Szoke wins fifth straight at St-Eustache
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ST-EUSTACHE, Que. (June 25, 2016) – Jordan Szoke continued his mastery of Autodrome St-Eustache and the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship at Autodrome St-Eustache on Saturday.
Riding the Express Lane / Motovan / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR, the Lynden, Ont. rider took the lead from Kenny Riedmann on lap 4 of 14 and went on to beat his Belfountain, Ont. rival by 2.474 secs. for his fifth straight win at Autodrome St-Eustache and his ninth consecutive Mopar CSBK win dating back to the start of last season.
“I knew this was a weekend we could take advantage of things,” said Szoke, gunning for his 11th Canadian Superbike title. “For some reason I seem to go well here and you need to take advantage of the opportunities when they’re there.”
Riedmann took second aboard the Sturgess Cycle / Liqui Moly / Speed And Strength Kawasaki ZX-10R after a racelong battle with the Tim Horton’s / Scot-Build Developments / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR ridden by Ben Young, who completed the podium.
Szoke completed the 14 laps in 10 minutes, 47.740 seconds for an average speed of 147.957 km/h (88.774 mph) around the 1.93km (1.2-mile) 10-turn circuit.
With the 50 points from his victory, plus a two-point bonus for leading the most laps, Szoke now has a 23-point lead over Riedmann in the Mopar CSBK standings, 110-87, heading into Sunday’s second race in this doubleheader weekend.
Szoke actually had to pass Riedmann twice to claim his second victory of the season thanks to a red flag that forced the stoppage of the race after four laps. Riedmann grabbed the holeshot on the initial start and led the first two laps before Szoke passed him at the end of the back straight on lap 3.
But on the fourth lap Alex Coelho crashed his Black Sheep Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja, bringing out the red flag. Coelho was not seriously hurt in the incident.
On the resart Riedmann again snatched the lead but once again Szoke got by at the end of the back straight, this time on lap 4, and proceeded to pull away.
Szoke turned the race’s fastest lap, a 45.791 on his sixth tour.
“I didn’t want to be too aggressive on the start,” explained the 37-year-old Szoke. “I knew we had a good pace and I didn’t want to make any stupid mistakes. We’ve got a good set-up here and the bike is easy to ride.”
Riedmann spent the rest of the race fending off the challenges of Young, but try as he might the 23-year-old Pro Superbike rookie could not find a way past and crossed the line 0.872 secs. behind the Kawasaki rider.
“I was holding off Jordan as much as I could and I know it’s difficult to pass here,” said Riedmann, who finished runner-up to Szoke in last year’s Mopar CSBK standings. “But he had too much on the brakes. I tried to stay with him but then I made a mistake and he was gone.”
Young’s finish moved him up to third in the Pro Superbike standings with 72 points.
“I was quick in the wrong spots and it’s tight to pass here,” Young admitted. “Then on the last lap I got caught behind a lapper through turns 1, 2 and 3. I would have liked to have a chance to stay with Jordan but it’s all ifs and buts until you do it.”
Kevin Lacombe of St-Cesaire, Que. ran a lonely race to fourth on the St-Cesaire Motosport / Motovan / Zox Yamaha YZF-R1, the returning Superbike star benefitting from the presence of former two-time Canadian champ Pascal Picotte in his pit.
Fifth place was disputed for most of the race between Michael Leon and Sebastien Tremblay. Riding the Royal Distributing Racing Team / BMW Motorrad Canada / Pro 6 Cycle BMW S1000RR, Beaconsfield, Que.’s Leon finally got the spot two laps from the end, when Tremblay ran off the track. Trevor Daley on his OneSpeed Yamaha YZF-R1 had erased the gap to Leon and Tremblay and also passed the Mirabel, Que. rider, and nearly caught Leon at the line.
Tremblay settled for seventh on his MotoNation / Laval Moto Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja.
In another furious battle, St-Isidore de Laprairie, Que.’s Samuel Trepanier emerged from a stirring five-rider scrap to snatch eighth on his BMW S1000RR, just ahead of Montreal’s Franklyn Dominguez on a Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja, the Peterborough Cycle Salvage / Parts Canada Yamaha YZF-R6 of Peterborough, Ont.’s Tomas Casas, Toronto’s Michael Taylor on the Triumph Canada / GP Bikes / Goderich Toyota Triumph 675R, and the Raffa Racing / Fog Off / Motosport St-Eustache Honda CBR600RR of Ste-Marthe, Que.’s Louie Raffa.
