Mike Zottmann wins EMRA Superbike feature race and extends championship lead.

Round 4, the mid-way point of the Edmonton Motorcycle Roadracing Association (EMRA) 2016 season, was held at Castrol Raceway this past weekend, August 13-14. Castrol Raceway is the largest race facility in western Canada and home to a 14-turn 2.7 km road course. Conditions all weekend were sunny and hot, a stark contrast to the cool, rain-soaked Round 3.

Qualifying for the races was held on Saturday. With the sun shining and the track conditions improving throughout the day, Justin Knapik would claim pole position on his Echo Cycle/Kawasaki Canada-backed ZX-10R for the Expert Superbike race during the final session of the day. Trevor Brenhardt, riding his ZBM Racing/ Bow Cycle Kawasaki ZX-6R, would comfortably claim 600 Superbike pole position halfway through the day; his nearest competition would struggle coming to terms with the much hotter than expected track temperature.

The first feature race of the day would be Formula Thunder, a race featuring Superbike-spec machines with less than three cylinders, or a V4 engine configuration. Peter Meier, riding his ZBM Racing 1199 Ducati Panigale, finished in first place, making his way through a pack of riders and taking the lead from Scott Paras and his Empire Tyre/Echo Cycle Aprilia RSV4. Meier crossed the finish line nine seconds ahead of Scott Paras. After the race, a relieved Meier said, “Everyone was heading out onto the track, I go to start my bike and a warning light comes on, it would not start. The team did everything to try and figure out what was wrong, but nothing worked. I could hear the bikes heading out on the track. I told my team to give me a push start. It started, but now I had missed the warm-up lap. I pulled directly onto the grid but I could tell the bike was not running right and I had a terrible start. I think I was fourth position going into the first turn and I could see Scott pulling away. I was thinking lets just try and finish this race to salvage points. But after the first lap the warning light went off and the bike was running normal. I got back into my normal rhythm and was able to catch Scott to take the win.”

In 600cc Superbike action, Bernhardt would start on pole riding his ZBM Racing/ Bow Cycle Kawasaki ZX6R, get the holeshot, and never look back, recording a fastest lap of 1.21.7. Jon Bullee, riding his Riverside Honda CBR600RR, would have a close battle with Ryan Boddy on his Pet Auto Body Yamaha R6 for second place. Ryan would make a number of pass attempts into turn 4 and finally made one stick to take second place, on what turned out to be the final lap of the red flag shortened race.

The grand finale of Round 4 was the Expert Superbike race. Knapik started on pole position, but was unable to capitalize and lost the lead to Mike Zottmann by the end of the first lap. Mike would focus and ride superbly, putting in the two fastest laps of the EMRA season and gapping Knapik by over two seconds by the end of the third lap. As soon as a gap to second place was established Mike maintained that gap for the rest of the race, taking the victory. It turned out to be a weekend full of struggle for Mike, but he and his team would manage to pull through. After celebrating on the podium and with his team, Mike would comment, “Due to dropping a valve and blowing up a motor the previous race weekend, we purchased a 2015 ZX-10 motor to run in the mean time. We started the weekend having to pull the transmission out of our bike three times to find that we had a bent c-clip causing all of our headaches. It was a totally stock engine, we struggled a bit with qualifying on Saturday not really finding the right sprockets and settings to get the bike to turn properly. I qualified second which I was happy with, knowing there was more there. Sunday’s races were awesome and thanks to my teammates I was out on the bike enjoying the racing! I put a fresh set of Pirellis on and set a new 2016 class lap record in the Superbike race. We managed to salvage the weekend due to all the help from my team ZBM racing. They all worked their butts off to get it done. Thanks to Kawasaki Canada, Bow Cycle, K-tech suspension, Pirelli and Kevin Graham, X-One Suits, Hindle Exhaust, Tech-Spec, Woolich Racing, Galfer, One Track Mind, Vortex Racing, DNA Air Filters, Red Rock Garage. Without the support I couldn’t do what I love! Also special thanks to Hotel Kelifornia for the great lodging and food. I hope to see everyone again in a few weeks!” Mike has an 11 point lead going into Round 5 and 6 of the 2016 EMRA season. The next two rounds of racing will be at Castrol Raceway September 2-4th. For more info check out the EMRA website www.EMRA.ca.

