From a press release issued by series organizers:

CYR LEADS SUPERBIKES

ST-EUSTACHE, QC – Jean-Francois Cyr of Joliette, QC led a Quebec rider sweep of the top four positions in practice Friday for the third round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Autodrome Old Milwaukee St-Eustache on Friday.

Cyr set a time of 47.308 on his Michelin Yamaha YZF-R1 in the first 45-minute practice session of the day and no one was able to beat it in the afternoon’s final practice session.

Francis Martin of Rock Forest, QC came closest with a 47.471 on his Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000. Pascal Picotte of St-Cecile de Milton, QC was third with a time of 47.630 on the Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R1, just edging Granby, QC rider Kevin Lacombe, who recorded a 47.631 on an Orion Motorsport Honda RC51 in the morning session.

Qualifying for Sunday’s 22-lap feature race will be held Saturday afternoon.

“I just spent this afternoon doing a race test, gauging myself for Sunday,” Cyr said. “My times were consistent so I’m very happy. Twenty-two laps is a lot here so I wanted to see if I could sustain it.”

Martin has won the Superbike race at St-Eustache twice and is the former lap record holder at the 1.2-mile, 10-turn track.

“The bike is working very, very well,” said Martin, the 1999 Canadian Superbike champion. “This morning we tried a few little things and I think we found the right set-up. I want to get the lap record back and I think we can drop enough time.”

The current lap record is 46.641 set by Jordan Szoke last year.

Maple Ridge, BC’s Steve Crevier and Toronto rider Michael Taylor rounded out the top six in practice Friday.

Crevier, the Parts Canada Superbike points leader recorded a 47.676 on his Diablo Performance Suzuki GSX-R1000. Taylor, the winner of the previous round of the series set a time of 47.777 riding the Orion Motorsports Honda CBR954RR. Both riders did their best laps in the afternoon.

No other riders were able to break the 48-second barrier.

In other action at St-Eustache, Cyr was also quickest in practice for the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike class with a time of 48.057 aboard his Michelin Yamaha YZF-R6. Picotte was second at 48.173 on the Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 and Australian Robbie Baird completed the top three with a 48.340 riding the Orion Motorsport Honda CBR600RR.

Yannick Morin of Repentigny, QC led practice in the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike division with a time of 50.623 on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR. Piedmont, QC’s Hugo Bisson was second, also on a Kawasaki with a 50.728 and Bill Card of Wellsley, ON placed third with a time of 50.834 on his Honda CBR600RR.

Qualifying for all three national classes will be held Saturday afternoon. Practice on Saturday starts at 10:00 a.m with the first qualifying session at 1:45 p.m. Races will go Sunday.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Sunday, Aug. 3 at 1:30 p.m. EDT and later this year on Quebec’s RDS and across Canada on the Outdoor Life Network.