Acceleration Race Team Maxes Podium Potential Heading East to the shores of Nova Scotia, the Canadian National Superbike Championship Series settled in for the second last round of the 2009 season. For the Alberta Cycle | Suzuki Dealers Group | Acceleration Race Team, Superbike rider and team owner, Clint McBain is the only privateer effort to be seated among the top 3 positions of the premier Superbike class and young teammate (& step-son) Cody Matechuk continues to pursue his 2nd Championship title in 2 years. With 3 victories and 3 lap records out of 4 events so far this season, Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions would set the stage for the young ProCycle co-sponsored Acceleration Racing teenager to try and extend his lead in the Championship series. Aboard the Alberta Cycle | Suzuki Dealer’s Group GSX-R 600, Matechuk ran a strong pace topping the time sheets heading into the Qualifiers on Saturday afternoon. After 5 practice sessions the 15-yr old had nearly 1.5 seconds of breathing room over the field, but still fell short of a record-setting pace. Matechuk worked closely with team tuner and local legend, Darin Marshall to find an edge, the practice paid off when it counted most. Only a few laps into the 20-minute Qualifying session, Matechuk accomplished what he set out to do as they announcer boomed over the speaker system… “Folks, Matechuk has just set a new track record!” As the first amateur to break the 1:10 mark, Matechuk rocked the front straight with a 1:09.7. As his crew signaled the news from the pit board on his next pass, Matechuk crested the rise of the next lap crawling up on the tank of the Alberta Cycle GSXR 600 rocket to keep the front wheel down and put in another flyer. The crew sat back and waited for Matechuk’s next pass. As the Acceleration GSXR wheelied up over the rise and into site, he came sooner than expected. Again, the announcer belted out the head-shaking news, Matechuk has broke his own record. At a blistering 1:09.4, Matechuk would seal the pole position and capture another track record moving into Sunday’s main event. Following the excitement of Amateur qualifiers, McBain suited up in his Joe Rocket leathers to try and negotiate his best time in one lap on the 2.54 km technical Eastern track. The Pirelli Superpole invited the top 10 fastest Superbike riders to the line and offered them one shot; one lap, to clock their best time setting their grid position for Sunday’s feature race. McBain was the 6th rider to take the track and as he strained to reach the checkered flag, the top Privateer clocked a time well below his fastest time in practice of 1:07.9 to put him in 2nd place with 3 more riders still to qualify. In the end McBain was shuffled back to 5th which meant a strategically starved grid position in the second row for Sunday’s finale. “I had the bike to do this; the set-up was there and I just didn’t deliver when it counted”, shared a disappointed McBain with local fans. “We’re in a tough position now and I need to dig deep tomorrow and make up for lost ground. Race day is a whole new game and we’ll be ready for it”, McBain reassured his fans. As Sunday unfolded, the masses swarmed into the paddocks and the passion-filled fans of AMP Raceway truly came to life. The Acceleration Race team called on 15-yr old Matechuk to put in his best effort and possibly lock in the Championship title early. Coming into the event as polesitter, Matechuk knew that a clean run was all that mattered here. On the line the red flag dropped and the bikes launched forward. Grabbing gears Matechuk railed through turn 1 with the holeshot and over the next two laps, slowly started to earn some breathing room. By lap 6 of the 14 lap race, Matechuk had gained nearly 3 seconds over title contender Sabastien Tremblay. The pace held steady as did the gap from first to second but over the next 5 laps, riders struggled to negotiate the challenging drops and turns as yellow flags indicated fallen bikes and downed riders. Crossing into the 12th lap of the race, the red flag waved. Racers and Crews alike set camp on pit row to await the outcome. The signal was given that the race was called and for the 4th time this year, Matechuk would earn a first place finish and scale his way to the top of the podium. “I had some big moments out there”, shrugged Matechuk. “I had to settle down and just try to run a steady pace. Matechuk heads into Shannonville with a 44 point lead over Tremblay in the Championship hunt. Immediately following podium presentations, the Acceleration team scampered back to pit lane in preparation for McBain’s 22-lap Superbike feature. The powerful Suzuki Dealer’s Group GSXR1000 was awkwardly positioned behind the front row and while McBain was looking to reconcile a disappointing 5th place qualifying time, the confined quarters on the inside of the grid was not going to make things any easier. As Race personnel peeled back from the tarmac, the start lights flashed and the bikes sprung from their slumber. The heavy congestion didn’t discourage McBain and like a cavalry tank, the red & black GSXR1000 emerged. As the front runners came back into view for the first time, they peeled down the straightaway in small clumps. Into a hard right downhill twist, that is turn one, McBain snuck up the inside of Crevier to slide into 5th. The pace was quick but well within McBain’s fortitude and he soon propelled himself into striking distance. Another lap, another pass and McBain was closing in on Lacombe now. As the Yamaha factory rider struggled to hold his 3rd place maneuvers he tucked the front in turn 4 and was forced to retire from the race. McBain swiftly settled into the final podium position and for the next 18 laps the top three walked away from the rest of