Jordan Szoke finally wrested pole position away from Brett McCormick in the fourth race of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship, but it didn’t help much in the race or the series, as McCormick ended up extending his lead over Szoke in the year’s standings by taking another victory after four of seven races.
McCormick, on his radX / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR, got a good start behind Suzuki rider Alex Welsh, grabbed the lead on the first lap, then rode away to a hard-fought victory. “If I told everybody that one was easy I’d be lying,” the 19-year-old McCormick said. “It was a tough race and a hot day. This was one of the toughest weekends I’ve had. It’s been very challenging both mentally and physically.”
The ultra-short track – with lap times in the 45-second area – meant that traffic was a real concern as riders were lapped later in the race. McCormick needed only 18 minutes, 13.102 seconds to complete the 24 laps around the 1.77 km St-Eustache circuit.
Looking for his sixth-straight title, Brantford, Ontarip’s Szoke claimed his third 2011 runner-up finish on the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja, while Alex Welsh of Uxbridge, Ont. finished third riding the Z1 CycleTech / Kenwood Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Szoke was close to McCormick at the end, but couldn’t get by. “My start was not good enough and I got stuck behind Alex,” explained seven-time Canadian Superbike champion Szoke. “Alex was riding well but Brett was getting away all the time. I used up my rear tire when I was stuck behind Alex and when I caught up to Brett I had nothing left.”
A three-rider battle for fourth was resolved in favor of Michael Ferreira on the second of the radX / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR entries. The Mississauga, Ont. rider finished just ahead of the Nelson Racing / GymMax / Monette Sports BMW S1000RR of Kars, Ont.’s Andrew Nelson and Keene, Ont. rider Jodi Christie’s Jodi Christie Racing / Cameron Cycle / Blue Streak Racing Honda CBR600RR.
Nelson remains third in the Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada standings while Ferreira sits fourth and Welsh has moved ahead of Christie into fifth.
The Pro Sport Bike win went to Frank Trombino of Woodbridge, Ont. on his Suzuki Canada / Hindle / Sturgess Cycle Suzuki GSX-R600. Christie took second and Welsh third.
Veteran Steve Crevier once again beat Alberta teen Cody Matechuk to the top step of the podium in the Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup, his third win in a row after Matechuk took the first round at the ICAR circuit at Mirabel.
Amzy Nawaz of Thornton, Ont. won his first K&N Performance Filters Amateur Superbike race of the year on his Kawasaki ZX-6R and moved into second place in the point standings, while in the Amateur Sport Bike class Kris Garvie extended his lead at the top of the standings by edging Nawaz for the win after finishing second to Nawaz in the Superbike race, with Jodi Greening of Burlington, Ont., taking third in both contests.
Shay Gauthier of Ottawa, riding under a caution from the organizers after a couple of incidents at the Shannonville double-header, completed a weekend sweep of the Honda CBR125R Challenge races, twice holding off St-Lazare, Que.’s Stacey Nesbitt and Falmouth, N.S. rider Austin Shaw-O’Leary. Nesbitt’s first win in the class happened at the first race at ICAR, and she’s clearly primed to improve her record even more.
Next race in the seven-event series is at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S. August 5-7.
Superbike standings after four of seven races:
1. Brett McCormick, Saskatoon, Sask. (BMW S1000RR), 219 points;
2. Jordan Szoke,Brantford, Ont. (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 173;
3. Andrew Nelson, Kars, Ont. (BMW S1000RR), 140;
4. Michael Ferreira, Mississauga, Ont. (BMW S1000RR); 128;
5. Alex Welsh, Uxbridge, Ont. (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 109;
6. Jodi Christie, Keene, Ont. (Honda CBR600RR), 104;
7. Franklyn Dominguez, Hudson, Que. (BMW S1000RR), 72;
8. Francis Martin, Sherbrooke, Que. (BMW S1000RR), 71;
9. Rob Busby, Brantford, Ont. (BMW S1000RR), 69;
10. Marie-Josée Boucher, Montreal, Que. (Honda CBR600RR), 68.
