Both the Pro Superbike and Pro Sport Bike races were settled by 0.08 seconds as defending double champ Jordan Szoke (Sport Bike) and Brett McCormick (Superbike) split victories at the third of six stops in this season’s Parts Canada Superbike schedule.
To take the premier victory, McCormick pushed his Blackfoot Suzuki past Szoke’s Kawasaki ZX-10R in the Keyhole section just before the last corner, and held on for his second straight victory.
Szoke, who took pole and led the entire race up to that point, wasn’t overly impressed, saying, "I’m a little annoyed right now. The bike was perfect. I’m mad at myself for leaving the door open. I know rubbing is racing (the two made contact in the pass) but I consider that a little much."
Third went to Kevin Lacombe on the Team Toyota Yamaha/OTSFF R1 after a race-long battle with privateer Yamaha rider Andrew Nelson. Nelson suffered a couple of false neutrals that slowed him, and observed, "I had the pace and the bike to finish third. I guess it was not meant to be, unfortunately. It’s a lot of work for fourth place."
Lacombe said, "It was a really intense race. I was getting really exhausted at the end but I put my head down and pulled it out."
The top five was rounded out by local hero Clint McBain (Acceleration Suzuki), who won the race last year.
The win extended McCormick’s series lead over Szoke to 11 points, 157-146, with four races left in the seven-race series. Nelson is in third overall.
The Pro Sport Bike event was a near-copy of the Superbike race, with Szoke leading the entire way shadowed by former team-mate McCormick, but this time McCormick’s last-gasp passing attempt failed as he got in too hot and slid wide, letting Szoke back in front for the win. "I thought he might try me going into there but I knew he would have to go pretty deep," said Szoke. With the win Szoke regained the points lead over McCormick, 155-146.
Szoke’s team-mate Welsh was third on another Kawasaki ZX-6R for his best career Pro finish, and 14-year-old Royce McLean finished fourth on a Yamaha YZF-R6 after passing Steve Crevier’s Buell 1125R two laps from the end.
In other action, Cody Matechuk of Cochrane, Alberta, (McBain’s step-son) won the Amateur 600 contest, Steve Nickerson of Hamilton continued to dominate the Honda CBR125 Challenge, and Raphael Archambault of St-Columban, Quebec took his first-ever SV650 National Cup victory in a sadly under-attended class (only six entries), also picking up the Tirox Won Bigtime Award for enjoying the largest margin of victory of the weekend, and taking over the class points lead.
The next Parts Canada Superbike Championship event is a doubleheader at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, July 17-19.
Superbike standings:
1. Brett McCormick, Saskatoon, Sask., Blackfoot Suzuki, 157; 2. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., Canadian Kawasaki, 146; 3. Andrew Nelson, Kars, Ont., Yamaha R1, 96; 4. Clint McBain, Cochrane, Alta., Acceleration Racing Suzuki, 90; 5. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, B.C., Deeley Buell 1125, 84.
Pro Sportbike:
1. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., Canadian Kawasaki, 146 points; 2. Brett McCormick, Saskatoon, Sask., Blackfoot Suzuki, 146; Kevin Lacombe, Granby, Que., Team Toyota Yamaha/OTSFF, 99; 4. Alex Welsh, Uxbridge, Ont., Canadian Kawasaki, 98; 5. Andrew Nelson, Kars, Ont., Yamaha, 95.
