Superbike Preview: Young faces crop of wildcards as title battle heads to CTMP
Hamilton, ON – After a nearly a month-long summer break, the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship will return to action once again as the series enters its penultimate round this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, August 9-11.
The break hasn’t been as relaxing for GP Bikes Pro Superbike Championship leader Ben Young, who is fresh off a stellar debut appearance at the Suzuka 8 Hours just two weeks ago, but Young will hope that means he has a little less rust to shake off when the usual CSBK calendar resumes at CTMP.
The three-time champion can clinch a fourth Canada Cup this weekend if he adds just 14 points to his 40-point advantage over Sam Guerin, but it will be far from straightforward as he deals with perhaps the strongest Superbike grid in the modern era.
Not only will Young need to face his usual foes in Guerin, Alex Dumas, and Jordan Szoke, but he will also be welcomed back by former winners Torin Collins and Trevor Daley as well as wildcard Charles Aubrie, a group of riders that are all capable of dominating the weekend headlines.
Despite the challenge, Young will enter “Old Mosport” as the betting favourite once again for multiple reasons.
The last time anyone saw the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider, he put on one of the most clinical performances of his career with a comfortable win at AMP. He then carried that momentum into his World Endurance debut, playing a pivotal role for Team Taro BMW as they finished 13th out of 46 teams.
If the hope is that CTMP would be a weak spot for Young, that would be wishful thinking as well. The Collingwood, Ontario native is the second winningest rider in Superbike history at the venue, totalling six victories and 13 podiums in his career at the circuit – including three runaway wins a year ago.
That 2023 performance came with plenty of help from Guerin, however, who enjoyed what was at the time his best career weekend with three consecutive second-place finishes. He has since surpassed that with two victories this season, and it’s safe to say this time he won’t be as eager to help his championship rival.
Guerin cemented himself as a legitimate title threat with a brilliant win in changing conditions at AMP, and it’s hard to envision him sliding down the order at CTMP after his performances last season and his form coming into the weekend.
The EFC Group BMW rider will have a risky, but significant opportunity in front of him as well, as the crop of new names present a challenge not just for him but also for Young, meaning his points deficit could diminish quickly if Guerin can put a few names between himself and the championship leader.
As for Szoke, all the back-and-forth between the title contenders and new faces could be just what he needs to help return to the top step of the podium, as the 19-time winner at CTMP looks to make it an even 20 for his first victory since 2021.
That last win came at this very venue, beating Young and Dumas twice during their first title battle, and he appears to now be back in that same form after the CKM Kawasaki rider worked his way back from horrific injuries in 2022.
Dumas may be the true X-factor in the group, though, as the 2021 champion has a bit of an uncertain history at CTMP. The Economy Lube Ducati star is a threat to win at any circuit, evidenced by his 28 podiums in 30 career races, but that has been slightly less true at this particular circuit, winning just twice in nine tries compared to ten wins in his other 21 career starts.
None of those previous starts have come aboard the V4 Panigale, however, which should be extremely potent out of turn five and down the long Andretti Straightaway, arguably the most decisive part of the track.
Outside of the usual lead quartet, the group will also need to deal with Collins, Daley, and Aubrie, who each enter with varying levels of experience and expectations.
Daley is the only one with prior knowledge of the layout, having raced extensively at CTMP in his career with a best finish of third in Superbike in both 2022 and 2021. The OneSpeed Suzuki rider will be making his first appearance since capturing a long-awaited victory in round two, however, and having that weight lifted off his shoulders could help propel Daley to yet another win at his home track.
Collins will also be making his first appearance since winning in round three, having captured a spectacular victory in his debut in Edmonton, and the 19-year-old will try to continue that run as he ventures east to CTMP for the first time in his career.
The former Kawasaki privateer will get a significant boost in support from CKM, Economy Lube, and his new satellite teammate Szoke, but it remains to be seen how Collins will adapt to the faster, wider venue.
The true wildcard will be Aubrie, who is set to make the trip from France in between his duties with the European Moto2 Championship. The 22-year-old will pilot a Turcotte Performance Kawasaki in his CSBK debut, one that could easily end with champagne like Collins before him.
Aubrie will also be another significant boost to Kawasaki’s hopes in the Constructors Championship, where they try to hunt down BMW with only four races remaining and a difficult 100-point gap to overcome.
The two-time reigning champions at BMW will still have Young, Guerin, and Paul Macdonell to try and maintain (or even build upon) their advantage, but the crop of Szoke, Collins, Aubrie, and Connor Campbell will hope for strength in numbers as they try to chase down their first ever Constructors trophy.
The feature class will get underway Friday, August 9 at CTMP (just an hour east of Toronto), before the penultimate race weekend of the season kicks off August 10-11.
More information can be found on the series’ official website.
