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CSBK
May 21, 2018 18:41:16 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on May 21, 2018 18:41:16 GMT -8
CANADIAN SUPERBIKE PREVIEW MAY 21, 2018 ZAC KURYLYK LEAVE A COMMENT This weekend, the Canadian Superbike season opens at Shannonville Motorsport Park. It’s another year of changes for the country’s premier motorcycle racing series, with some familiar faces absent, news of a track closure, and a brand-new entry-level racing series to boot. Practice starts this Friday, with Superpole qualifying on Saturday, along with the first race in the Lightweight Supersport double-header. The feature races (Pro Superbike, Pro Sportbike, etc.) run on Sunday, along with the second race of the Lightweight Supersport class. New race series For years, CSBK has run an entry-level roadracing chsmpionship, but it has always been a spec series. For the past couple of years, it’s been a Kawasaki Ninja 300 series. Before that, it was a Honda-sponsored CBR250 series, and a CBR125 series before that. This year, that changes as the newly-launched Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike series is open to different brands and models, not just one bike, as long as the machine meets the spec requirements. That means we’re going to see Honda vs. Kawasaki vs. Yamaha vs. KTM, with 500 cc twins vs. 390 cc singles. That’s a wide variety of machines, which makes it tricky to keep a level playing field. Similar European series use a spec ECU to govern power, but that isn’t an option here, so officials will be using Dynojet equipment (rear-wheel dyno and electronics) and a spec Hindle exhaust along with the usual weight, fuel capacity and horsepower restrictions to help keep things fair and competitive. As series organizer Colin Fraser says, “The goal is for this to serve as a racer development class, not a tuning showcase … We anticipate that there will be teething issues, and the rules and their outline have been built with this in mind.” It’s the biggest change CSBK has seen in years, and has the potential to bring in many new racers, so the progress of the new series will be interesting to watch. CMG’s Managing Editor Jacob Black will be competing in the series this summer, aboard his Kawasaki Ninja 400, so we’ll be sharing his race reports with you as the series progresses. The racers Many of the familiar faces are back this year, but some key individuals aren’t racing the 2018 season. In the Pro Superbike class, Jordan Szoke is returning, as the reigning champion once again. Ben Young is back as well, along with Michael Leon, Samuel Trepanier, Mitch Card, Jeff Williams and Matt McBride. Frank Trombino was supposed to be back, but he was injured in the season’s first RACE regional event, so we might not see him for a while. In Pro Sport Bike, Tomas Casas is back to defend his #1 plate. Mitch Card is returning as well, along with Louis Raffa and Jacob Shaw-O’Leary. But some of the fastest riders aren’t returning in 2018. We’ve been told Kenny Riedmann isn’t coming back this year. Riedmann was the rider who pressed Szoke the hardest in the past couple of years, taking the second spot in the championship in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Bodhi Edie, the last rider to beat Jordan Szoke in a race (at Grand Bend, in 2017) is also not returning for the season (but maybe a one-off later in the campaign, he says). And Brett McCormick, probably the fastest man in Canada without a Pro Superbike deal, won’t be back either, although the OEMs have been trying to get him aboard their bikes. The financial support wasn’t there for McCormick again this year, so he’s out. Doug Lawrence, who performed well in CSBK’s amateur series, will not be pursuing the Pro Superbike championship again this year. He’s gone back to flat-track racing in the US. Doug Lawrence, who entered Pro Superbike with lots of promise last season, is back to flat-tracking, riding a Ducati in the US, and Andrew Nelson is also apparently out of this year’s racing. Stacey Nesbitt, long the fastest Canadian female rider, is also out of this season’s racing, after losing some important sponsorship. It’s bad to see that many top riders out of the races this year, especially as it’s mostly over the same reason: funding. However, it does mean that some younger racers will now get to showcase their own talents. Card is hungry this year, and Young and Trepanier are also going to be interesting to watch. Young did pre-season testing in Florida this spring, and he will be working with a BMW tech to fine-tune his electronics settings throughout the year, a problem that has long vexed him. Ben Young is returning, with a more focused approach than before. Trepanier has supposedly been getting coaching from McCormick, which could help bring his racing to the next level. Leon has also been ramping up his program, with a new 2018 bike and a pre-season test at Jenning; he tried to get into MotoAmerica races at Portland and Road Atlanta as well, but the format for the American races (no practice, only Q1 and Q2 sessions) made it too difficult to qualify on a new track. Casas is also said to be aiming to move into Pro Superbike contention. He’s run his R6 in that class, but although he’s certainly not dragging his tail, it’s hard to compete with the frontrunners on a supersport. If he gets his hands on a well-sorted superbike, the results could be very interesting. Yamaha’s said to be interested in ramping up its efforts in Pro Superbike, so hopefully we’ll see some developments there. As for Szoke, he’s still the man to beat. He’s going to be slightly more busy on race weekends this year because wife Amy is moving into Amateur Superbike, but the team has another hand on deck to help with the wrenching this summer. The Canadian championship isn’t Szoke’s only motivation to win this year: he’d like to be in contention for the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy again, especially since this year will see the top Beemer riders face off in a European showdown event, allowing Szoke to prove his talent against the other top racers. He’s definitely into that idea. Track troubles As we told you last month, Autodrome St-Eustache is going to be closed down at the end of 2019; CSBK is headed there this year, and maybe next year, but that’s it. You can bet CSBK staff are going to be brainstorming over the coming months, to figure out where to go next. The trouble is, while there are several interesting options, they all come with problems. A return trip to Edmonton would allow western racers to participate in the series more easily, and also feasibly make it easier to tack on other western dates, but drives the cost up for easterners who form the backbone of CSBK. There are safety issues at Edmonton as well, but those could potentially be overcome. Calabogie is expensive and not an ideal set-up for spectators. Mont Tremblant is an interesting track, but comes with complications over noise restrictions and safety. Also, a recurring theme for racers who’ve dropped out is a lack of funding. Racing is expensive, and the more dates are added, the harder it is to find money for it all, especially if those dates are farther away from home. But having said that, the CSBK series is now down to only five weekends a year, and a total of seven races. Losing another one of those weekends would be a detriment to the series, and hopefully management comes up with a replacement for St-Eustache soon.
