Tremblay wins dramatic wet race in Pro Sport Bike at CTMP
Bowmanville, ON – August 16, 2020 – Sebastian Tremblay took his second consecutive victory in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class on Sunday, surviving a late charge from teammate Christian Allard in a thrilling wet race at round two of the Canadian Superbike Championship at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, presented by Pro6 Cycle.
Tremblay jumped out to an early lead after reigning champion Will Hornblower crashed out on the warmup lap, but the round one winner came under immediate fire from all three of his Quebec-born Turcotte Performance Kawasaki teammates as the top-six all battled for the lead in the early stages.
Eighteen-year old Nicolas Meunier then took his stab at the front, leading for a handful of laps before Tremblay wrestled the lead back once more. However, despite mounting a near four-second advantage, Tremblay’s lead evaporated in the late stages as rookie Allard put together a thrilling comeback bid, nearly colliding with Tremblay in the final corner before settling for second.
Meunier would hang onto third for his first career Pro podium, becoming the youngest podium finisher since Tomas Casas won the championship at the same age in 2018, and just the fifth teenager to find the top-three since 2000.
Completing the front-running quartet of Turcotte Performance bikes was Vincent Levillian, who nearly overtook Meunier for his second consecutive podium despite running new machinery after a massive crash in Saturday’s qualifying session.
Rounding out the top-five as the first non-Kawasaki rider was Stratford, ON native Chris Pletsch, who made the most of the wet conditions to take a career-best finish aboard his Honda CBR600RR, while rookie Connor Campbell also settled for a career-best in sixth aboard his Kawasaki after briefly recording the fastest laps of the race.
Paul Courtois won the first of two AIM Insurance Amateur Lightweight races on Sunday, capturing his first career National victory after a thrilling last-lap pass on Herve Remetter aboard his Honda CBR500RR.
Courtois and Remetter battled for nearly the entire race under wet conditions, with Remetter leading majority of the laps across the line before Courtois made the race-winning pass in turn six to unseat the Turcotte Performance Kawasaki Ninja 400 rider.
The podium was completed by J.F. Cloutier who scored his first career podium aboard his Yamaha YZF-R3, after youngster Maverick Cyr – son of former Pro race-winner J.F. Cyr and grandson of former Pro Bob Cyr – crashed out of third at the midway point.
The series will now turn its attention towards the Pro Superbike feature doubleheader on Sunday afternoon, where championship leader Jordan Szoke will start from pole as he chases his record 14th National title.
Full results, including Sunday’s schedule, can be found on the series’ official website at www.csbk.ca.
