SZOKE CLINCHES THIRD TITLE
SHANNONVILLE, ON Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke clinched his third career Parts Canada Superbike Championship with an eighth-place finish in the final round of the season at Shannonville Motorsport Park on Sunday.
The 20-lap race was won by Szoke’s closest rival in the title chase, Kevin Lacombe, but Szoke hung on to claim the title by 11 points, 319-308.
Szoke became just the third rider in the 26-year history of the Canadian national Superbike series to win three championships. He also won in 1998 and 2002.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Szoke, who won five of the season’s seven races aboard his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R. “You don’t have too many years like this. It’s something unbelievable. We deserved it. The team worked so hard this year.”
Szoke qualified seventh and spent most of the race, which was held in very wet conditions, running just ahead of fellow Kawasaki rider Jeff Williams in ninth, a position that would guarantee him the title no matter what Lacombe managed. He moved up to eighth in the results when Frank Trombino was penalized four positions for a jump start.
“I had a little moment in turn 2 just a few laps in but after that I settled in and got a good pace going,” Szoke said. “The track seemed to get a little faster near the end and I picked it up a little.”
Lacombe grabbed the lead off the start on his Team Toyota Yamaha/Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1 and spent most of the race battling with outgoing Parts Canada Superbike champion Francis Martin. The Granby, QC rider took the lead for good three laps from the end and edged Martin’s Team Suzuki/Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 by 1.152 secs.
It was Lacombe’s second straight victory after Szoke claimed the opening five events of the year.
“With about four laps to go I got him [Martin] in the hairpin and after that I gave it all I had,” Lacombe said. “I’m used to riding in the wet and I think we had a little advantage today because of that.”
Lacombe’s teammate Pascal Picotte of St-Cecile Milton, QC finished third on the other Team Toyota Yamaha/Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1 after running off the track at the end of the backstraight on lap 12.
Although Picotte didn’t lose any positions in the incident he did lose touch with the lead duo.
Vicious-I Pole Position Award winner Matt McBride finished fourth aboard the Riders Choice Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Tom Kipp completed the top five on the second Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R.
In other action at Shannonville, Szoke also locked up the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Championship with an 11th-place finish on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR. His nearest title rival Lacombe placed second on a Yamaha YZF-R6, leaving him 18 points behind Szoke in the standings, 309-291.
Lacombe’s teammate Picotte dominated the 16-lap race, leading every lap and winning by 6.241 secs. on another Yamaha. Martin finished third on his Suzuki GSX-R600.
Stephane Chabot of Oshawa, ON won the HJC Pro Rookie of the Year award after finishing ninth in the Pro 600 Sport Bike race on his Acme Slate Yamaha YZF-R6.
The Canadian Kawasaki Motors team was named Inside Motorcycles Team of the Year.
Karl Daigle of Granby, QC finished third in a dramatic race to clinch the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike title on his Honda CBR600RR.
For most of the race polesitter Brett McCormick of Saskatoon battled with St-Jean Richelieu, QC rider Dany Jourdain. Jourdain fell on the final lap but managed to rejoin the race and still finish second behind McCormick on the track. But McCormick was penalized four positions for a jump start and the Yamaha YZF-R6 rider was relegated to fifth in the results, giving Jourdain his first victory of the year on his Suzuki GSX-R600.
Hamilton’s Ross Millson finished second on another Suzuki GSX-R600 and took second in the championship, 22 points behind Daigle.
A fourth-place finish was enough to give Buell XB9R rider Darren James his second consecutive Thunder title. The North Vancouver racer ended the season with 303 points in the twins class, seven more than Victoria’s Oliver Jervis, who won the 14-lap race on his BMW RS1200.
Despite running off the track on lap 4 Dave Bagshaw of Kincardine, ON clinched the Suzuki SV650 National Cup title with a seventh-place finish at Shannonville. Brantford, ON’s Rob Busby dominated the 12-lap race.
Racing from Shannonville this weekend will receive extended coverage on TSN and TSN HD. The one-hour show premiering Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 1:30 p.m. ET will feature action from the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike event and the first ever national television coverage of the Thunder class. That show will repeat on Friday, Sept. 29 at 3:30 a.m. ET.
A second one-hour program with action from the Parts Canada Superbike and International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike events will premier on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 1:30 p.m. ET and repeat on Friday, Oct. 6 at 3:30 a.m. ET.
The races will also be shown on RDS in a half-hour program premiering Monday, Sept. 11 at 1:30 a.m. and repeating Saturday, Sept. 16 at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 2:00 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 21 at 11:30 p.m. All times are ET.
