So this is it – the end of our racing adventure in Canadian Thunder. It was an exciting first year of the new series. Spawned from the old Buell/BMW cup, CMG, Buell and Ducati managed to take the old and make the new Canadian Thunder series.
Having missed the last round of the Canadian Thunder series, I figured I’d better make sure I show for the St Eustache endurance race, and the last race of the season for Team CMG.
It was a simple plan. Go to Vancouver with Mr. Seck for the annual CMG road trip, pick up a couple of BMWs and ride around B.C. for 10 days. Afterwards a direct flight into Montreal on the Saturday would get me there just in time for the final of the Canadian Thunder.
Mosport. It’s name makes me twitch. I used to be a race virgin until last year’s experiment with a BMW R1100S in the now defunct Buell/BMW cup. We took it to the Mosport round to get in some track time before my first (and the series’ last race) at St Eustache, a few weeks later.
There’s an old Yorkshire saying that goes “Aye, tis um pah thy gern te’ than thy … gar bar Rob Harris”. Roughly translated it says “If you try hard enough, you’ll finally get what you want … unless you’re Rob Harris.”
The Canadian Thunder Series seems to be really taking off with its best turnout to date, with a show of thirteen competitors. Although Ducati and Buell seem to be the bikes of choice, we managed to connect CMG’s Larry Tate with Pat Doyle of Bavarian Motosports and onto a prepped Moto Guzzi V11.
Well two races down and four more to go. I’ll let Costa and JP fill you in with all the details on how Team CMG performed, but overall this is proving to be quite the series. CMG escapades aside, race two saw the much anticipated arrival of Team Toronto Ducati (AKA Brampton Cycle) and their pro-rider Derek Vammus on a 900SS.
So after all the organising, preparation, scamming freebies and planning world domination, the first race of the Canadian Thunder Series is upon us. This was our chance to shine. To show the world that Team CMG would never be defeated. We were going to show ’em what racing was all about.
I think it’s taken all of us a bit by surprise at how quickly the inaugural race of the Canadian Thunder Series has come around. Thankfully it appears that all the important bits have come together, although we’re still in eleventh hour negotiations with some prospective sponsors.
Everything slowed down for a moment, as the sounds of revving motors all around me lost their bark. I took one big deep breath and let the clutch go in unison with the flag drop.