Photos: Bob Szoke/CSBK
BOWMANVILLE, Ont. – Two new names hit the top of the Canadian Superbike record books August 17, as Jodi Christie clinched his first Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship and Kenny Riedmann collected his first Pro title by dethroning Christie from the Hindle Exhaust Pro Sport Bike class.
Jordan Szoke, chasing a record 10th Canadian title, wasn’t able to race at the double-header final after breaking the thumb on his right hand at a trials competition a week earlier.
Christie collected his title courtesy of a second and a first at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport) racing double-header, as he followed Frank Trombino’s Aprilia RSV-4 to the flag on Saturday, then took a commanding 15+ second win over Kelowna’s Marcel Irnie on Sunday. Trombino didn’t make the field Sunday, after crashing in morning practice and breaking an ankle.
Christie’s Sunday win was his second in five races this season and gave him a total of 242 points in the final Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship standings, 80 more than class runner-up Trevor Daley of Mississauga, Ont. Daley snatched second in the standings by four points over defending and nine-time champion Jordan Szoke thanks to a third place finish on Sunday on his One Speed Suzuki GSX-R1000.
“I know it sounds corny, but I can’t say enough about the team I’ve had behind me this season,” said Christie. “It’s a shame Jordan wasn’t out here to battle with, but we did our job and we brought it home.” Christie’s John Sharrard-led Honda Canada / Accelerated Technologies crew took home the Inside Motorcycles Team of the Year award.
While the finishers were spread out a bit on Saturday and Christie ran away on Sunday, second and third on Sunday came down to the wire, with Daley and Irnie fighting to the wire, Daley just failing to nip Irnie in a drag race to the finish line by 0.170 sec.
The runner-up spot completed a solid weekend for Kelowna, B.C.’s Irnie, who finished third on Saturday. “I knew the gap was closing up behind me and he [Daley] kept showing me a wheel into turns two and eight,” Irnie said. “On the last lap I just tried to defend the inside as best I could and it worked out.”
Daley had made a spectacular charge from the back of the grid on his back-up Suzuki, which was brought into service at the last minute and hadn’t turned a wheel since the season opener at Shannonville Motorsport Park in June. “We had our trials and tribulations this weekend so it’s great to come away with third,” said Daley, who suffered a nasty fall on Friday that sent him to hospital and then had to bring out his Suzuki on Sunday morning.
Sebastien Tremblay of Longueuil, Que. led home a five-rider scrap for fourth on his MotoNation / Laval Moto / CrossFitLaval.com Kawasaki ZX-10R. After trading the spot with Ross Millson through the first half of the race, Tremblay came under pressure from Kristopher Garvie in the waning laps and just held off the Honda Canada / Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR rider at the line. They were chased home by the BMW S1000RR of Scarborough, Ont.’s Chris Murray-Audain, Hamilton’s Millson and Franklyn Dominguez of St-Lazare, Que. on the OCM Motor Sports / egopay.com Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Matt McBride, who started on pole on the Riders Choice / Dainese BMW S1000RR, had a huge high-side crash while leading early on Saturday, and retired on Sunday after one lap with his engine running on only two cylinders.
Kenny Riedmann clinched his first Pro title with a second-place finish in the final round of the Hindle Exhaust Pro Sport Bike Championship, after collecting a win on Saturday. The Belfountain, Ont. rider finished the season with 193 points to the 151 of Christie, who vaulted from fifth to second in the point standings with a dominant win in Sunday’s race after crashing out of Saturday’s contest. The win was the first of the season for Christie, who saw a string of three straight Pro Sport Bike championships come to an end.
Pedro Sousa grabbed the Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike title. Riding his Honda CBR1000RR, the Mississauga, Ont. racer finished behind the OCM Motor Sports / Peterborough Cycle Salvage Yamaha YZF-R6 of Peterborough, Ont.’s Tomas Casas and Brampton, Ont.’s Tony Lanni aboard the ProStar Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR in the 12-lap race, but third gave him the title by 10 points over Casas, 199-189.
Casas did take the Bell Helmets Amateur Sport Bike crown thanks to an impressive ride from 21st spot on the starting grid to the victory in the 10-lap race on Sunday, combined with a second on Saturday. Casas finished 9.332 sec clear of the OCM Motor Sports / FTR / Honda Canada Honda CBR600RR of St-Lazare, Que.’s Stacey Nesbitt, and beat her by 13 points in the championship, 232-219.
In a dramatic turn of events Jacob Shaw-O’Leary clinched the Honda CBR250R National Race Series title on Sunday. Notre Dame de L’Ile Perrot, Que.’s Eric Quintin came into the weekend with the points lead but crashed out of Sunday morning’s race while leading, turning over the advantage to Shaw-O’Leary. The Falmouth, N.S. racer wrapped up the title with a third place in the season finale later in the day, which was won by Quintin.
Cameron Walker of Oakville, Ont. won the day’s opening race and finished second in the finale.
Final Mopar Canadian Superbike Series standings after five races
1.Jodi Christie, Keene, Ont., Honda, 242
2. Trevor Daley, Mississauga, Ont., Suzuki/Honda, 162
3. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., BMW, 158
4. Sebastien Tremblay, Longueuil, Que., Kawasaki, 155
5. Kristopher Garvie, Caledon, Ont., Honda, 144
6. Franklyn Dominguez, St-Lazare, Que., Kawasaki, 110
7. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, Ont., Aprilia, 86
8. Marcel Irnie, Kelowna, B.C., BMW, 81
9. Marco Sousa, Mississauga, Ont., BMW, 65
10. Will Hornblower, Sarnia, Ont., Yamaha, 54
