Szoke wins again in race three at CTMP, Young closes gap to Dumas after dramatic round two tripleheader
Bowmanville, ON – Jordan Szoke continued his winning ways in the final leg of Sunday’s historic Canadian Superbike Championship tripleheader, capturing a second consecutive victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park following another thrilling Pro Superbike feature race.
Continuing the trend from races one and two earlier in the day, the battle for the lead featured as many as seven riders early on and frequent pass attempts throughout, as championship leader Alex Dumas grabbed the holeshot from Tomas Casas while pole sitter Ben Young got a brutal launch off the grid.
As Casas tried to find a way through on Dumas out front, Young and Szoke quickly picked their way through the field, with the lead quartet coming together by lap three and continuing to trade places throughout the contest.
While Dumas eventually relinquished the race lead to Young, the rookie teenager remained in the lead group as Young and Szoke again renewed their long rivalry at the front of the pack, with the trio running three-wide into the final lap.
With Dumas close behind and a championship lead on the line, Young attempted a risky last-corner pass on Szoke, though he fortunately checked up at the last moment as the two riders briefly touched exiting the final turn.
Ultimately, Szoke would hold on ahead of Young and Dumas, with the 14-time national champion taking another crucial victory after a disappointing finish in race one for the Canada General Warranty Kawasaki team.
“The day certainly didn’t start that well, but everything felt great, so we knew to hang in there and stay positive,” Szoke said. “The depth of the field is so strong, there’s like ten guys fighting for the win every race, so we’re just happy to shake the bad luck off and grab a couple of wins for the fans.”
Szoke will still have work to do in the third and final round at Calabogie Motorsports Park, slated for September 17-18, as he trails Dumas by an even 30 points. However, his effort on Sunday did earn him the final FAST Riding School Hard Charger award, as he powered his way from ninth on the grid to secure his 78th career Superbike victory.
Dumas’ biggest challenger will also exit round two with a smile, as Young capped off a terrific day with another exciting second-place finish for the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW team – and a crucial points haul ahead of his title rival.
“I got in beside Jordan on the last corner there and thought I could pass him for the win, but I knew it would have been bad for both of us and that’s not the kind of rider I am, so I’m happy to finish ahead of Alex for the championship,” Young said. “It really is a great day for us, and we have a great track record of success here, so now we just have to carry that into ‘Bogie.”
Young’s sensational weekend also earned him the title of “King of Mosport” and the crown to go with it, as his win and three podiums meant he scored the most total points over the course of the weekend and in the process captured the unofficial award.
Despite failing to find the top step of the podium in any of the three races on Sunday, Dumas will still consider his trip to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park a success, as the Liqui Moly MPG FAST Riding School Suzuki rider ended his day with a fifth-consecutive podium overall and a ten-point advantage over Young in the Superbike standings.
“I was able to get a really good start in all three races, and we were able to lead for a few laps in all three as well, but we just didn’t want to take many chances,” Dumas explained. “The results are really good for the championship, so we just have to try and continue that into the final round.”
Dumas also made history by clinching the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year award, doing so still with a doubleheader left to go in Calabogie as he becomes the third-youngest winner in the history of the award, behind only Casas and former World Superbike rider Brett McCormick.
Just missing out on the podium for the third time today was Sebastian Tremblay, who finished fourth in every single race but was unable to break into the lead trio aboard his Turcotte Performance Kawasaki.
Tremblay also missed out on the opportunity to clinch a Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike championship, as the middleweight race was unfortunately cancelled due to the compressed weekend schedule.
Completing the top-five in Sunday’s final race was OneSpeed Suzuki rider Trevor Daley, who got a strong start in race three but was unable to replicate his podium from race one, though he still secured a solid finish for Suzuki in the inaugural Constructors Championship, where they lead Kawasaki by 31 points heading to the final round.
Rounding out the top-six was Casas, who briefly looked like a threat for his first career Superbike victory before he was swallowed up by Szoke and Young, forcing the Parts Canada Yamaha rider down the order in the late stages.
While none of the Pro riders were able to make considerable movement in the championship standings, the Amateur ranks delivered plenty of excitement, with Brad Macrae becoming the first rider to capture a national title in 2021 by clinching the Amateur Sport Bike championship.
The Yamaha rider swept both halves of his Sunday doubleheader in dominant fashion, moving him 62 points clear of the next closest challenger with only 56 points on offer in the final round.
Local teenager Matthew Simpson – the closest challenger to Macrae all season – finished second in race two, but an earlier crash derailed his championship hopes as he will now turn his focus to wrapping up second overall in round three.
Championship leader Mackenzie Weil extended his unbeaten streak in the Super Sonic Road Race School Lightweight class, sweeping both races despite thrilling battles in each one, including a photo-finish in race two.
Weil won by just 0.016 seconds ahead of title rival Jacob Black while Paul Etienne Courtois finished within a tenth of a second in third, as Weil will now take a decisive 77-point advantage into the doubleheader finale next month.
The only championship to change hands on Sunday was the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike category, as former points leader Anthony Bergeron crashed out in race one to gift eventual winner Pascal Bastien a championship lead for Yamaha.
Bergeron was able to erase most of the damage in race two by securing a comfortable victory for BMW, but Bastien will retain a ten-point lead entering the final round in Calabogie, where Bergeron won in convincing fashion at round one.
Four of the five championships will still be determined in the final weekend, which is set to be formally announced in the coming days, with all eyes turning towards the title battle between Dumas, Young, and Szoke.
Full results from Sunday’s packed slate of racing can be found online at the series’ official website at csbk.ca.
