STIRLING, ON Jordan Szoke will open his defence of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship this weekend as the seven-race series begins at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. The Brantford, ON rider is trying to become only the second rider to claim Canada’s national motorcycle road racing crown on four occasions, having also won the title in 1998 and 2002. Steve Crevier is the only other racer to have won the national crown at least four times. Szoke and his Canadian Kawasaki Motors factory team will arrive at the scenic 4.275km (2.65-mile) circuit riding a wave of confidence. The 28-year-old won five of last season’s seven Parts Canada Superbike races on his Kawasaki ZX-10R, including the Mont-Tremblant event. He also won at the track in 2004. “Everything’s been going really good and I’m really happy,” said Szoke following preseason testing in Jennings, Fla. last month. “I’m really stoked that we were fastest in testing, and we were working on a race set-up that’s very, very consistent.” Szoke’s bid for a third Mont-Tremblant Superbike victory will come against one of the toughest fields assembled on Canadian soil, which includes three other multiple champions. After a year’s absence Crevier will attempt to add to his record six Canadian Superbike crowns. The 41-year-old from Maple Ridge, BC makes his debut aboard the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R1. Also aboard Yamahas will be last year’s Parts Canada Superbike series runner-up Kevin Lacombe of Granby, QC on the Team Toyota Yamaha / Brooklin Cycle R1, and rising star Andrew Nelson of Kars, ON on his Z1 Cycletech Yamaha entry. Suzuki has a powerful 1-2 punch in the form of the Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Performance squad. Pascal Picotte of Granby, QC, a Yamaha rider last year, and Francis Martin from Rock Forest, QC are both two-time Canadian champions, and will pilot Suzuki’s new GSX-R1000. Suzukis will also be in the hands of Clint McBain of Cochrane, AB and his Suzuki Acceleration Racing entry, and Mississauga, ON’s Matt McBride on the Riders Choice GSX-R1000. Also worth watching will be Szoke’s rookie teammate on the Canadian Kawasaki Motors factory team, Brett McCormick of Saskatoon, and Val Senneville, QC’s Erick Beausejour aboard the Centre Honda de Auto Frank et Michel Team Honda CBR1000RR. Szoke will also be trying to defend his title in the Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike class with the new Kawasaki ZX-6RR. He will likely get a strong challenge from four-time class champion Crevier on the Yamaha YZF-R6, two-time champ Picotte with his Suzuki GSX-R600, and last year’s runner-up Lacombe on another Yamaha. The class will also feature last year’s Amateur 600 Sport Bike national champion Karl Daigle of Roxton Pond, QC on the Excel Moto Honda CBR600RR. This weekend’s action also features the opening rounds of the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike, Canadian Thunder and Suzuki SV650 National Cup divisions. Official practice for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship will be held Friday, with qualifying for the national classes on Saturday afternoon. Feature races will go Sunday. For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com Previous Mont-Tremblant Parts Canada Superbike Winners 2003 Tom Kipp (Chardon, OH) Kawasaki ZX-7RR 2004 Jordan Szoke (Brantford, ON) Honda CBR1000RR 2006 Jordan Szoke (Brantford, ON) Kawasaki ZX-10R Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant Fast Facts “¦Jordan Szoke’s pattern of Canadian Superbike title success means he may have a long wait before scoring his fourth championship. His previous three titles have all come in Winter Olympic years 1998 (Nagano), 2002 (Salt Lake City) and 2006 (Turin). On that form, he would have to wait until 2010 for his fourth championship, when the Winter Games come to Vancouver/Whistler. “¦In its long and storied history Le Circuit has twice hosted the Formula 1 car racing World Championship. In 1968 New Zealander Denis Hulme won in a McLaren-Ford, and in 1970 Jacky Ickx of Belgium triumphed in a Ferrari. “¦Szoke’s 2006 Parts Canada Superbike Championship was Kawasaki’s first since 1999, when Francis Martin won the national title. Martin’s crown was also the last in an extraordinary run of success for Kawasaki that saw it win nine straight championships between 1991 and ’99. Final 2006 Point Standings Parts Canada Superbike: 1. Jordan Szoke (Kawasaki) 319; 2. Kevin Lacombe (Yamaha) 308; 3. Pascal Picotte (Yamaha) 246; 4. Tom Kipp (Kawasaki) 214; 5. Francis Martin (Suzuki) 199 Pro 600 Sport Bike: 1. Jordan Szoke (Kawasaki) 309; 2. Kevin Lacombe (Yamaha) 291; 3. Tom Kipp (Kawasaki) 239 International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike: 1. Karl Daigle (Honda) 252; 2. Ross Millson (Suzuki/Honda) 230; 3. Dany Jourdain (Suzuki) 223 Canadian Thunder: 1. Darren James (Buell) 303; 2. Oliver Jervis (BMW) 296; 3. Brett McCormick (Buell) 233 Suzuki SV650 National Cup: 1. Dave Bagshaw 247; 2. Martin Grande 228; 3. Paul Glenn 225 Provisional Weekend Schedule Saturday June 2 1:15 p.m.-1:40 p.m. Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike Qualifying 1:50 p.m.-2:10 p.m. Thunder Qualifying 2:20 p.m.-3:10 p.m. International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Qualifying 3:20 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Parts Canada Superbike Qualifying (for the Inside Motorcycles Pole Award) 4:10 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Suzuki SV650 Cup Qualifying Sunday June 3 (First event at 12:45 p.m.) Event #1 Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike Race 12 laps Event #2 Thunder Race 10 laps Event #3 International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Race 10 laps Event #4 Parts Canada Superbike Championship Race 16 laps Event #5 Suzuki SV650 Cup Race 10 laps