One big name was missing from yesterday’s CSBK results: Jodi Christie was nowhere to be seen on the timesheets. That’s because Christie isn’t racing this CSBK season.
The young star has consistently been one of the fastest riders in Canadian Superbike action in the past few years, winning the 2014 Pro Superbike championship, and also taking the Pro Sport Bike titles 2011-2013. Christie also won the 2008 Amateur Sport Bike title and was 2009 Rookie of the Year. In 2015, he was runner-up in Pro Sport Bike and third in Pro Superbike.
Despite that string of impressive results, Christie isn’t riding this year. A Honda official says that decision was Christie’s, and that they would support him if he chose to go back to the track. We’ve heard from a CSBK insider that Honda indeed offered him a sponsorship package, but not the same deal he had in the past, which probably ended in the results we’re seeing.
Hopefully, Christie’s absence is not a sign Honda is stepping back from roadracing. Honda still appears on CSBK’s official sponsor list, but there were no Honda litre bikes in Sunday’s Pro Superbike event (a couple CBR600RRs were listed as DNS), and only two 600s in the Pro Sport Bike event (Louis Raffa earned a fourth on his CBR600RR). Honda’s money has been a key part of the growth in Canadian roadracing in recent years, thanks to the CBR125 and CBR250 series, in particular.
The good news is, despite Christie’s absence, there are several other experienced competitors back on the CSBK track this summer. Michael Taylor’s back, Kevin Lacombe’s back, and Ben Young has started racing CSBK. Christie or no Christie, the field is the strongest it’s been in years.
The word on the street is that Christie’s going to be flat track racing this summer (with Honda sponsorship), which isn’t a bad way to spend your downtime …
From Jodi Christie’s Facebook page: “This summer brings change, I would like to share with everyone that I will be contesting in the Flat Track Canada series! I will be competing in DTX Intermediate and Open Intermediate classes aboard a Honda CRF 450R prepared by Kurt Biegger. I am grateful to be a part of this team and learn from the wealth of knowledge that it has to offer. Racing Flat Track is a great opportunity and a new chapter in my racing career that I am thrilled to take on. The first race is tomorrow at the Woodstock fairgrounds, it was changed to tomorrow due to rain. So it gives everyone a chance to come out and watch the first race of the season! Check out the schedule on the Flat Track Canada website and find a race near you to come out and watch! ” https://www.facebook.com/JodiChristieRacing/
As well, the Flat Track Canada website currently shows him as #4 and #3 in in the Open Intermediate and DTX Intermediate, respectively as of May 31, 2016. http://www.flattrackcanada.com/2016-standings/
It all comes down to money – it costs a lot (even in Canada) to run a roadracing program.
The tire bills alone for a 600 Supersport or Open Superbike are, over the course of a season, staggering.
Then there’s the traveling, machine maintenance and crew expenses – it adds up.
Christie and McCormick are incredible talents, if they can’t make it work who can…?