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CSBK
May 22, 2018 9:19:28 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on May 22, 2018 9:19:28 GMT -8
Szoke, Casas look to defend National titles as 2018 CSBK season begins at Shannonville this weekend Published on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 07:26 EDT Written by Cam Bickle The Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship is set to get underway this weekend, May 25-27, at Shannonville Motorsport Park, where three-time defending champ Jordan Szoke will look to win his sixth consecutive season opener. Lynden, ON, based Szoke, 39, already holds the record for the most championships (12) and most race wins (65) in CSBK history, totals he will try to add onto as the five-round, seven-race schedule kicks off at SMP. The Mopar Express Lane BMW Motorrad Canada Superbike Team star will have a range of top riders to compete with this season, as he searches for his fourth consecutive crown and 11th in the last 13 years. Samuel Trepanier, a third-year Pro out of Sainte-Barbe, QC, will perhaps be Szoke's biggest challenger after a thrilling battle to end the 2017 season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, one that helped propel Trepanier to fourth in the final standings. Ben Young (Collingwood, ON), the 2016 Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year, will also be a front-runner, having finished third in the standings in each of the last two years. Both riders are set to run on a BMW S1000RR, similar to the one Szoke will be piloting. Behind the trio of Szoke, Trepanier, and Young, other challengers could feature veterans Michael Leon and Jeff Williams, also both aboard BMW S1000RR's. Former championship runner-up Trevor Daley (Mississauga, ON) is also expected to return full-time to the series aboard a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, after competing in only two races last season. In the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class, 19 year old Tomas Casas from Peterborough, ON will look to defend his title from a year ago, though he may endure a tough challenge from a number of capable competitors. Mitch Card (Ripley, ON), who was the runner-up to Casas last season, seems poised to battle his fellow Yamaha YZF-R6 rider again after the two ran side-by-side at last weekend's RACE regional opener at Shannonville. Card is also expected to show well in the Feature class with his Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R1s. Veteran Louie Raffa and youngster Jacob Shaw-O'Leary, two of the lone Honda riders in the pro ranks (both aboard CBR600RR's), also figure to challenge Casas and Card up front. Each will look to make their presence felt at their respective home races, with Raffa a favourite at Autodrome-St. Eustache near Montreal, QC, and Shaw-O'Leary a usual contender at Atlantic Motorsport Park just outside of Halifax, NS. Below the pro ranks, the amateur classes could feature some of the closest racing in years, with the Superbike, Sport Bike, and all-new Lightweight divisions set to produce a number of battles throughout the grid. Vincent Levillian, Danny Cayer, and Dave Natale were the three top riders in the Magneti Marelli Superbike class who did not turn pro at the end of last season and are expected to be among the contenders for the title this year, with Levillian and Cayer also looking to win the Parts Canada Amateur Sport Bike crown. Szoke's wife and teammate, Amy, is also slated to return to the amateur class after taking a brief hiatus, though she was among the best female racers in North America prior to her maternity sabbatical in 2010. Jake LeClair, just 17 years old, is widely considered the favourite to win the inaugural Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike crown after a dominant performance at last weekend's non-Championship event at Shannonville. However, the Yamaha YZF-R3 rider from Blackstock, ON will face some serious competition from his younger brother and teammate, Ben, as well as fellow teenagers Matthew Simpson and Connor Campbell, who are both aboard Kawasaki Ninja 300's.
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CSBK
May 25, 2018 14:11:43 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on May 25, 2018 14:11:43 GMT -8
Szoke sets the pace in Friday practice at Shannonville Published on Friday, May 25, 2018 Jordan Szoke set the pace on Friday during practice for the 2018 Mopar CSBK season opener at Shanonville Motorsport Park. [Photo: Rob O’Brien / CSBK] Two-time defending champion Jordan Szoke picked up right where he left off at Shannonville Motorsport Park on Friday, topping both the morning and afternoon practice sessions at the Canadian Superbike Championship season opener despite very windy conditions. Szoke, searching for his record 13th Mopar Pro Superbike Championship in 2018, paced the field with a time of 1:05.109 in the morning session, just over a tenth of a second faster than Mississauga, ON's Matt McBride in second place and another three tenths faster than Collingwood, ON's Ben Young. All three riders are aboard BMW S1000RR's, a bike that was featured heavily in the top ten in both sessions. Szoke again paced the afternoon practice, this time ahead of Young and Trevor Daley, who is returning to the CSBK tour aboard a Kawasaki ZX-10R. However, Szoke's time was slightly slower in the afternoon, clocking in at a 1:05.320, something he – and many other riders – attributed to the intense winds. "The wind actually hit me pretty hard and knocked me into the gravel, but luckily we didn't crash," Szoke said. "Otherwise, it was really promising to be this consistent with our times, especially given the conditions." Young, who figures to be one of Szoke's biggest rivals this season, was also affected by the wind, though he said it's not something that put him at any disadvantage. "We were slower than we thought we would be because of the wind, but at the end of the day it's the same for everybody," he said. "We could have gone quicker, but the bike's still working amazing, so now we're just on track to getting P1 [in qualifying] tomorrow." McBride, meanwhile, was unable to repeat his success from the morning after crashing early in the afternoon session, though he was able to make the necessary repairs and end the day in fourth between Daley and Beaconsfield, QC's Michael Leon, who finished fourth in the morning practice aboard his S1000RR. Daley, also from Mississauga, ON, is expected to compete in most – if not all – of the 2018 season after only appearing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park a year ago. The former championship runner-up set the fifth-fastest time in the morning session and looks like he could be a dark horse in this year's title fight. "The winds were bad, but everyone's dealing with it," Daley said in agreement with his rivals. "We're just trying to get some clean laps in and make the best of things." Missing from the top of the timesheets was St. Isidore, QC's Samuel Trepanier, who badly damaged his S1000RR in the morning practice and was unable to repair it for the afternoon. The third-year Pro managed to get in a few laps in the final session after borrowing a bike from friend and mentor Brett McCormick, though he failed to record a time. As for the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class, it was largely a two-horse race up front, with 19-year old reigning champion Tomas Casas setting the pace in both sessions ahead of Laval, QC's Sebastian Tremblay, who is piloting a Kawasaki ZX-6R. Casas, riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 out of Peterborough, ON, is widely considered the favourite to defend his title in 2018, though Tremblay and fellow Yamaha rider Mitch Card likely won't make it easy for him. "The track temperature started to get better and after that it was a lot of fun," Casas said. "We're working really hard, so hopefully we can keep it going [in qualifying] tomorrow and in the race on Sunday." Card (Ripley, ON) failed to record a time on Friday, crashing out in the morning and experiencing mechanical issues in the afternoon, though he is expected to have things resolved by the weekend. Dave Natale and Michael von Ek were the men to beat in the Magnetti Marelli sponsored Amateur Superbike field, finishing first and second, respectively, in the morning before swapping positions in the afternoon. They were followed both times by Mirabel, QC's Luc LaBranche, who also topped the afternoon session in the Parts Canada Amateur Sport Bike class. That class saw Ottawa, ON's Max Kathron set the fastest time in the morning, before settling for second in the final session. Highly-touted teenager Jake LeClair was dominant in both sessions of the brand new Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike series, finishing at least a second clear of the next fastest rider in both sessions. The Yamaha YZF-R3 rider finished ahead of John Taverner and Mark Rocha in the morning, before pacing Alex Berthiaume and Neil Graham in what should otherwise be an exciting inaugural season for the class. Qualifying will begin on Saturday with the Amateur Lightweight class at 10:00 am, before the Dalton Timmis Insurance Pro Superbike Superpole kicks off at 2:50 pm, which will set the grids for the season opening races on Sunday.
