A race series for young riders on
Honda’s four-stroke CBR125R will run at some of the
Parts Canada Superbike Championship events in 2008.
The CBR125R Challenge will be open to
riders from 14 to 22 years old as of Jan. 1, and bikes will be kept stock except
for some aftermarket products sold through Honda Canada, such as Elka
rear shocks and revalved forks, Mimic bodywork, Z-1 frame sliders, and Parts Canada race stands. As with the higher racing classes, engines will be checked for cheating – er, modifications – on the series dynamometer, and Pirelli spec
tires will be used by all riders.
The 125 Challenge is strictly for
amateurs, but some of the kids who ride should be expected to lose
that status as time goes by. Honda says the series is intended as a
starting point for road racers who want to do the Jeffersons’ thing:
movin’ on up.
It’s not clear yet which Superbike series races will include the 125 Challenge, but a series schedule of sorts has been released:
May 22 – 25, location TBA
June 26 – 29, Race City Motorsport Park, Calgary, Alb.
June 17 – 20 (Double-header), Mosport International Raceway, bowmanville, Ont.
August 7 – 10, Atlantic Motorsport Park, Shubenacadie, N.S.
August 21 – 24, location TBA
August 28 – 31, Shannonville Motorsport Park, Shannonville, Ont.
With two TBAs out of six weekends, not to mention three races in August, series competitors are less than thrilled.
The first National won’t be at Shannonville, that much I can tell you. The Mosport event will see the CBR125Rs on the development track. The Challenge will be run at ALL Nationals, with other selected non-points paying events TBA…
See Soapbox
Sorry, we had discussed that they’d be running at shorter tracks and I drew a blank on it when I saw Mosport mentioned. Oops 🙁
The 125s will not race on the longer tracks, but will utilize shorter venues -i.e. at Mosport the Rider Development Track, at Shannonville the Nelson Circuit and so on. The plan is to keep the racing close and with limited horsepower there is no point in running anything with really long straightaways.
The National Series will definitely NOT be at St. Eustache for ’08, that much I do know.
The first TBA listed will most likely see the Nationals back at Shannonville for their opener again. The second one is up for grabs.
After looking at the schedule I’m sitting here and wondering what a 4-stroke 125 race around Mosport will look like…. and how long it’ll take 😉
“With two TBAs out of six weekends, not to mention three races in August, series competitors are less than thrilled.”
Very diplomatically put. And, with Tremblant having ZERO motorcycles in 08 (no track days, no racing, no nothin’) any takers that they’ll be back at the Quebec sh*thole, otherwise known as St. Eustache?
(Home of the 47 second Superbike lap time)