Lacombe wins, Szoke clinches at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park BOWMANVILLE, Ont. (August 25, 2012) Kevin Lacombe took his first Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship win of the season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Saturday, but with a second place finish Jordan Szoke clinched an eighth national Superbike crown. Lacombe, Szoke and Alex Welsh staged a thrilling battle for the win in the 20-lap race around the 3.9km (2.459-mile) circuit, with Lacombe taking the win on his Team Couturier Racing BMW S1000RR by just 0.118 secs. from the Waznie Racing / Parts Canada / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR of Szoke with Welsh just half a second behind on his AW7R / Kenwood Electronics Canada Suzuki GSX-R1000. The result gives Szoke 252 points in the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship standings to the 193 of Lacombe with Sundays season finale still to run. But with a maximum of 52 points available in Sundays race the Brantford, Ont. racer is assured of the Canadian title. “What an honour it is to win this trophy again,” said Szoke, as he was presented with the Canada Cup. “Sometimes I feel like I want it more than anybody. Ive been so much more involved with everything this year, running my own team, that I think this one is extra special.” Lacombe started from pole position and led most of the way in the 20-lap race. He only ceded the top spot to Szoke for two laps and Welsh for one. The St-Cesaire, Que. rider completed the race distance in 27 minutes, 36.716 seconds for an average speed of 169.492km/h (101.695 mph). “I had nothing to lose,” said Lacombe after scoring his first national Superbike race win since 2006. “I had a great bike from qualifying and I knew wed be right there for the race. Its been a tough year but to end the season like this is a good feeling.” The win moved Lacombe into a solid second in the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship standings going into Sundays last round, 21 points ahead of Andrew Nelson, who finished fourth on Saturday. Szoke was on Lacombe’s tail from the start and the two initially pulled clear of the rest of the field before Welsh was able to make his way up to the lead duo. The new champion acknowledged he was racing with the points battle in the back of his mind. “I was being so careful,” Szoke acknowledged. “I thought I would let Kevin do some work early on and hope he pulled us away from the pack. But then when Alex got up there I didnt want to get pushed too far back, so that forced me to ride hard the whole race.” Welsh produced a tremendous effort after engine troubles left him eighth on the grid following qualifying on Friday. The Uxbridge, Ont. racer was up to third by lap four and quickly closed up on Lacombe and Szoke. He ended up with the fastest lap of the race, a 1:22.248 on lap three and his charge through the field earned him the KICKER Kick Ass Pass of the Race Award. “It was hard work moving up from eighth and I didn’t have the best of starts,” Welsh said. “It took me a while to move up and then when I got with Jordan and Kevin I thought I would hang back and see where an opportunity might develop. I was trying to put something together for the last lap but it just didnt happen. But I know now we have a bike that can win tomorrow.” The battle for fourth was no less dramatic than the lead fight, and at the finish less than two seconds covered fourth through eighth positions. Nelson came out on top of the scrap aboard his Nelson Racing / Endras Motorrad / mcn.tv BMW S1000RR. After qualifying fifth on the grid the Kars, Ont. racer ran as far back as eighth in the early laps but worked his way up to grab fourth spot two laps from the end of the race. Warman, Sask.s Bodhi Edie was fifth on the Edie Racing / Blue Streak / Fast Company BMW S1000RR, equalling his best result of the season. Right behind Edie was top rookie Pro Sebastien Tremblay on the MotoNation BMW S1000RR. The Longueuil, Que. rider followed up a career high fourth fastest qualifying time by running third for the first three laps of the race before settling for sixth at the flag. Matt McBride of Mississauga, Ont. was seventh riding the Riders Choice BMW S1000RR and Keene, Ont.s Jodi Christie took eighth aboard the Jodi Christie Racing / Accelerated Technologies Honda CBR1000RR. Christie is now fourth in the Superbike standings, eight points behind Nelson heading into Sundays finale. The top 10 was rounded out by Francois Dumas of St-Raymond, Que. on the Team Dumas Superbike / boulangeriedumas.com BMW S1000RR and the Irnie Racing / Amsoil BMW S1000RR ridden by Kelowna, B.C.s Marcel Irnie. In other action at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Christie clinched his second straight K&N Performance Filters Pro Sport Bike title in style with his fourth win of the year on his Honda CBR600RR. The Keene, Ont. racer battled all the way with polesitter Raphael Archambault aboard the Team Archambault Racing / Picotte Motorsport / G Suspension Suzuki GSX-R600, eventually beating the Terrebonne, Que. rider by 0.444 secs. In another exciting battle, Kleinburg, Ont.s Frank Trombino on the Acme Slate Suzuki GSX-R600 edged the Royal Distributing / Elka Suspension Honda CBR600RR of Beaconsfield, Que. racer Michael Leon for third. Trombino now leads Archambault by just 11 points in the battle for second spot in the Pro Sport Bike standings heading into Sundays season finale. Steve Crevier saw his perfect run of Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada XR1200 Cup race wins come to an end but second place was enough for him to clinch his second straight class title for the MotoSport Plus / Dominion Lending team. After claiming the Tactical Products Canada LUMINOX Pole Award in qualifying on Friday, Michael Barnes of Boca Raton, Fla. scored the race win on his Ruthless Racing / Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada entry, finishing the 14-lap race 9.890 secs. ahead of Maple Ridge, B.C.s Crevier. Elie Daccache of Newcastle, Ont. completed the podium on the Harley-Davidson de lOutaouais-sponsored entry. Tim Robinson claimed his second straight win in the Bazzaz Amateur Superbike class on the Robinson Racing / Gym-Max BMW S1000RR. The Gatineau, Que. rider finished a massive 16.055 secs. clear of the racingphil.com / Petes Superbike Kawasaki ZX-6R of Philippe Masse while points leader Trevor Daley of Mississauga, Ont. was third on the OneSpeed / Riders Choice / ProStar Motorsports Honda CBR600RR. Daley, who had to borrow the Honda after his Suzuki GSX-R1000 suffered engine problems in testing on Thursday, leads Masse by 42 points heading into Sundays last race. Robinson was presented with a prize pack from series title sponsor Mopar and also took home the $1000 DUA Motorsports contingency payback. Masse took his third win of the year to clinch the Inside Motorcycles Amateur Sport Bike title on his Kawasaki ZX-6R. The St-Hyacinthe, Que. racer finished 4.105 secs. ahead of Daley aboard the Honda CBR600RR while Will Hornblower of Sarnia, Ont. took third riding his Hornblower Racing / Blue Streak / ProPulsion Yamaha YZF-R6. Daley was named the Performance Under Gear Performer of the Race. The battle for the Honda CBR250R National Race Series title will go down to Sundays season finale after championship contenders Stacey Nesbitt and Ryan Roche finished second and third, respectively on Saturday. Tomas Casas of Peterborough, Ont. claimed his third straight win on the Peterborough Cycle Salvage-backed entry, beating the Powersports Canada entry of Nesbitt by 0.586 secs. As a result, St-Lazare, Que.s Nesbitt takes a 13-point lead over Pickering, Ont. racer Roche, 406-393, into Sundays race. Pascal Bastien of Laval, Que., representing Moto 123, took the Media Challenge division win in the CBR250R class but CMG Onlines Costa Mouzouris from Montreal locked up the title with second place. Since 2006 Pirelli has been the spec tire supplier to the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship. The series has been used as a development platform for the companys products, and competitors in the K&N Performance Filter Pro Sport Bike, Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada XR1200 Cup, and Inside Motorcycles Amateur Sport Bike classes run on the same Diablo Super Corsa DOT racing tires used in the World Supersport Championship. Pirelli is currently developing 17-inch slick tires for use in the World Superbike Championship in 2013, and these will also make their way to the Canadian Championship in the future. The Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship concludes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Sunday with feature races in all six national classes. Off track features include the BMW Motorrad SummerFest, plus demo rides featuring the latest bikes from top manufacturers. Tickets are on sale for $35. To purchase tickets or for more information visit www.canadiantiremotorsportpark.com or call 1-800-866-1072. BOWMANVILLE, Ont. (August 25) Results of Saturday’s fifth round of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, showing finishing position, rider name, hometown, type of motorcycle and laps completed: 1. Kevin Lacombe, St-Cesaire, Que., BMW S1000RR, 20 2. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., BMW S1000RR, 20 3. Alex Welsh, Uxbridge, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20 4. Andrew Nelson, Kars, Ont., BMW S1000RR, 20 5. Bodhi Edie, Warman, Sask., BMW S1000RR, 20 6. Sebastien Tremblay, Longueuil, Que., BMW S1000RR, 20 7. Matthew McBride, Mississauga, Ont., BMW S1000RR, 20 8. Jodi Christie, Keene, Ont., Honda CBR1000RR, 20 9. Francois Dumas, St-Raymond, Que., BMW S1000RR, 20 10. Marcel Irnie, Kelowna, B.C., BMW S1000RR, 20 11. Martin Hamel, Drummondville, Que., BMW S1000RR, 20 12. Sylvain Dery, St-Colomban, Que., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 20 13. Mike Bevan, Amherstburg, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 19 Did Not Finish Scott Rupert, Gadshill, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 10 Did Not Start Michael Leon, Beaconsfield, Que., Honda CBR600RR Raphael Archambault, Terrebonne, Que., Suzuki GSX-R600 Time of Race: 27:36.716 Average Speed: 169.492km/h (101.695 mph) Margin of Victory: 0.118 secs. Fastest Lap: 1:22.248 by Alex Welsh on lap 3 Point standings for the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship after five of six rounds, showing position, rider name and point total: 1. Jordan Szoke, 252 2. Kevin Lacombe, 193 3. Andrew Nelson, 172 4. Jodi Christie, 164 5. Matthew McBride, 139 6. Bodhi Edie, 137 6. Alex Welsh, 137 8. Sebastien Tremblay, 114 9. Samuel Proulx, 82 10. Francois Dumas, 81 11. Marcel Irnie, 72 12. Frank Trombino, 60 13. Sylvain Dery, 43 14. Franklyn Dominguez, 42 15. Martin Hamel, 32 16. Marie-Josee Boucher, 31 17. Ron Munroe, 21 18. James Collins, 13 18. Michael Bevan, 13 20. Aubrey Bailey, 10 21. Tony Stufko, 8 21. Michael Leon, 8 23. Louie Raffa, 6