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CSBK
May 26, 2018 17:25:01 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on May 26, 2018 17:25:01 GMT -8
Szoke holds off McBride, will start from pole at SMP opener Saturday, May 26, 2018 Cam Bickle Jordan Szoke starts his charge to a 13th Canadian Superbike title by claiming pole position for the opening round of the 2018 season at Shannonville Motorsport Park Three-time defending champion Jordan Szoke will start from pole position for Sunday's Canadian Superbike Championship opener, after edging longtime rival Matt McBride in the Dalton Timmis Mopar Pro Superbike SuperPole at Shannonville Motorsport Park on Saturday. Szoke, riding a Mopar Express Lane BMW Motorrad Canada sponsored S1000RR, finished the 20-minute pre-SuperPole Qualifying session with a comfortable gap to Collingwood, ON's Ben Young, also aboard a BMW. The 12-time CSBK champ posted a time of 1:05.249 - nearly four tenths of a second faster than Young – before settling in for SuperPole. Things were more difficult in the latter showcase, however, as Mississauga, ON's McBride, a frequent frontrunner at the Ontario rounds of the CSBK season, challenged Szoke for the top spot with a time of 1:04.457. Ultimately, that time fell just short, with Szoke posting a flyer of 1:04.412 - only 0.045 seconds faster than McBride. "It's a great way to start the season. The conditions are perfect, and the bike feels fantastic, but these guys kept me honest," Szoke said. "It's never easy, Matt [McBride] and Ben [Young] are so fast, so it will be a good race tomorrow. Hopefully we can put on a good show." McBride, meanwhile, is keeping things positive as he searches for his first career Pro Superbike victory on Sunday. He was also quick to praise the S1000RR, which was the machine of choice for all of the top five finishers in Saturday's event. "It's been a great weekend so far and the bike's working great," he said. "These BMW's rock, sometimes all you have to do is just twist the wrist." As for Young, the former British Superbike rider has mixed feelings about his performance, as he, too, searches for his first career victory this weekend. "We wanted a clean lap at first, but I ended up making some mistakes," he said. "Either way, we're happy to be near the top, so now we're just excited for the race tomorrow." Rounding out the first row for Sunday's race will be Beaconsfield, QC rider Michael Leon, who finished with a time of 1:05.488 aboard his Royal Distributing Superbike. Samuel Trepanier had a spirited performance in fifth, as the St. Isidore, QC rider rebounded after a huge crash in Friday practice and will start from the front of the second row. "When I crashed [yesterday], the bike was at least 10-15 feet in the air," Trepanier said. "It kind of hit my elbow, but I'm glad it didn't land on me. I'm just happy I'm okay to keep racing this weekend." Trevor Daley, the only rider in the top seven not aboard a BMW, piloted his Kawasaki ZX-10R to sixth, while Inverary, ON's Jeff Williams qualified seventh aboard his S1000RR. Ripley, ON's Mitch Card will represent the top Yamaha YZF-R1 on the grid in eighth, while Kelowna, BC's Marcel Irnie will start from ninth aboard another BMW as he makes his return to CSBK. Completing the top ten was reigning Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike champion Tomas Casas, who will start from the third row aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6. The 19-year old from Peterborough, ON was the only rider on a 600cc machine to qualify for the SuperPole session. The top rookie in the qualifying sessions was Montreal, QC's Vincent Levillain, who will start tomorrow's race from 17th aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6.
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CSBK
May 27, 2018 4:15:02 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on May 27, 2018 4:15:02 GMT -8
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CSBK
May 27, 2018 13:12:38 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on May 27, 2018 13:12:38 GMT -8
Szoke wins opening CSBK round of 2018 Sunday, May 27, 2018 Sunday, May 27, 2018 Round 1 Shannonville Motorsport Park Shannonville, Ontario 1.53 miles / 2.45km (Pro Track) Mopar Pro Superbike Race Results Pos No. Name Hometown Make Model/Engine Laps Best Tm In Lap Diff Gap Total Tm Best Speed 1 1 Jordan Szoke Lynden, ON BMW S1000RR 22 1:04.690 5 23:58.168 137.456 2 86 Ben Young Collingwood, ON BMW S1000RR 22 1:05.227 5 5.730 5.730 24:03.898 136.324 3 13 Matt McBride Mississauga, ON BMW S1000RR 22 1:05.136 2 11.029 5.299 24:09.197 136.514 4 116 Trevor Daley Mississauga, ON Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja 22 1:05.382 15 14.852 3.823 24:13.020 136.001 5 14 Samuel Trepanier St Isidore, QC BMW S1000RR 22 1:05.690 8 21.210 6.358 24:19.378 135.363 6 7 Jeff Williams Inverary, ON BMW S1000RR 22 1:05.780 2 42.791 21.581 24:40.959 135.178 7 4 Marcel Irnie Kelowna, BC BMW S1000RR 22 1:06.745 3 49.573 6.782 24:47.741 133.223 8 18 Tomas Casas Peterborough, ON Yamaha YZF-R6 22 1:07.212 20 49.934 0.361 24:48.102 132.298 9 24 Sebastien Tremblay Laval, QC Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 22 1:07.772 7 1:03.006 13.072 25:01.174 131.205 10 12 Mitch Card Ripley, ON Yamaha YZF-R1 22 1:07.194 21 1:04.525 1.519 25:02.693 132.333 11 68 Jean Marc Bilger Laval, QC Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 22 1:07.780 21 1:05.631 1.106 25:03.799 131.189 12 32 Pedro Sousa Mississauga, ON Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja 21 1:07.744 15 1 Lap 1 Lap 23:59.963 131.259 13 17 Samuel Desmarais Lasalle, QC Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 21 1:08.102 10 1 Lap 13.563 24:13.526 130.569 14 40 Marco Sousa Schomberg, ON Yamaha YZF-R1 21 1:08.526 2 1 Lap 5.555 24:19.081 129.761 15 99 Jean-Francois Aubin Saint-Jerome, QC Suzuki GSX-R1000 21 1:09.261 5 1 Lap 25.926 24:45.007 128.384 DNF 113 Reiner Griese Picton, ON BMW S1000RR 8 1:10.616 2 DNF 9:57.308 125.920 DNF 74 Michael Leon Beaconsfield, QC BMW S1000RR 2 1:05.640 2 DNF 2:08.576 135.466 DNS 47 Will Hornblower Sarnia, ON Yamaha YZF-R6 0 DNS - DNS 82 David MacKay Hamilton, ON Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 0 DNS - DNS 176 Vincent Levillain Montreal, QC Yamaha YZF-R6 0 DNS - DNS 270 Chris Fehr Kingston, ON Yamaha YZF-R6 0 DNS - DNS 21 Cameron Walker Oakville, ON Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 0 DNS - DNS 16 Alex Coelho St Basile-Le-Grand, QC Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 0 DNS - DNS 110 Eros Mukja Belleville, ON Suzuki GSX-R1000 0 DNS - DNS 97 Josh Fantin Amherstburg, ON Honda CBR600RR 0 DNS - DNS 66 Steven Nickerson Hamilton, ON Honda CBR1000RR 0 DNS - DNS 76 Louie Raffa St-Marthe, QC Honda CBR600RR 0 DNS - DNS 33 Elliiot Vieira Georgetown, Guyana Yamaha YZF-R6 0 DNS
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CSBK
Jun 6, 2018 12:11:29 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Jun 6, 2018 12:11:29 GMT -8
