CSBK announces new championships for constructors, pole position

Canadian Superbike racing returns this weekend, and there are two new championships this year in the Pro Superbike class.

This year, CSBK will have a new Constructors Championship and Pole Position Championship. The Constructors title will be a battle between the manufacturers involved in the series, similar to what’s seen in GP racing. The manufacturer whose bikes win the most points will take the title.

As for the Pole Position battle, this is based on points in the Superpole track session, which determines starting order for the actual championship race. The Pole Position standings are separate from the Pro Superbike standings, and the winning rider will get a cash prize from sponsor Yuasa Batteries at end-of season. A welcome addition, no doubt, as racers are always in need of more money to fund the fun!

CSBK also wanted to point out that Brooklin Cycle Racing’s Pro Rookie of the Year championship is back for 2021, after it was canceled in the shortened 2020 season. Samuel Guerin is definitely a favourite in that chase, as he was very competitive in Pro Superbike last season.

CSBK opens its 2021 season at Calabogie this weekend, with limited spectator attendance allowed (more details here). See more information on the new championships in the press release below:

Press release

CSBK announce new Constructors and Pole Position Championships, return of BCR Rookie of the Year in 2021

Toronto, ON – Riders in the Pro Superbike feature category will have more to race for in the upcoming Canadian Superbike National Championship season, as the series will introduce a pair of brand-new championships in the 2021 campaign. The season will also see the return of the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year award. 

The new Constructors Championship will serve as a competition between manufacturers, with riders scoring points for their respective factories in each race this season. Separately, Pro Superbike riders will also compete for the Yuasa Batteries Pole Position title, which will be based off qualifying results from each round. 

Similar to the championship system used in MotoGP, the Constructors table will see only the top two finishers in each race from each manufacturer score points for their brand, using the same scoring structure as the regular championship battle (i.e. 50 points for a win, 42 for second, etc.). This will not include qualifying points and points for laps led, with the final standings reflecting only race performances. 

Under this format, Kawasaki would have been the reigning Constructors champions, winning every race in 2020 courtesy of defending National title winner Jordan Szoke. 

The Yuasa Batteries Pole Position Championship, meanwhile, will award points to the top-five qualifiers at each race weekend, ranging from 10 points for pole down to two points for fifth. These points are completely separate from the overall Pro Superbike standings and will only count towards the Yuasa Batteries year-end monetary prize. 

Szoke captured pole position in both rounds of the 2020 campaign, as he will likely play a huge role in both new championships this season. 

The BCR Pro Rookie of the Year award will be hotly contested in 2021 as well, with last year’s championship runner-up Samuel Guerin maintaining his rookie status aboard his EFC Group BMW. However, he won’t be without challengers in the feature class, as 18-year-old Alex Dumas is set to join the CSBK grid on his Liqui Moly Suzuki after a successful stint in MotoAmerica, and figures to be in the lead group throughout the year. 

With no BCR Pro Rookie of the Year Award offered in 2020 due to the various Pandemic health restrictions, competitors who turned Pro in 2020, those who turned Pro for 2021 or Expert-level competitors joined the tour for the first time in the past two seasons are eligible. BMW’s 2019 Canadian National Superbike Champion Ben Young earned BCR Rookie of the Year honours in 2016.

Pro Superbike riders will get their first crack at the new championships when the 2021 campaign kicks off in Calabogie Motorsports Park on July 10-11, with limited spectators now allowed at the season opener.