CSBk hits Lobster Country

Photo: Bob Szoke

SHUBENACADIE, N.S.  – July 27 saw Jodi Christie score his second consecutive win at Atlantic Motorsport Park in spectacular fashion in the third round of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship on Sunday.

The 22-year old from Keene, Ont. rider made a last lap, last corner pass of nine-time Canadian champ Jordan Szoke to snatch a 0.109-sec. victory on his Jodi Christie Racing / Honda Canada / Accelerated Technologies Honda CBR1000RR. The win was Christie’s first of the season and set up a dramatic finish to the season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in three weeks’ time, with Christie now within 13 points of Szoke in the standings.

“I’m so happy to be up here again,” said Christie, who finished second to Szoke in the opening two races of the 2014 season. “I feel I’ve had the best bike all year and just failed to execute for the team. So this is like redemption for me.”

Franklyn Dominguez of St-Lazare, Que., with multiple titles from his homeland of the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean series, got his first CSBK podium on the OCM Motor Sports / egopay.com Kawasaki ZX-10R, holding off the Honda Canada / Fast Company / Platinum Painting Honda CBR1000RR of Kristopher Garvie in another exciting battle.

Szoke had the pole on his Waznie Racing / BMW Motorrad / Mopar Express Lane BMW S1000RR, but Christie grabbed the holeshot. The two circulated as one for the first 17 laps, and on lap 18 Szoke made the first move of the chess match, passing Christie’s Honda in turn five. Christie stayed close, however, and replied with a pass into the turn nine carousel on lap 21 to lead at the start of the final lap.

Szoke again made his move in turn five on the last tour and then held a tight inside line, but entering the final turn Christie dove to the inside and squeezed ahead for the charge to the line.

“Entering turn nine he blocked the line, and I expected that,” Christie explained. “He hugged the inside super-tight through turn 10 and as we exited he left about five feet on the outside. I used that to get inside him for turn 11 and then made my move and got as good a drive as I could onto the front straight.”

“It’s a bit disappointing,” said Szoke. “I just made a big mistake. I thought I had the win in the bag and I went a bit slower into the last corner to make sure I got a good drive onto the front straight. I’m just mad I left the door open for him.”

Dominguez made a superb start from the second row of the grid to snatch third spot and then pulled clear from the rest of the pack. But as the laps wound down he was reeled in by Garvie, who turned his fastest lap of the race on the penultimate tour in his pursuit of the Kawasaki rider.

Trevor Daley of Mississauga, Ont. was fourth for most of the race on his ProStar Motorsports / One Speed Honda CBR1000RR but ran off track in turn one on lap 18 and rejoined in fifth, where he finished. He remains third in the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship standings with 102 points.

In another fierce fight, Sarnia, Ont.’s Will Hornblower finished sixth on his Hornblower Racing / Blue Streak Yamaha YZF-R6 after passing the MotoNation / Laval Moto / CrossfitLaval.com Kawasaki ZX-10R of Longueuil, Que.’s Sebastien Tremblay on the final lap. Hornblower’s result allowed him to extend his lead in the season-long Rookie of the Year standings.

In other action at Atlantic Motorsport Park, after series leaders Christie and Kenny Riedmann both crashed on the first lap, Trevor Daley claimed his first career national Pro win in a wild Hindle Exhaust Pro Sport Bike race. Daley took the lead on lap 13 of the 18-lap race when Hornblower crashed unhurt in turn four, and went on to finish 2.102 sec. clear of Garvie’s Honda CBR600RR, while Garvie was less than a second clear of Noiles on his Honda CBR600RR.

Riedmann carries a four-point lead over Christie into the season-ending doubleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Garvie is now third with 88 points while Daley has moved up to fourth with 83.

James Moore of Ariss, Ont. rode his Triumph 675 to the top podium spot in the Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike race, leading home the OCM Motor Sports / Peterborough Cycle Salvage Yamaha YZF-R6 of Peterborough, Ont.’s Tomas Casas and the Honda CBR600RR of Mississauga, Ont.’s Pedro Sousa. Sousa leads the class point standings heading to the CTMP doubleheader with 116 to the 99 of Casas and the 76 of St-Lazare, Que. rider Stacey Nesbitt, who crashed out of Sunday’s race on her OCM Motor Sports / FTR / Honda Canada Honda CBR600RR but was not seriously injured.

Nesbitt closed to within a point of Casas for first place in the Bell Helmets Amateur Sport Bike standings after taking her second win of the season. Nesbitt took the lead from Moore in turn three on the final lap and held on to beat Casas by 0.078 secs.

Casas now leads the Amateur Sport Bike standings with 138 points to Nesbitt’s 137 heading to the CTMP finale.

Falmouth, N.S.’s Jacob Shaw-O’Leary won the Honda CBR250R National Race Series feature for the second day in a row and closed to within a point of class leader Eric Quintin, who placed second.

The 2014 Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship concludes with a doubleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont. August 15-17.