Szoke and Casas searching for first wins at Grand Bend Tuesday, June 5, 2018 CSBK round two June 9 & 10 Three-time defending champion Jordan Szoke will be looking to add another name to the list of tracks he has won at, as the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship heads to the Grand Bend Motorplex for round two this weekend, June 8-10. The current Mopar Pro Superbike championship leader out of Lynden, ON finished second to Warman, SK's Bodhi Edie when the facility hosted its inaugural National event a year ago, the only race Szoke has failed to win in the last three seasons. The Mopar Express Lane BMW Motorrad S1000RR rider enters the weekend's action in first place in the point standings after dominating the season opener at Shannonville Motorsport Park, though he will likely be joined once again in round two by front-runner Ben Young, who also pilots a BMW S1000RR. Young, out of Collingwood, ON, finished in second-place at Shannonville and will be looking for a strong finish in his return to Grand Bend after crashing out of the fight for the lead in last year's race. Behind the front-runners, it will also be an opportunity for a pair of Quebec-born BMW riders to improve their championship standing after tough season opener at Shannonville. St. Isidore's Samuel Trepanier, widely believed to be among Szoke's biggest contenders entering the season, had a huge crash early in the weekend and would later settle for fifth in the race, while Beaconsfield's Michael Leon crashed out after running inside the top five early on. Trevor Daley, the only non-BMW rider to finish inside the top seven in round one, is also expected to head to Grand Bend for the first time. The Kawasaki ZX-10R pilot finished fourth at Shannonville and will look to keep things going as the season progresses. A number of front-runners at the SOAR regional series should also benefit from their added experience at the track, which was a common theme in last year's race. Mitch Card (Ripley, ON), a frequent podium finisher at SOAR events, will be among the biggest names looking to play spoiler, as the Yamaha YZF-R1 rider tries to improve upon his 10th place finish from the opening round. Card will also look to do the same in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class, after finishing second to 19-year old defending champion Tomas Casas in the first race. Casas (Peterborough, ON), who lost at Grand Bend last season to veteran Frank Trombino, will be looking to hold off fellow Yamaha YZF-R6 riders Card and Will Hornblower for his first victory at the track. Hornblower, a Sarnia, ON native who has won regional Superbike races aboard a Sport Bike, may be the best bet to keep Casas waiting another year. Another strong choice for the Pro Sport Bike victory is Hamilton, ON’s David McKay on a Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja. MacKay earned his first career Pro podium at the Shannonville opener, and crashed from the fight for second in the same class a year ago. In the brand new Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike class, competition could be very unpredictable as many of the front-runners will be heading to the track for the first time. Teenager Jake LeClair, who won both races at Shannonville in dominant fashion aboard a Yamaha YZF-R3, struggled at the facility in 2017 as part of the Kawasaki Ninja 300 class, crashing in race one and settling for fourth in round two. In the Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike class, it could be Shannonville runner-up Dave Natale who finds the top of the box after finishing second in Grand Bend a year ago aboard his Aprilia RSV4RR. However, championship leader Michael Van Ek and his BMW S1000RR could be poised to make it two straight victories, despite not contesting the National event here last season. The Parts Canada Amateur Sport Bike class will be among the most interesting races as all of the top five finishers from the season opener will be heading to the facility for the first time. Points leader Luc LaBranche, piloting a Yamaha YZF-R6, could continue his strong start, but may face a tough challenge from 15-year old sensation Nicolas Meunier, who finished third at Shannonville aboard a Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja.
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CSBK
Jun 8, 2018 15:09:54 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Jun 8, 2018 15:09:54 GMT -8
Young leads the way in Friday practice at Grand Bend (North of Windsor, across the river from Detroit) Friday, June 8, 2018 There was a change of scenery atop the timesheets at the Grand Bend Motorplex, as Scot-Build BMW S1000RR rider Ben Young set the pace in Friday practice at the second round of the 2018 Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship. Young, a perennial front-runner out of Collingwood, ON, topped the morning session with a time of 1:04.057, over three-tenths of a second faster than three-time defending champion Jordan Szoke in second. Things got closer as the track heated up in the afternoon, though Young would ultimately hold off the Mopar Express Lane BMW Motorrad S1000RR of Szoke once again, this time clocking in at 1:03.684 - just 0.029 faster than the veteran out of Lynden, ON. "It feels great out there. The bike's working good, I'm enjoying the track, and everything's pretty comfortable so far," Young said. "Now we're just looking forward to the weekend." Meanwhile, it's unfamiliar territory for Szoke, as the 12-time Mopar Pro Superbike Champion is often the one in Young's position. However, the current title holder says he is not too worried about the early results, with still plenty to be determined at the Grand Bend Motorplex. "The gap is really close, so we're not too concerned," Szoke cautioned. "We have a few changes to make, but overall we're just excited to see what tomorrow brings." Behind the front-running duo in both sessions was St. Isidore, QC's Samuel Trepanier, who is looking to take a step in the right direction after a tough season opener at Shannonville Motorsport Park. The Blysk Racing BMW S1000RR rider ended the morning practice with a time of 1:04.657, before improving to a 1:04.415 in the afternoon session. "The bike felt alright. We had some problems [earlier] but I think we're okay now," Trepanier said. "We just need to keep getting quick laps in and see how tomorrow goes." Behind the trio of BMW's up front, it was a surprising – and impressive – day for a pair of young local riders, with Will Hornblower and David MacKay finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, in each session. Both riders were piloting their 600cc machines with which they contest the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class, which carries far less horsepower than the 1000cc Superbikes. Coincidentally, both riders were at the front of the Pro Sport Bike division as well, with Hornblower topping both sessions aboard his Yamaha YZF-R6. The Sarnia, ON native narrowly held off MacKay (Hamilton, ON) and his Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja in the morning practice, before outpacing defending champion Tomas Casas and his Parts Canada sponsored Yamaha in the afternoon. Unfortunately, McKay, fresh from his first Pro Podium two weeks ago at the Shannonville opener, suffered a big fall in the afternoon Pro Superbike session. McKay’s machine will require considerable repair prior to Sunday’s National racing. Casas, the 19-year old reigning Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike National title holder out of Peterborough, ON, was third-fastest in the morning session and will look to improve in Saturday afternoon’s Official Qualifying session. It was another dominant day for Blackstock, ON teenager Jake LeClair in the brand new Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike class, as the double-race winner from Shannonville topped both practices on Friday and will look to make it a perfect three-peat to open the season in his first race on Saturday. LeClair also feel during his LTWT session, but had already set a lap time good enough to stand as the afternoon’s best. The Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike class had perhaps the most competitive day of any division, with Pamerston, ON's Mike Grass pacing the morning session ahead of fellow local rider Andrew Haick (Innisfil, ON) and Maple, ON's Ivan Babic. It was then Haick's turn to top the timesheets in the afternoon ahead of Grass, while Ottawa, ON's Max Kathron clocked in third. As for the Parts Canada Amateur Sport Bike class, it was a battle of two Quebec-based riders up front, with Mirabel's Luc Labranche topping the morning practice, while 15-year old phenom Nicolas Meunier out of Verdun paced the afternoon session as he dropped nearly three full seconds off his lap times. The qualifying sessions, which set the grids for Sunday's races, will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday with the Lightweight Sport Bike class up first, while the Dalton Timmis Insurance Pro Superbike SuperPole is set to kick off at roughly 2:50 pm.
