was riding for the Livson Racing BMW Team and essentially all that I would do would be to arrive at the event with all the bike preparation done, the tyres fitted and I could just walk into the garage, jump on the bike and ride as a professional as I have for the last twenty years.

“This year was very different. Being a Honda rider in the UK, I wanted to do the Night Series on Hondas to ready myself for the year ahead but there is no Honda presence in racing in Australia currently, so there wasn’t a team or option for me to step onto an existing bike which meant I had to build one myself. With the help of Honda Australia, a load of parts suppliers and my race team in the UK I was able to build the bike myself in my own home garage and took part in the Night Series.

“The opening round was quite a challenge it was the very first time the bike had been on track. I had expected to do the track day in the day time to get the bike shaked down and ready to ride but the weather was terrible and I didn’t get to ride at all. So, the very first ride I did on the bike was the qualifying session for the opening round. Considering I’d put the bike together and had no chance to prove the package, it went exceptionally well.

“The following round went even better, I was able to refine the settings a bit more, understand the electronics side and had a laptop to adjust some of the engine brake control and the power settings so it felt like I made real good progress moving forward and. That gave me confidence to go to Phillip Island and ride the bike at the Victorian Titles.

“Unfortunately, maybe through my own error or just unlucky with some sensor faults, the bike started to misbehave on the electronics side, it would cut out the traction control, auto-blipper and quickshift but was still was able to get good results. I came home from there, made some changes to the bike, thought I’d corrected the problems and went to Sydney for the final two nights of racing and the issues were still there. I managed to get through the first two races on the Friday but then the problem became an issue even with starting the bike so I parked it.

“I didn’t attempt to use it on the Saturday but didn’t want to let people down who had come to watch so I got one of my bikes, basically a museum piece out of my own collection and was going to ride that but the weather wasn’t playing ball, it rained all night so I sat it out. Not because I don’t want to ride in the rain but when I evaluated the situation, I own the bike, have a lot invested in it and riding in the dark, under lights, in the rain, in put too many elements into the chances of something going wrong. If I was racing for a championship or the club series was the only series I was racing in, then of course I’d take every opportunity to ride at every moment but as I get so many opportunities to race through the year, in British Superbikes, in the rain, I have a lot of experience riding in those conditions and I don’t need to do more even in the off-season so those were the reasons for stepping aside and not riding during the rain and obviously that was also a big part of not riding much on the opening round of Summer Nights Series because a lot of that evening was rain affected as well.

“So all in all this year has been a great reward and I’ve really enjoyed the process but it’s been a lot harder, struggling with the weather and varying track conditions. This year we had a huge number of red flags, far more than in the previous two years. Then, me building my own bike and prepping it, getting it ready for every session, I’ve had friends come and join to act as mechanics but ultimately the pressure lies on my shoulders to make sure the bike’s right for every session and that carries a lot of responsibility on top of racing the bike as well. So, it’s all been positive, obviously there’s areas that I wish we could’ve made better or gone better but some of those were out of my control and I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself, the bike and I’ve definitely learned a lot about the Honda and the Honda ECU and electronics and I feel like that I’ve definitely bettered myself in preparation for the British Superbike Championship I’m about to enter.”

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Dominic De Leon – Pirelli Unlimited F2

“Well to say this was a dream series for the team would be a total understatement. Going into Round 1 we certainly weren’t thinking of anything race winning or championship winning. We did not get onto the AT1 Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R all year, so there were no expectations other than getting out and doing the best we could with the lack of seat time and fitness due to family commitments. Well that quickly took a turn for the best when we came away from Round 1 leading the championship.

“Going into Round 2, we were thinking the lovely feeling of leading a championship such as this was going to be short-lived as the competition this year were all fast and taking no prisoners. Yet, with saying this, we found ourselves going into the second night of Round 2 still leading the series. Only then did we start to realise that we just might be in a position to win the championship. We were still in the mindset that this was all short lived. Then again, we went away from the Round still leading the championship with only 9 points separating us and Chris Dune in 2nd position.

“Chris is an exceptional person and very talented rider, so going into the final round  was very intense as at this point we were now hungry to bring the championship home. The final round could not have gone any better with us winning all the F2 races on the Friday night, then going into Saturday with the mindset of just be smart and not have a DNF, we managed to go one better and secure an outright Pole position in front of some real heavy hitters in the superbike F1 game. It was so un-nerving to be at the very front for the start of the race that I took it a bit too easy on the start as the last thing I wanted is to mess things up from the get-go, and to be honest, my fight was with no one else other than that awesome dude Chris Dunne. So, the entire field had permission to be in front of me except Chris. The war was officially on. In race one the conditions were a little sketchy, but we managed to bring home the win finishing in fourth overall and 1st in the F2 class.

“Race 2, well now this was going to be the icing on the cake and I could feel it in my gut that this win belongs to the team and bringing home the win as well as the championship especially for the team and my sponsors is what they deserve for all the support and love they give me. With a new wet tyre on the back, that’s exactly what we did. We Brought home the win in F2 and secured the 2024/25 Summer Night Series Championship. The feeling was unreal, and I would not have been able to be as dominant as I have been this year without the love and support from my family and my Team Matt Pace & Glenn Jackson and also the continued support we get from our amazing, loyal sponsors. Thanks to you all for making this dream come through.”

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Chris Dunne – Pirelli Unlimited F2

“It was great to get the Summer Series wrapped up with a good result. Battling for the top step from start to finish kept it a very fun championship for me. Mr De Leon brought an unmatchable pace to the last round and deserved the championship. Very happy for him. We had some great times on and off the track this year. Special thanks to Evo Racing Suspension for the constant support. And my partner Justine for all the hard work she does at the track. Also a massive thanks to the club and everyone that volunteers there time to give us the opportunity to race these events and all the photographers who capture the memories for us.”

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Timothy Griffith – Pirelli Unlimited F2

“This Summer Night Series didn’t really go to plan for us unfortunately. A technical issue in round one put us on the back foot, the first double header was a shambles of red flags and stoppages which meant our races were cut to only two full races and a red flagged declared race with no real opportunity to recover points. Then only 5 races on the final double header with messy weather on the Saturday just made it worse.

“I missed out by a few hundred meters on a win due to a last lap red flag on race one on Saturday night after I managed to sneak pass on the last lap only to be thwarted by the count back. Disappointing results for us this year but to be fair, we spent essentially 10 months off the bike prior so to be almost 1.5 to 2 sec slower on average this year was no surprise. Still, the SNS is by far the most enjoyable hit out we have on the calendar. Huge thanks to my gang in the garage, The Crew Chief (wife) my Lil Man Zaya, Jase, Mick, Daragh not to mention the Club and Marshals. Looking forward to being better prepared and having a crack with the usual suspects next season, Cheers!”

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Round Points

Final Points Standings

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MOTUL Summer Night Series hosted by St George MCC