In other action at Autodrome St-Eustache, Riedmann maintained his perfect record in Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike competition by qualifying on pole for Sunday’s race with a time of 46.992 secs. The Belfountain, Ont. racer qualified on pole and won the season opener at Shannonville Motorsport Park last month on his Kawasaki ZX-6R.
Casas was second quickest with a time of 47.281 on his Yamaha YZF-R6 and last year’s race winner Raffa was third fastest with a time of 47.419 secs. aboard his Honda CBR600RR.
Taylor completes the front row for Sunday’s 18-lap race thanks to a lap of 47.790 secs. on the Triumph 675R, good for fourth overall.
Ernest Bernhard of Ste-Brigide, Que. qualified fastest for Sunday’s Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike race with a time of 47.896 secs. on a Yamaha YZF-R1, while opening round winner Chris Brent of Oshawa, Ont. qualified on pole in the Shoei Premium Helmets Amateur Sport Bike class with a time of 48.469 on his Honda CBR600RR.
Eric Quintin of Ile Perrot, Que. extended his lead atop the Kawasaki Ninja 300 Spec National Series with a lights-to-flag victory on Saturday. Quintin finished 6.521 secs. ahead of Windsor, N.S.’s Brandon Pemberton, with Jared Walker of Oakville, Ont. completing the podium.
Feature races in all classes will be held Sunday.
Ticket information is available through the track website (www.autodrome.ca) or by calling (450) 472-6222 or (514) 591-4388.
ST-EUSTACHE, Que. (June 25) – Results of Saturday’s second round of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship at Autodrome St-Eustache, showing finishing position, rider name, hometown, type of motorcycle and laps completed:
1. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., BMW S1000RR, 14 (147.957km/h)
2. Kenny Riedmann, Belfountain, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 14
3. Ben Young, Collingwood, Ont., BMW S1000RR, 14
4. Kevin Lacombe, St-Cesaire, Que., Yamaha YZF-R1, 14
5. Michael Leon, Beaconsfield, Que., BMW S1000RR, 14
6. Trevor Daley, Mississauga, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 14
7. Sebastien Tremblay, Mirabel, Que., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 14
8. Samuel Trepanier, St-Isidore-de-Laprairie, Que., BMW S1000RR, 14
9. Franklyn Dominguez, Montreal, Que., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 14
10. Tomas Casas, Peterborough, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R6, 14
11. Michael Taylor, Toronto, Ont., Triumph 675, 14
12. Derrick Whyte, Oshawa, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 14
13. Louie Raffa, Ste-Marthe, Que., Honda CBR600RR, 14
14. Pedro Sousa, Mississauga, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 14
15. Marco Sousa, Schomburg, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 14
16. Martin Cote, Notre Dame de L’Ile Perrot, Que., Honda CBR600RR, 13
17. Stacey Nesbitt, St-Lazare, Que., Honda CBR600RR, 13
Did Not Finish
Philip Leckie, London, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-6R, 12
Did Not Start
Bodhi Edie, Warman, Sask., Yamaha YZF-R1
Alex Coelho, Brossard, Que., Kawasaki ZX-10R
Reiner Griese, Picton, Ont., BMW S1000RR
Grant Smith, Ottawa, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R
Time of Race: 10:47.740
Average Speed: 147.957km/h
Margin of Victory: 2.474 secs.
Fastest Lap: 45.791 by Jordan Szoke on lap 6
Lap Leaders: Kenny Riedmann 1-3, Jordan Szoke 4-14
Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship point standings after two of seven rounds, showing position, rider name and point total:
1.Jordan Szoke, 110
2. Kenny Riedmann, 87
3. Ben Young, 72
4. Michael Leon, 58
5. Sebastien Tremblay, 52
5. Trevor Daley, 52
7. Matt McBride, 42
8. Samuel Trepannier, 40
9. Derrick Whyte, 36
10. Kevin Lacombe, 35
11. Franklyn Dominguez, 33
12. Michael Taylor, 30
13. Pedro Sousa, 27
14. Bodhi Edie, 21
15. Chris Murray-Audain, 19
15. Tomas Casas, 19
17. Marco Sousa, 18
18. Louie Raffa, 15
19. Alex Coelho, 10
20. Martin Cote, 8
21. Reiner Griese, 6
21. Stacey Nesbitt, 6
23. Sean Heydorn, 4