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CSBK
Jun 9, 2018 15:08:05 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Jun 9, 2018 15:08:05 GMT -8
Sam Trepanier BMWS1000RR BMW #14
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CSBK
Jun 10, 2018 14:29:13 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Jun 10, 2018 14:29:13 GMT -8
Szoke narrowly wins thrilling round two at Grand Bend Sunday, June 10, 2018 Jordan Szoke (1), Ben Young (86), and Sam Trepanier (14) duel throughout the race. It wasn't easy, but three-time defending champion Jordan Szoke added another track to his win list on Sunday at round two of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship from the Grand Bend Motorplex. Szoke, searching for his record 13th Mopar Pro Superbike title in 2018, started his Mopar Express Lane BMW Motorrad S1000RR from second – a rare occurrence in itself – after Collingwood, ON's Ben Young secured pole position earlier in the day. However, Szoke managed to snatch the holeshot from the Scot-Build BMW of Young, and seemed poised to stretch his lead before quickly being reeled back in by a group consisting of Young, St. Isidore, QC's Samuel Trepanier, and local fan-favourite Steven Nickerson out of Hamilton, ON. The four riders ran in unison for the early parts of the race before the Honda CBR1000RR of Nickerson eventually dropped back, later crashing out around the midway point in what was an unfortunate result. The trio of Szoke, Young, and Trepanier continued to run together at the front but was later trimmed to a two-horse race after the Blysk Racing BMW of Trepanier got held up by lapped traffic. Young had appeared to be on his way to his first career Pro Superbike victory, passing Szoke for the lead late in the race and continuing to maintain the top spot right up until the final lap. However, the more experienced Szoke was able to maneuver his way through more lapped traffic in the final corner, pulling off a daring pass on Young to win his second consecutive race to begin the season. "I knew this track was strong for Ben, so at first I just wanted to ride smart and slow the pace," Szoke said. "But he got by me and I was able to hang on, then in the last corner he hesitated and I was able to slip it by him." Szoke rolled the dice by electing to start the race on a brand new S1000RR, one that he rode for the first time on the National circuit during Dalton Timmis Insurance SuperPole on Sunday morning, though it evidently payed off after he and his crew "made the necessary changes." The Lynden, ON veteran was also quick to praise his younger counterparts, saying Young was "phenomenal" and that he and Trepanier, among others, "are the future" of CSBK racing. As for Young, it was a bittersweet result for the 2016 Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year, as he picked up a valuable second-place finish but once again fell just short on his quest to find the top of the box. "We didn't really enter with a strategy, we just tried to roll with it and see how the race went, but then I got slowed down by some yellow flags," Young lamented. "On the last lap I wanted a really good drive [onto the back straightaway] but it was actually one of my worst drives of the race, and then we ran into some lappers and that's where Jordan got me." The former MotoAmerica and British Superbike rider remained optimistic, shifting his focus to the rest of the season ahead. "We're in it for the long haul," Young said. "So it's good to grab some points for the end of the season, hopefully grab the big trophy at [Canadian Tire Motorsport Park]." Trepanier, though forced out of the battle for first, managed to secure a strong third-place finish and was all smiles after the race. "It was amazing battling with them at the front. We're really happy to be here." Trepanier said. "We had a really good qualifying session, but hopefully next year I can be standing on the top spot in the race." The podium finishers were followed by Beaconsfield, QC's Michael Leon, who turned in another strong result in fourth aboard his Royal Distributing BMW, and Mississauga, ON's Trevor Daley, who was the lone non-BMW inside the top five riding aboard his OneSpeed Chop Shop Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja. The top rookie in the class was once again Lasalle, QC's Samuel Desmarais in eleventh, who now holds a reasonably comfortable lead in the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year race heading into the next round at his home track in St. Eustache, QC. Fans were treated to another exciting race in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class, as last year's championship runner-up Mitch Card won from pole aboard his Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R6. The Ripley, ON rider was involved in a hectic battle with defending champion Tomas Casas and a pair of young local riders in David MacKay (Hamilton, ON) and Will Hornblower (Sarnia, ON) for nearly the entirety of the race. MacKay, who took his first ever CSBK podium at the season opener in Shannonville, seemed poised to follow that up with his first career victory as he led for a number of laps, but suffered a heartbreaking crash in turn one towards the end of the race. As for Hornblower, the Yamaha rider was battling tire wear towards the end of the race and eventually succumbed to local youngster Dylan Bauer (Breslau, ON), who secured his first ever National podium in third behind Card and the Parts Canada sponsored Yamaha of Casas in what was an all-Yamaha top-four. "I got a solid start, but the first two laps were pretty greasy," Card said. "It was unfortunate to see David crash, but after that I just kept my head down and put it on the top of the box." The brand new Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike class featured a familiar face up front, as Blackstock, ON teenager Jake LeClair took his fourth consecutive win to open the season as he continues to build a sizable points lead aboard his Yamaha YZF-R3. Local rider Mike Grass (Pamerston, ON) won an incident-filled Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike race, outlasting a number of temporary race leaders as he took the victory aboard his Suzuki GSX-R600. As for the Parts Canada Amateur Sport Bike class, it was another breakout performance for 15-year old phenom Nicolas Meunier out of Verdun, QC, who took his first victory of the season and second consecutive podium as he bolsters his bid for the title heading into round three at his home track.
