Image: Foremost Media.

Stop and Seal Racing has just one of its three full-time ASBK Superbike riders – Cru Halliday – at Morgan Park, addressing the absence of Arthur Sissis and while Tom Toparis is still sidelined with a back injury.

Team owner Robbie Bolger is expecting that Sissis will return in time for Queensland Raceway alongside the Supercars in August, indicating that it was the South Australian’s decision to sit out round four.

After claiming a breakout podium at The Bend’s final round last season equipped with Pirelli tyres, Sissis has largely struggled to adjust to Michelin tyres in 2025, currently sitting 13th in the standings after finishing in P14 overall across all three rounds to date.

“Arthur’s just decided to have a rest for a couple of rounds,” Bolger told CycleOnline. “He’ll be back at the next one, but that’s just a bit of Arthur, really. It doesn’t really bother me.”

Toparis, meanwhile, missed Queensland Raceway last time out and isn’t yet fit to return to racing – also potentially back in time for the second half of the season. He finished 16th at Phillip Island’s opener before improving to 13th in Sydney, but parked his YZF-R1M ahead of the series’ Queensland sector in order to recover further.

“Tommy will be back at the next round,” added Bolger. “He hurt his back here last year, and the injury just kept on niggling at him, and probably down to the fact that we shouldn’t be here this time of the year and it’s too cold, but apart from that, everything’s good. 
Tommy will always be back – he’s probably 90 percent of the reason we’re here.”

Veteran ASBK competitor Michael Edwards – director of Brisbane-based dealership Northstar Yamaha – has instead been on track with the Bolger-led team in Queensland this weekend.

Longtime Yamaha Racing Team rider Halliday has proven to be the most competitive of the Stop and Seal Superbikes to date this season, picking up a P3 podium result at his home round in Sydney. The experienced 38-year-old is situated ninth in the standings, but qualified a lowly 11th for round four earlier today.

There had been further movement in the paddock in the lead-up to Morgan Park, with former international Tom Edwards surfacing on a Team BWR R6 after commencing the season in Superbike with the newly-formed Motoschool ASBK effort. He too sat out the previous round, before splitting with the team soon afterwards and finding an alternate seat back in Supersport.