Canadian roadracing ace Pascal Picotte will be inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame this year.
In case you weren’t following the scene when Picotte was making his bones in roadracing, he rose to prominence as the top amateur roadracer in Canada, then switched over to the AMA in the 1990s, racing there until the early 2000s, all the while picking up the odd race in Canada as well.
After returning to full-time CSBK competition, he took the Pro Superbike and Pro Sport Bike titles in 2003 and 2004, aboard Yamahas both years. He later moved on to team management, working with Brett McCormick in that rider’s early days at Team Suzuki/Blackfoot/Picotte Racing.
You can find more details of Picotte’s career in the press release below. He’ll be honoured at the Hall’s induction banquet later this month in Montreal.
Pascal Picotte to be Inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame
MOTORCYCLING LEGENDS AND CHAMPIONS TO BE HONOURED AT ELEVENTH ANNUAL CANADIAN MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME INDUCTION BANQUET AND REUNION
NEWS RELEASE
Professional Motorsports Productions on behalf of the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto ON – February 8, 2017 – The Board of Directors of the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the eighth member of the Class of 2016. Pascal Picotte will be honoured at the 11th annual Induction Banquet and Reunion which takes place February 25, 2017 at the Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel in Montreal.
Pascal Picotte grew up just south of Montreal in Granby, Quebec, near one of the more popular race track of the 1970s and 1980s, Sanair International. Pascal’s initiation into motorcycle racing came via Michel Mercier’s FAST Racing School and by the time he was 18, Picotte was the top ranked Amateur road racer in Canada.
1991 was a break-through year for Picotte, leading the Yamaha Canada effort early in the season and then joining Fast By Ferracci Ducati in the U.S. He won three Pro Twin races for Ducati in the U.S., and was fourth in the Superbike race in Miami. His abbreviated campaign in Canada included wins at Race City in Calgary and the World Superbike round at Mosport.
For 1992, Picotte focused on the U.S., taking eight of nine victories to earn the Pro Twins Championship, as well as a couple of Superbike podiums on his way to fifth in Superbike points. Picotte also took the works Ducati to Canada for a couple of races, edging arch-rival Steve Crevier at the Shannonville finale.
In 1998, Picotte started his famous four-year tenure with the beleaguered works Harley-Davidson superbike, showing considerable promise working with Canadian chassis guru Dale Rathwell. He dazzled at Daytona, and was fourth at Pike’s Peak and Las Vegas. In 2000 Picotte managed to get the VR1000 a first-ever finish in the Daytona 200, winding up ninth. Picotte’s success continued in 2005, although injuries limited him to wins at Mosport and Shannonville. By 2007 he opted to focus on team-management, running Francis Martin, Matt McBride and Chris Peris for Blackfoot-Suzuki.
“Pascal Picotte’s competition career is indicative of the high level of success for entry into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame. The Chair of the Board and the Directors are pleased and honoured to welcome Pascal to the Class of 2016.”
Tickets for the Eleventh Annual Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Reunion are available at www.canmoto.ca.
Founded by Bar and Hedy Hodgson in 1999, the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame preserves and promotes Canadian motorcycle history for the benefit of the motorcycling community and public. Sponsored in part by the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC), the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame is a non-profit association with charitable status. It is governed by an independent board of volunteer directors representing every region of the country. Since the first induction banquet in Toronto in 2006, over 100 distinguished motorcyclists and organizations have been inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
For information about past inductees, historic motorcycle collections, event sponsorship, the Roll of Honour and tax-deductible donations, visit www.canmoto.ca.
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Founded by Bar and Hedy Hodgson in 1999, the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame preserves and promotes Canadian motorcycle history for the benefit of the motorcycling community and public. Sponsored in part by the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC), the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame is a non-profit association with charitable status. It is governed by an independent board of volunteer directors representing every region of the country. Since the first induction banquet in Toronto in 2006, over 100 distinguished motorcyclists and organizations have been inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
For information about past inductees, historic motorcycle collections, event sponsorship, the Roll of Honour and tax-deductible donations, visit www.canmoto.ca.
For additional information please contact Vada at MClegends@aol.com