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CSBK
Jun 12, 2018 7:47:24 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Jun 12, 2018 7:47:24 GMT -8
CSBK ROUND TWO REPORT: QUALIFYING WOES CAUSE CHAOS JUNE 12, 2018 JACOB BLACK “I need a 4 and 6mm Allen Key, and duct tape – meet me in the hot pit!” I’m shouting at Steve Evans, part of “Little Bike Alley”, our community of small bike racers. My bike will make the restart, but only if we move quickly. Adrenalin rushes through me, and I try to put the last five minutes behind me. Getting it all wrong I am off line, in a gaggle of lightweight sport bikes fighting for position in a slow, left-hand turn when I tuck the front and go down. Unable to avoid me, the rider behind grabs a handful of front brake. Three-hundred and fifty pounds of motorcycle slam at speed into my lower back, and searing pain shoots up my spine, but as I roll to a stop, it’s not my back I’m concerned about. My friend and competitor, Kirk Shergold is badly winded, and is lying next to me. The medical staff quickly get to him, and I get to my feet. Kirk was an innocent victim. Within seconds, the staff has determined that Kirk will be okay, and he is upright. He walks to the track ambulance. My own family and friends are in the stands just a few metres away, and I give them a hasty thumbs up, before an official helps me restart my bike. The damage is minor, but we only have two minutes to get it cleared by Canadian Superbike staff. It is the low point in a weekend I never quite found my rhythm in, punctuated by one of the best parts of the Canadian racing community. In pit lane, a swarm of strangers all run to provide tools and assistance, to get my bike running. The Liuna team of Josh Fantin chief among them. We couldn’t get my left clip on to seat properly, “Hammer!” I yell, and one appears like magic. The marshals ask again if I’m sure I’m okay, and how my back feels. “Totally fine” I tell them, as the countdown clock reaches zero. In the restart, I battle for a while with Matt Simpson – who had gone from a crash in qualifying to an impressive podium earlier in the weekend – before fatigue takes over. I ride home a lonely 13th. In the second RACE Mopar Express Lane Lightweight Sportbike regional race of the weekend I finish a disappointing but consistent ninth, running 1m17s laps for the entire race. The last race of the weekend brings more disappointment. Having qualified poorly, I was starting deep in the field in 14th, but felt I had pace to run with the group running fourth-eighth. I intended to make my way to that group. A quirk of Grand Bend is that we start, motocross style, on a straightaway that is not part of the circuit proper, and do about three-quarters of the lap before we pass the official start/finish line. I passed two riders around the outside of the first turn, and another one on the way into the second. Then rounded up a couple more down the straight. By the time we crossed the timing line on the first lap I was up to 10th. A big run down the main straight gets me alongside the 99 of Tyler Waugh, and I take the narrow, inside line into the carousel to make the pass. But I’m asking too much of the front end, and as I add more bank angle to hold my line, it tucks again and washes out. This time, everyone misses me, and I slide harmlessly to the edge of the track. But the damage to the bike is too much, and with no front brakes, I have to retire. If you qualify badly, you’re gonna have a bad time All of this angst is caused by a poor qualifying session. Ignoring my own advice to “ride within my helmet” I decide to follow someone I think is faster. I give up opportunities to pass them in the draft on the main straight, because I think I’ll go faster following them through the lap. I do not. And despite setting times in the 1m16s bracket earlier in the weekend I manage only a 1m17s lap and start mired in the bottom of the field. I’m livid, and not hiding it well. My mind is once again impeding my progress, my inability to focus on the moment and ride my own race hurting my results. A mix of embarrassment, frustration, anger, and bitter, bitter disappointment cloud my mind. I can’t shake out of it. Motorsport is a mental game. My mental game needs work. Enough about me, let’s talk about racing for a minute Up front, Jake LeClair continues his sweep of the season, with Alex Berthiaume and Ryan White drawing ever closer to him. The class gets tighter, more intense and draws in deeper talent pools with every race. The next one at St Eustache is going to be another cracker. Each and every class of the CSBK championship is putting up thrilling races, near upsets, and elements of sheer agony. Ben Young was ever-so-close to his first CSBK Pro Superbike win at Grand Bend, but lost the lead on the penultimate corner. He’ll bounce back and keep pushing to get by the dominant Jordan Szoke. In the 600 class Tomas Casas and Mitch Card face off against a rising tide of local heroes and cheeky challengers. I’ve loaded my busted-ass bike into my new Beckner Trailers trailer, and I’ll be in St Eustache. It’s not how I wanted to welcome the new sponsor, but we’ll do what we can to start clawing back points and getting this Kawasaki Ninja 400 towards the front where it belongs. photos courtesy of Tim McGill @tmstudios.ca, Steve Evans, and Mopar CSBK.ca
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CSBK
Jun 29, 2018 15:17:11 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Jun 29, 2018 15:17:11 GMT -8
Szoke on top after Friday practice at Autodrome St-Eustache Friday, June 29, 2018 Cam Bickle Jordan Szoke kicked off the Quebec round of the series topping Friday's Superbike practice at Autodrome St-Eustache. The shift to Quebec did little to slow down Jordan Szoke on Friday, as the three-time defending Mopar Pro Superbike winner set the fastest time in both practice sessions to kick off round three of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship. Coming off consecutive wins at Shannonville Motorsport Park and the Grand Bend Motorplex to begin the 2018 National season, Szoke continued his early success by piloting his Mopar Express Lane BMW Motorrad S1000RR to a time of 45.455 in the morning practice at the Autodrome St-Eustache, before regressing slightly to a time of 45.580 in the afternoon. The 12-time champion was followed in both sessions by his two main rivals in Collingwood, ON's Ben Young and St. Isidore, QC's Samuel Trepanier, setting up what should be another thrilling showdown heading into the weekend. Young, riding a Scot-Build BMW, was a comfortable 0.481 seconds off Szoke in the morning, before putting some pressure on the Lynden, ON native by trimming the gap to 0.226 later in the day. These were Young’s best-ever laps of St-Eustache in his third season in the Feature class. Trepanier, meanwhile, will have work to do on Saturday after finishing 1.494 seconds off the pace in the morning, though he did improve to a 1.062 second deficit in the afternoon. The Blysk Racing BMW rider is the fan favorite in his home province, where he will look to score his first career Pro victory on Sunday. Behind the front-running trio, it was Mississauga, ON's Trevor Daley who finished fourth in the morning aboard his OneSpeed Chop Shop Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja, while Beaconsfield, QC's Michael Leon rounded out the top five piloting a Royal Distributing sponsored BMW. Leon improved to fourth in the afternoon, while Peterborough, ON youngster Tomas Casas ended the day in fifth, piloting a Parts Canada Yamaha YZF-R6 Sport Bike (middleweight) entry. Casas was able to keep up that momentum in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class, where the 19-year old defending champion topped both sessions ahead of a pair of experienced hometown riders. His time of 48.041 in the morning was just over half a second faster than 2015 race winner for Honda Louie Raffa (St-Marthe, QC), while his afternoon time of 47.698 was just under half a second better than Mirabel, QC's Sebastian Tremblay, aboard a Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja. The biggest surprise of the day may have been the emergence of local rider Alex Berthiaume (Laval, QC) in the Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike class, who was fastest in both sessions aboard his Yamaha YZF-R3. Blackstock, ON teenager Jake LeClair – who has won all four races this season in dominant fashion – was second in both practices aboard another Yamaha. Local riders also played a big part in the results of the two other Amateur classes, as each practice in the Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike class featured an all-Quebec top-six. St. Jerome's Alexandre Cleary (Suz) was fastest in the morning ahead of Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu's Christian Allard (Kaw), while Laval's Pascal Bastien (Yam) topped the afternoon practice ahead of Mirabel's Luc LaBranche (Yam). It was a similar theme in the Parts Canada Amateur Sport Bike class, with Allard edging LaBranche in the morning before the two traded places later in the day. The top eight riders in the first session were all Quebec natives, while the province was represented by the top five in the afternoon. Round three action from Autodrome St-Eustache is slated to resume on Saturday with five qualifying sessions and one race, while the featured Dalton Timmis Insurance Pro Superbike SuperPole is scheduled to get underway at 3:30 pm. Round 3 Autodrome St-Eustache St-Eustache, Quebec 1.93 km / 1.2 miles June 29, 2018 Mopar Pro Superbike Friday Afternoon Practice Results Pos No. Name Hometown Make Model/Engine Laps Best Tm In Lap Diff Gap Total Tm Best Speed Comment 1 1 Jordan Szoke Lynden, ON BMW S1000RR 19 45.580 18 42:04.332 139.798 2 86 Ben Young Clarksburg, ON BMW S1000RR 25 45.806 19 0.226 0.226 45:19.392 139.108 3 14 Samuel Trepanier St Isidore, QC BMW S1000RR 18 46.642 7 1.062 0.836 41:19.811 136.615 4 74 Michael Leon Beaconsfield, QC BMW S1000RR 22 47.120 21 1.540 0.478 33:49.312 135.229 5 18 Tomas Casas Peterborough, ON Yamaha YZF-R6 20 47.183 6 1.603 0.063 38:30.349 135.049 6 7 Jeff Williams Inverary, ON BMW S1000RR 21 47.420 12 1.840 0.237 38:27.028 134.374 7 116 Trevor Daley Mississauga, ON Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja 15 47.433 11 1.853 0.013 22:37.390 134.337 8 24 Sebastien Tremblay Laval, QC Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 25 47.854 10 2.274 0.421 29:25.997 133.155 9 76 Louie Raffa St-Marthe, QC Honda CBR600RR 15 48.038 6 2.458 0.184 14:47.952 132.645 10 72 Ernest Bernhard Sainte-Brigide-d'lberville, QC Yamaha YZF-R1 15 48.138 7 2.558 0.100 45:00.189 132.369 11 12 Mitch Card Ripley, ON Yamaha YZF-R1 22 48.611 19 3.031 0.473 27:05.792 131.081 12 99 Jean-Francois Aubin Saint-Jerome, QC Suzuki GSX-R1000 35 48.709 23 3.129 0.098 44:54.369 130.818 13 82 David MacKay Hamilton, ON Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 20 49.185 15 3.605 0.476 32:07.979 129.552 14 68 Jean Marc Bilger Laval, QC Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja 26 49.467 26 3.887 0.282 45:36.765 128.813 15 16 Alex Coelho St Basile-Le-Grand, QC Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 11 49.580 9 4.000 0.113 10:39.462 128.520 16 127 Alexandre Guay Levis, QC Yamaha YZF-R6 15 49.798 9 4.218 0.218 30:56.156 127.957 17 176 Vincent Levillain Montreal, QC Yamaha YZF-R6 9 50.186 8 4.606 0.388 41:26.194 126.968 18 17 Samuel Desmarais Lasalle, QC Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 1 0 3:43.397 - 19 174 Danny Errett Georgetown, ON Triumph Daytona 675
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CSBK
Jul 1, 2018 10:30:33 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Jul 1, 2018 10:30:33 GMT -8
Casas takes Pro Sport Bike win at St-Eustache
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CSBK
Jul 1, 2018 14:35:30 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Jul 1, 2018 14:35:30 GMT -8
Szoke dominates to extend winning streak at Autodrome St-Eustache Ben Young (86) grabbed the early lead in Sunday's Pro Superbike race at St-Eustache, but it was once again Jordan Szoke (1) who took the feature class win over Young. Samuel Trepanier (14) charged from tenth on the grid to complete the podium. [Photo: Rob O'Brien] Jordan Szoke left little to chance as he continued his chase for a record 13th Mopar Pro Superbike title on Sunday, as the three-time defending champion dominated the field at the third round of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship. Szoke, who has not lost at the Autodrome St-Eustache since 2011, was actually forced to work from behind after rival Ben Young grabbed the holeshot, though the Mopar Express Lane BMW Motorrad S1000RR rider needed only two laps to re-gain the lead. Young, piloting a Scot-Build BMW out of Collingwood, ON, was unable to maintain the pace up front and ultimately settled for second ahead of Blysk Racing BMW's Samuel Trepanier. The St. Isidore, QC native was forced to start from tenth after failing the post-qualifying technical inspection on Saturday but worked his way to the podium after a thrilling battle with OneSpeed Chop Shop Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja rider Trevor Daley (Mississauga, ON). Szoke, who has now won three consecutive races to begin the year and eight-straight dating back to last season, was quick to applaud his rivals for making him earn the victory. “I got a really good start, but obviously Ben got a better one,” Szoke laughed. “This is my strongest track on the [schedule], but these guys stepped up. Fortunately, I was able to pull out a gap and keep the pace until the end.” As for Young, the former Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year aimed to keep things positive as he continues his quest for his first career win. “We were giving all we had. We had a great start, it actually surprised me,” Young said. “It’s still disappointing, but we’re taking steps forward and now we just need to try for first in [round four].” Trepanier, the consensus hometown favourite at the Quebec circuit, also turned in an inspiring performance after being forced to start further back on the grid. “It gave me a lot of motivation,” Trepanier said, referencing the penalty. “I had a good battle with Trevor [Daley] and he’s very skilled and experienced, so it was very close.” Daley was able to bring it home in fourth after a nail-biting battle with Trepanier, while Beaconsfield, QC's Michael Leon rounded out the top five aboard his Royal Distributing BMW. Notably, five of the top six bikes were BMW's, with Daley representing the only other manufacturer. The top rookie in the feature race was Saint-Jerome, QC's Jean-Francois Aubin, who finished ninth aboard a Suzuki GSX-R1000 – the lone top-ten performance by a rookie so far this season. As a result, Aubin will pull within just two points of Lasalle, QC's Samuel Desmarais in the Brooklin Cycle Pro Rookie of the Year race. The most thrilling battle of the afternoon may have been in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class, where defending champion Tomas Casas cruised to victory aboard his Parts Canada Yamaha YZF-R6 ahead of a brilliant battle for third. The 19-year old Casas out of Peterborough, ON, was joined by DB Moto Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja pilot Sebastian Tremblay (Laval, QC) and fellow Yamaha rider Mitch Card (Ripley, ON) on the podium, though Card was locked in a thrilling four-way battle for much of the contest. “The plan was to get a good start and luckily we were able to because there was a big battle behind me,” Casas said. “The heat was killing us, but I had a blast out there.” Casas also took a moment to dedicate his victory to former pit crew member Jason Williams, who tragically lost his son Jaxon earlier in the week. Blackstock, ON teenager Jake LeClair managed to get back to his winning ways in the Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike class, taking his fifth victory in five races to extend his championship lead aboard the Yamaha YZF-R3. Laval, QC's Alex Berthiaume, who won on Saturday to end LeClair's unbeaten streak, ran off in the penultimate corner to seal the victory for his younger counterpart. "“It was a good, fun race,” LeClair said. “I grabbed the hole shot and was able to pull a gap, and unfortunately Alex rode off at the end so here we are [in first]." The other two amateur classes were headlined by a number of local riders, with many new faces lining the podium in both the Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike class and the Parts Canada Amateur Sport Bike class. It was Blainville, QC's Guillaume Fortin who won the Superbike race aboard his BMW S1000RR, while Laval, QC's Pascal Bastien took second aboard a Yamaha YZF-R1 and St. Jerome, QC's Alexandre Cleary finished third riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000. As for the Sport Bike class, it was Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu, QC's Christian Allard who came away victorious aboard a Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja after multiple red flags ended the race early, while 15-year old phenom Nicolas Meunier (Verdun, QC) finished second aboard a Kawasaki and Mirabel, QC's Luc LaBranche rounded out the podium aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6. St. Hubert, QC's Patrick Blouin was named the Parts Canada Hard Charger Award winner after improving from a qualifying position of 14th to finish 5th in the race, while Meunier enters a tie for first in the Award standings after improving from a qualifying position of seventh.