Edmonton Motorcycle Roadracing Association August 13-14, 2016 @ Castrol Raceway Results

Senior Open:

1. Ian Wall (Suz GSX-R1000)
2. Jason Kolmatycki (Yam YZF-R1M)
3. Glen Gregoire (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Peter Meier (Duc 1199 Panigale)
5. Dana Draper (Yam YZF-R1)
6. Ryan McGowan (Kaw ZX-10R)

Novice Open:

1. Waldemar Tkaczyk (Hon CBR600RR)
2. Jeff Sloan (Suz GSX-R600)
3. Shane Hanson (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. Christina Mitchell (Suz GSX-R600)
5. Greg Stein (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Andrew Thomson (Yam YZF-R6)

Intermediate 600cc SS:

1. Allan Millican (Suz GSX-R600)
2. Adam Taylor (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Lee Depner (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Joseph Adler (Hon CBR600RR)
5. Cam Winterman (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Richard Bolduc (Hon CBR600RR)

Expert 600cc SS:

1. Brian Worsdall (Hon CBR600RR)
2. Jon Bullee (Hon CBR600RR)
3. Trevor Bernhardt (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. Ryan Boddy (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Darryl McGavigan (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Lee Brady (Yam YZF-R6)

Lightweight Open:

1. Steele Bizuk (Kaw 300)
2. Ryan Brady (Hon CBR300R)
3. Calvin Ozimko (Hon CBR300R)
4. James Kendrick (Hon CBR300R)

Intermediate Middleweight Twins:

1. Brian Oxtoby (KTM 690R)
2. Justin Litzenberger (Kaw N650R)
3. David Trofimuk (Suz SV650)
4. Tim Trofimuk (Suz SV650)
5. Randy Schuler (Suz SV650)

Fast 25:

1. Mike Zottmann (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Justin Knapik (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. Trevor Bernhardt (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. Jason Kolmatycki (Yam YZF-R1M)
5. Ian Wall (Suz GSX-R1000)
6. Ryan Boddy (Yam YZF-R6)

Women’s Open:

1. Lorna Stelmack (Yam YZF-R1)
2. Christina Mitchell (Suz GSX-R600)
3. Tricia Reese (Suz GSX-R750)
4. Johanne Bernier (Suz GSX-R750)

Formula 112:

1. Adrian Taylor (Yam YZF-R1)
2. Nick Sosniuk (Suz GSX-R1000)
3. Scott Manley (Hon CBR600RR)
4. Dominic Poulin (Apr RSV4)
5. Jay DeLancey (Hon CBR1000RR)
6. Greg Taylor (Suz GSX-R1000)

Formula Thunder:

1. Peter Meier (Duc 1199 Panigale)
2. Scott Paras (Apr RSV4)
3. Ryan Taylor (Duc 1199 Panigale S)
4. Owen El-Baba (MV Agusta F3 675)
5. Brian Oxtoby (KTM 690R)
6. Dominic Poulin (Apr RSV4)

Intermediate 600cc Superbike:

1. Allan Millican (Suz GSX-R600)
2. Lee Depner (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Adam Taylor (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Owen El-Baba (MV Agusta F3 675)
5. Cam Winterman (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Richard Bolduc (Hon CBR600RR)

Expert 600cc Superbike:

1. Trevor Bernhardt (Kaw ZX-6R)
2. Ryan Boddy (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Jon Bullee (Hon CBR600RR)
4. Lee Brady (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Brian Worsdall (Hon CBR600RR)
6. Shane Fraser (Yam YZF-R6)

Novice Open:

1. Waldemar Tkaczyk (Hon CBR600RR)
2. Jeff Sloan (Suz GSX-R600)
3. Mitch Siepka (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Shane Hanson (Kaw ZX-6R)
5. Greg Stein (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Christina Mitchell (Suz GSX-R600)

Intermediate Superbike:

1. Glen Gregoire (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Allan Millican (Suz GSX-R600)
3. Tosh Gable (Hon CBR1000RR)
4. Nick Sosniuk (Suz GSX-R1000)
5. Adam Taylor (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Adrian Taylor (Yam YZF-R1)

Expert Superbike:

1. Mike Zottmann (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Justin Knapik (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. Ian Wall (Suz GSX-R1000)
4. Trevor Bernhardt (Kaw ZX-6R)
5. Peter Meier (Duc 1199 Panigale)
6. Brian Worsdall (BMW S1000RR)