the field. From 1st to 3rd the gaps evened out and McBain would cash in a redeeming podium performance. “I put my head down and tried hard to reel Jordan in and it seemed like I was making progress,” McBain shared with the crowd. “It would take me 2 or 3 laps to gain a second on him, but then I’d make a small mistake or have a moment and have to start over again.” The come-back effort allows him to move into the Shannonville finale as the top privateer and to play a factor in the outcome of the Championship series bout. Hoping to finish the day in perfect form, Matechuk went trackside one last time to compete in the larger Amateur Superbike Race. Taking the checkered with a little room to spare, the young Cochrane teen brought home 2 more 1st place finishes and pile of momentum to take into the final Championship round scheduled for September 3-6 in Shannonville, Ontario. More, from a press release issued by Bateman Race Engineering/Group W Racing: Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association Sounds of the Past weekend Pacific Raceways August 8/9, 2009 The August 8/9 round of WMRRA racing at Pacific Raceways hosted the annual Sounds of the Past Vintage racing series. Vintage racers turned out in force, travelling from as far away as California and Canada to participate in the annual event, Formula 160 class bikes making up 26 of the approximately 33 vintage entries. Group W Racing and Bateman Race Engineering sponsored development rider Tim O’Mahony dropped the F-160 lap record several times with the mighty Honda CBR175RR over the weekend while battling with Canadian rider Mick Hart who also broke the lap record several times over the weekend. In the end Tim O’Mahony walked away from the weekend the record holder at 1:55.508, racing on Bridgestone BT39SS tires with newly installed YSS shock absorbers. Congratulations go out to Group W Racing/Bateman Race Engineering guest rider Aaron Frank of Motorcyclist Magazine. Aaron was fast all weekend, constantly improving his times and learning rather quickly how to go fast on the challenging F-160 bikes. Aaron achieved the first race win of his career in Sunday’s first F-160 heat race, barely getting pipped at the line in the second heat race by BRE sponsored rider Mike Polkaba, who took second to Aaron in the morning heat. With that result Mike Polkaba ended up the overall winner in Formula 160 on Sunday, with Aaron taking an overall second place finish and silver medal for the weekend. This weekend also marked the return to racing for Group W Racing co-founder and Bateman Race Engineering owner Michael Bateman. Michael did well, earning several podium finishes in the weekend’s many races, improving his times and learning how to ride on the fantastic Bridgestone tires now being raced on by every one of the F-160 competitors, as well as adjusting to his new Glass from the Past fairing and newly assembled 175 engine. Many other Group W Racing /Bateman Race Engineering member and/or sponsored riders did well for the weekend, including sweeping the 500 vintage podium with F-160 class bikes. In addition, a fantastic barbeque was sponsored and hosted Saturday evening at the track by Group W Racing’s Marcea Kato. The weekend turned out a complete success, and a good time was had by everyone involved. Many thanks to everyone involved, including: Les Barker of The Vintage Advantage/Little Engine Service (engine parts, advice, service), Glass from the Past (fairings and bellypans), YSS Shock Absorbers, Troy at Pennell Powersports (Bridgestone Tires and service), Twinline Motorcycles (class sponsorship), The California Contingent and travelling circus, Marcea Kato, the racing talents of Mick Hart, Aaron Frank, Motorcyclist Magazine, Peter Hirtle/Puget Sound Greyhound Adoption (race sponsorship), South End Motorcycle, Scott Dau (fantastic vinyl), Smarty Pants, Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association, Pacific Raceways and the vast empire of Tim Fowler, Esquire. Results for various Group W Racing/Bateman Race Engineering riders: Sounds of the Past Puget Sound Greyhound Association Formula 160 (Lemans start endurance race) 1. Tim O’Mahony (Hon CL175) 2. Mick Hart (Hon CB160) 3. Thomas Deem (Hon CB175) 4. Michael Bateman (Hon CB175) 5. Joel Crabtree (Hon CB160) 6. Aaron Frank (Hon CB175) 7. Troy Knapp (Hon CB175) 10. Todd Kalimar (Hon CB160) 12. Mike Polkaba (Hon CB175) 13. Wallace “Mike” Riddle (Hon CB175) 14. Mark Etheridge (Hon CL175) 16. Don Marr (Hon CB160) 17. Arash Nadershahi (Hon CB160) 18. Tim “Fats” Fowler (Hon CB160) 22. Ian Johnston (Hon CL175) Sounds of the Past 250 Vintage 1. Tim O’Mahony (Hon CL175) 2. Mick Hart (Hon CB160) 3. Thomas Deem (Hon CB175) 4. Michael Bateman (Hon CB175) 5. Michael Polkaba (Hon CB160) 7. Troy Knapp (Hon CB175) 8. Joel Crabtree (Hon CB160) 9. Mark Etheridge (Hon CL175) 10. Arash Nadershahi (Hon CB160) 11. Tim “Fats” Fowler (Hon CB160) 13. Don Marr (Hon CB160) 15. Ian Johnston (Hon CL175) Sounds of the Past 500 Vintage (combined results) 1. Tim O’Mahony (Hon CL175) 2. Mick Hart (Hon CB160) 3. Michael Bateman (Hon CB175) 5. Michael Polkaba (Hon CB160) 6. Arash Nadershahi (Hon CL160) 7. Mark Etheridge (Hon CL175) 8. Tim “Fats” Fowler (Hon CB160) 9. Don Marr (Hon CB160) 10. Aaron Frank (Hon CB175) 18. Ian Johnston (Hon CL175) Twinline Motorcycle 160 Vintage (combined results) 1. Michael Polkaba (Hon CB160) 2. Aaron Frank (Hon CB175) 3. Tim O’Mahony (Hon CL175) 4. Thomas Deem (Hon CB175) 5. Wallace Riddle (Hon CB175) 6. Troy Knapp (Hon CB160) 7. Mark Etheridge (Hon CL175) 8. Todd Kalimar (Hon CB160) 10. Arash Nadershahi (Hon CL160) 12. Michael Bateman (Hon CB175) 13. Tim “Fats” Fowler (Hon CB160) 14. Ian Johnston (Hon CL175) 19. Don Marr (Hon CB160) Complete results are available at www.wmrra.com