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CSBK
Aug 10, 2018 9:20:39 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Aug 10, 2018 9:20:39 GMT -8
Superbike Doubleheader Weekend gets underway today! Samuel Trepanier FTW!!
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CSBK
Aug 10, 2018 14:11:23 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Aug 10, 2018 14:11:23 GMT -8
Honouring John Long at CTMP as he sits on his G.S. Tuning horizontally-opposed “boxer” flat twin, air-cooled, BMWMotorrad Superbike that he won on at CTMP 40 years ago.
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CSBK
Aug 10, 2018 15:38:28 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Aug 10, 2018 15:38:28 GMT -8
Ben Young will start the Mopar Pro Superbike race at @ctmpofficial from POLE POSITION!
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CSBK
Aug 10, 2018 17:06:23 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Aug 10, 2018 17:06:23 GMT -8
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CSBK
Aug 10, 2018 17:08:59 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Aug 10, 2018 17:08:59 GMT -8
Young storms to pole for doubleheader finale at CTMP Friday, August 10, 2018 Cam Bickle Szoke, Young, and Reidman on Super Pole Podium Collingwood, ON’s Ben Young will start from pole position at the final round of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship, after securing the top spot in the Mopar Pro Superbike class with a dominating performance at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Friday. Young, riding a Scot-Build BMW S1000RR with support from new sponsor Barrie BMW, was fastest in the morning practice session and also in the first half of qualifying, albeit not by a huge margin. However, the former Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year got the most out of his brand-new Dunlop Q tires in the Dalton Timmis Insurance Top Eleven SuperPole, falling just short of the lap record with a time of 1:20.523. His performance earned him the second pole-position of his promising career, with the other coming in round two earlier this season at the Grand Bend Motorplex. Though Young fell just short of his first career victory in that contest, he believes things will be much different this time around as he tries to unseat points leader Jordan Szoke. “The bike was working so well today, and we’re really happy with the pace we had. Missing out on the lap record is a bit of a bummer, but we’re obviously thrilled with pole,” he said. “We’re here to chase the championship, and we’re going to make Jordan work for it, so hopefully we can pull out a win this weekend.” As for Szoke, the three-time defending champion has now missed out on multiple pole positions in the same season for the first time since 2011, though that hasn’t seemed to hinder him as he sits a stone’s throw away from his record 13th title. The Lynden, ON veteran was experiencing some troubles with both of his Mopar Express Lane BMW Motorrad machines, and although he has all but confirmed that he will be racing this weekend, the team is unsure if they will be able to run at peak performance. “I’m happy to be up here, because we really haven’t had the best of weekends,” Szoke lamented. “The new bike that we had this weekend isn’t running, and the engine let go in the other bike which was really scary.” However, he was quick to point out that his mechanical difficulties are not the reason behind Young’s stellar performance. “I’m not trying to take anything away from Ben. He put in a heck of a lap,” Szoke continued. “I still feel comfortable, so now we’re just going to concentrate on the championship.” One of the most pleasant surprises of the day was the strong return of Belfountain, ON’s Kenny Riedmann, who will start from the front row in third after nearly a year away from the National series. The Sturgess Cycle/Riedmann Management Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja rider finished as the runner-up to Szoke in the championship fight a year ago before entering a brief retirement, though he showed no signs of rust at his home track. “It’s great to be back. I’m really excited to be here, I missed it so much,” Riedmann said. “These guys are so fast, I had to work really hard out there. Hopefully we can stick with them this weekend.” Though Young seems to have the edge heading into the weekend, setting a time exactly 0.468 seconds faster than Szoke, the top three all sit within half a second of each other and each could come away with at least one victory to close out the year. It was a mixed day for St. Isidore, QC’s Samuel Trepanier, who is hoping to score his first career victory after a thrilling fight with Szoke at CTMP a year ago. The Blysk Racing BMW rider was forced to settle for fourth in the SuperPole session but is still within striking distance of the lead pack heading into race one on Saturday. Rounding out the top five and leading off the second row on the grid is Inverary, ON veteran Jeff Williams, who is looking for a strong weekend aboard his BMW after a rough trip out East in round four. The top Pro Rookie of the day was Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville, QC’s Ernest Bernhard, who qualified 15th out of the 30-rider field aboard his Yamaha YZF-R1. Topping the charts in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class was once again Ripley, ON’s Mitch Card, who won both races at CTMP last season. Things may have been more exciting this time around, however, as Card jumped to the top of the leaderboard with just under three minutes to go aboard his Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R6. “It’s awesome. It feels really great, I’m so pumped for tomorrow,” Card said. “Last year we were kind of out of the championship after the crash in [round four], but this year we’re still right there so this is huge for us. Hopefully we can win ‘em both again this year!” Defending champion and current points leader Tomas Casas was forced to settle for second after the late charge from his rival, though the Peterborough, ON teenager is excited to still be at the front as he aims to clinch his second Pro title this weekend. Round four race-winner and double-podium finisher Jacob Shaw-O’Leary continued his momentum despite leaving his home track, as the Falmouth, NS youngster was locked in a thrilling battle with Casas for pole before settling for third behind him and Card. The Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike class appears poised for a thrilling finale, with championship leader Luc LaBranche narrowly settling for second behind St. Jerome, QC’s Alexandre Cleary and his Suzuki GSX-R1000. LaBranche, riding a new Yamaha YZF-R1 for the first time this season out of Mirabel, QC, sits just nine points ahead of Ajax, ON’s Michael Van Ek, who struggled to seventh aboard his BMW. The veteran LaBranche once again found himself second in the Parts Canada Amateur Sport Bike qualifying session, which ended nearly ten minutes early due to a red-flag incident. However, this time LaBranche – riding his traditional YZF-R6 – sits narrowly behind 16-year old Verdun, QC phenom Nicolas Meunier, who leads the championship aboard his Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja. Though the Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike class is set to qualify on Saturday morning, the practice sessions still produced some exciting results, with Pro Rookie Cameron Walker topping the timesheets aboard his Kawasaki Ninja 400 “wildcard” entry. The Oakville, ON youngster will be looking to play spoiler as he takes a weekend off from his ZX-6R Ninja sport bike, with Blackstock, ON teenager Jake LeClair aiming to clinch the inaugural trophy aboard his Yamaha YZF-R3. However, Toronto, ON’s Jacob Black could join Walker in the underdog group after setting the second-fastest time aboard his own Kawasaki Ninja 400, just slightly ahead of LeClair in third.
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CSBK
Aug 10, 2018 17:16:38 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Aug 10, 2018 17:16:38 GMT -8
Go Sam Trepanier14
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