SZOKE TAKES FIFTH STRAIGHT PODIUM AT AMP SHUBENACADIE, N.S. Jordan Szoke kept his bid for an unprecedented eighth Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada title alive at the fifth round of the seven-race series at Atlantic Motorsport Park last Sunday. The Brantford, Ont. racer picked up his fourth straight runner-up finish and fifth podium result of the year on the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja. Szoke also claimed his second straight Kawasaki S4-R Competition Lubricants Pole Award in Saturday’s Pirelli SuperPole qualifying. “I think this was the best weekend we’ve had,” said the 31-year-old Szoke. “The whole team is gelling so well and it seems to be easy to get the bike working. I’m feeling really comfortable on our ZX-10R Ninja.” Despite placing second in the pre-qualifying session on Saturday morning, Szoke was able to find almost a tenth of a second in the afternoon’s SuperPole session, claiming the top starting spot with a time of 1:07.359 around the 2.56km AMP track. “To be honest, we made lots of changes during practice and we had a good program this morning,” Szoke said. “I did a few more laps than usual in the SuperPole warm-up and the bike felt really good. I’m actually mad at myself because I thought I left a lot on the table. I think if I’d had a second lap I could have gone way quicker. The speed seemed to come pretty easily.” Szoke was third off the start of Sunday’s 22-lap Superbike feature race but grabbed second spot before the end of the opening lap. That’s as far as his progress would take him, however, although he was under no pressure from behind by the fourth lap. “I was really looking forward to the race,” Szoke said afterward. “I had a bad start, but that didn’t seem to matter. I was making a few little mistakes here and there and that cost me time over the course of the race.” The Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada season wraps up with a doubleheader at Mosport International Raceway on August 19-21. Szoke is 55 points out of the Superbike class lead as he bids for a record sixth straight national title. He has a long history of success at Mosport, having taken five of the last six Superbike national wins at the world famous track in Bowmanville, Ont. “Jordan loves Mosport and has a great track record there, so we’re very optimistic going into the final two rounds,” said Mike Crompton of the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team. “I think Jordan’s confidence level along with the continued progress we’ve made with this new ZX-10R Ninja through the course of the summer should put us in an excellent position to pick up a couple of victories.” The Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team would like to thank the following sponsors for making their 2011 racing effort possible: Canadian Kawasaki Motors Inc., Parts Canada, Akrapovic Exhaust Systems, HotBodies Racing (lightweight replacement bodywork), Orient Express (supplying K-Tech Suspension components and GB racing engine covers), Vortex (supplying sprockets, rear sets, handlebars and other quality chassis parts), Dynojet Research, Kawasaki S4-R Competition Lubricants, NOCO, Performance Friction Brakes, DID Racing Chains, NGK spark plugs, Renegade Racing Fuels. More, from a press release issued by Vesrah Suzuki: VESRAH SUZUKI RUNS AT THE FRONT AT THE WERA CYCLE JAM AT VIR. Vesrah Suzuki riders Mark Junge and Tim Bemisderfer were joined by development rider Nick McFadden for the WERA Cycle Jam at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, VA. This was the first time this year that Mark has been able to be at one of Nick’s races and it was even better as he was able to be on track with him during Thursday practice. A last minute plan to get more track time for Nick was to enter the endurance race on Friday morning and team sponsor Harry Vanderlinden along with AMA Supersport rider James Rispoli were recruited to ride the Team Conky Suzuki SV650 in that afternoon’s WERA National Endurance 4 hour race. Vesrah Suzuki has already teamed up with BEI Racing Dunlop Development with Mark riding and the Vesrah crew helping in the pits along with a Vesrah spec endurance engine being installed in the A Bike. Team Conky was able to get on the class podium for the lightweights with a 3rd in that class while BEI Racing Dunlop Development won the Overall and heavyweight class. Saturday was Sportsman series sprint races and Vesrah Riders were able to stand on top of the podium. Nick topped the Lightweight Twins Superstock Expert race and finished 2nd in the Formula 2 Expert race on his SV-650. On his Suzuki GSX-R 600 Nick finished 10th competing in the C Superbike Expert race. Mark used his new 2011 Suzuki GSX-R 750 to top the B Superstock Expert race and Tim rode his GSX-R 1000 to a 3rd place finish in Formula 1 Expert. In Sunday’s National Challenge sprint races Vesrah riders were again able to finish on the podium. In both Lightweight Twins Superstock and Formula 2 Expert Nick finished a close 2nd while racing against 2 well established veterans of the lightweight ranks. On his 600 Nick was able to finish 8th in the 600 Superstock Expert race as he continues to adapt to the larger machine. On their Suzuki GSX-R 1000’s, Tim finished 2nd in both the Open Superstock and WERA Superbike races with Mark right behind him in 3rd place in the WERA Superbike race. Mark Junge Team Owner Vesrah Suzuki & Rider #57 “I had a lot of fun riding this weekend and that is why I am out here. I enjoyed my stint on the BEI Endurance bike and once I got going and in a rhythm it felt just like I remembered it clicking off laps. Nick is progressing in his move to larger machinery and it was good to be able to watch him on track on the 600. I have to thank Tony Romo and Dunlop for all of their help this weekend” Nick McFadden Vesrah Suzuki # 18 “The WERA Cycle Jam weekend was great for me. It was my first time in a WERA Endurance Race and although my original race partner was delayed getting to the track, Harry Vanderlinden with the Schwantz School, and AMA Supersport racer, James Rispoli, agreed to help us get a team together. My original partner was going to be BMX pro Jamie Bestwick but after winning another gold medal at the X-games last week, he got delayed with events with his sponsors. I would really like to thank Harry and James, Mark Junge for helping get a new team together, and Russell Masecar for helping with the fire extinguisher. We had fun and were excited to challenge for a podium position in our first race, and finish 3rd in the Lightweight Division.” “I was excited about Saturday and Sunday’s races. I spent a lot of time learning the VIR track at the Cornerspeed Race School where Brian Kcraget and Russell Masecar were some of my instructors. I wanted to race with them on this track and we had four races against each other. All of the races were good ones, and it was great to win the Saturday race. My draft plan didn’t work out very well on Sunday so I will be thinking of a new one for the next time. I like racing close with them – we all raced each other clean and tried to outsmart each other. My 600 races were good for me, too. VIR makes you work your bike around a lot of turns and I felt stronger on the 600 and improved each time out. I am learning that bike and feel better each time I race it.” “I would like to thank my mechanic, Travis Smith, Mark Junge, the Vesrah Suzuki team, all team sponsors, ARAI Helmets, Pilot Leather, NextMoto Champion, DVS Shoes, West Side Heavy Hauling, Inc. and my Mom and Dad.” Tim Bemisderfer Vesrah Suzuki #511 “I was having issues with one of my bikes cutting out under load and a big thanks to Tony Pogue for all of his help in getting it figured out so that I was able run up front in both of my races on Sunday. I have to thank my personal sponsors Dunlop, Twigg Cycles, CTR Suspensions & Washington Cycle Works.” Vesrah Suzuki wants to thank all of their sponsors for their support for the 2011 season Vesrah, American Suzuki, Rockstar Energy Drink, Nielsen Enterprises Suzuki, Penske Racing Shocks, Traxxion Dynamics Fork Components, Yoshimura, Catalyst Racing Composites, Sudco Int., Bazzaz, Factory Pro, Maxima Racing Oils, Vortex, DID Chain, GPR Stabilizers, Trek Bicycles, GP Tech, Active, Pilot, Suzuka Tire Warmers, Pit Bull & Road Rage Designs