For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com
Results of Sunday’s seventh and final round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park in Shannonville, ON, showing finishing position, rider name, hometown, type of motorcycle and laps completed:
1.Kevin Lacombe, Granby, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1, 20; 2. Francis Martin, Rock Forest, QC, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20; 3. Pascal Picotte, St-Cecile Milton, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1, 20; 4. Matthew McBride, Mississauga, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20; 5. Tom Kipp, Chardon, OH, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 20; 6. Clint McBain, Cochrane, AB, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20; 7. Andrew Nelson, Kars, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1, 20; 8. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, ON, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 20; 9. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, ON, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 20; 10. Jeff Williams, Harrowsmith, ON, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 20; 11. Erick Beausejour, Val Senneville, QC, Honda CBR1000RR, 20; 12. Zenon Nelson, Bowmanville, ON, Suzuki GSX-R600, 19; 13. Yoshihiro Hamaguchi, Yokkaichi-shi, Japan, Suzuki GSX-R600, 19; 14. Jesse Sherstan, Stoney Plain, AB, Honda CBR600RR, 19; 15. Sean Heydorn, Aurora, ON, Honda CBR600RR, 19; 16. Jean-Paul Tache, North Bay, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 19; 17. Stephane Chabot, Oshawa, ON, Yamaha YZF-R6, 19; 18. Todd Scott, Bedford, NS, Suzuki GSX-R600, 19; 19. Matthew Bushe, Castleton, ON, Suzuki GSX-R750, 19; 20. Jeremy Burgess, Hammonds Plains, NS, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 19; 21. Junior Dallaire, Drummondville, QC, Suzuki GSX-R600, 19 Did Not Finish: Larry Orde, Lakefield, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1, 11 laps; Laurent Feuiltault, Mississauga, ON, Suzuki GSX-R600, 4 Did Not Start: Nicolas Audet, St-Henri, QC, Honda CBR600RR; Sylvain Grenier, Lasalle, QC, Suzuki GSX-R600; Bill Barwick, Scarborough, ON, Honda CBR600RR Time of Race: 26 minutes, 45 seconds Winner’s Average Speed: 72.51 mph Margin of Victory: 1.152 secs.
Final Parts Canada Superbike Championship point standings after Sunday’s seventh round of the series at Shannonville Motorsport Park in Shannonville, ON, showing position, rider name and point total:
1.Jordan Szoke, 319; 2. Kevin Lacombe, 308; 3. Pascal Picotte, 246; 4. Tom Kipp, 214; 5. Francis Martin, 199; 6. Andrew Nelson, 170; 7. Frank Trombino, 151; 8. Clint McBain, 139; 9. Erick Beausejour, 136; 10. Jean-Paul Tache, 130; 11. Matt McBride, 124; 12. Zenon Nelson, 77; 13. Larry Orde, 70; 14. Jeff Williams, 65; 15. Sean Heydorn, 62; 15. Jeremy Burgess, 62; 17. Csaba Werner, 49; 18. Elie Daccache, 27; 19. Todd Scott, 25; 20. Stephane Chabot, 23; 21. Chris Murray Audain, 20; 22. Jeff Gaynor, 17; 23. Matthew Bushe, 14; 24. Shawn Jones, 13; 24. Yoshihiro Hamaguchi, 13; 26. Yanick Beauregard, 12; 26. Jesse Sherstan, 12; 28. Adam Roberts, 10; 29. Eric Stanley, 8; 30. Terry Steeves, 7; 31. Andrew Dunlap, 6; 32. Alain Campagna, 4
More, from a press release issued by Buell Motorcycles:
JAMES WINS TO CANADA THUNDER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AT SHANNONVILLE
Sipp Wins Two on XBRR at Gateway CCS; McWilliams Runs XBRR at Road Atlanta
MILWAUKEE, Wis. Deeley Harley-Davidson/Buell Canada rider Darren James captured his second consecutive Canada Thunder national championship this weekend aboard a Buell Firebolt XB12R at Ontario’s Shannonville Motorsports Park.
James, of North Vancouver, BC, placed fourth in the Canada Thunder class at the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville, the seventh and final round of the season. Oliver Jervis won the 14-lap race on a BMW RS1200.
James won the first two Canada Thunder races of the season, at Shannonville in May and Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant in June, and added three second-place results to wrap up the season with 303 points. Jervis was second with 296 points, followed by James’ Buell-mounted, 15-year-old Ruthless Racing teammate Brett McCormick with 233 points, Ducati’s Derek Vammus in fourth with 203 points and Ruthless Racing Buell rider Oliver Spilborghs in fifth with 173 points.
“Winning this year’s Canada Thunder championship was even sweeter than last year,” said James. “This year was more of a struggle. The competition was stronger. And we had to overcome some adversity. We really worked hard all season, and to get the championship with three riders in the top five is a great feeling.”
Also over Labor Day weekend, Blue Springs Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Walt Sipp rode his new Buell XBRR to convincing wins in the Thunderbike and SuperTwins classes during the Great Plains Championship Cup Series regional race at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill. Hal’s Speed Shop rider Paul James finished second in both classes aboard his Firebolt XB12R.
“I’m really still learning the XBRR,” said Sipp. “Even with all my experience on Buell motorcycles, it’s really different. I went faster in each race and gained a lot of confidence. It’s awesome to ride.”
Also, at the AMA Superbike Championship at Road Atlanta, Jeremy McWilliams, riding a Buell XBRR for Warr’s of London Harley-Davidson/Buell (Great Britain) and Buell Motorcycle Company, qualified 13th in Formula Xtreme and moved up to ninth place before dropping out on lap 11 of the 15-lap final with a broken primary chain. The race was won by American Honda factory rider Josh Hayes. The Warr’s team received support from Pirelli Tires, Sentry Insurance, Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Screamin’ Eagle SYN3 Synthetic Motorcycle Lubricant, and Harley-Davidson Visa.
“It’s really satisfying to see privateer racers having fun and winning races and championships aboard Buell motorcycles. That’s what it’s all about,” said Chairman and Chief Technical Officer Erik Buell. “Even the Formula Xtreme effort with a professional rider like Jeremy McWilliams comes down to facing challenges and having great fun while learning and developing this new bike.”
To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.