NEW DEAL FOR SUZUKI IN 2010 SEASON TORONTO, Ont. (March 17) Suzuki Canada has agreed to a reduced role in the 2010 Parts Canada Superbike Championship that will see its motorcycles remain eligible for the national road racing series. This will be the 30th year of national Superbike racing in Canada and the 10th season of Parts Canada’s title sponsorship of the series. Under the terms of the new deal Suzuki Canada will pay a small homologation fee to allow its GSX-R1000 and GSX-R600 equipment to run in the feature Parts Canada Superbike and Yoshimura Pro Sport Bike divisions in 2010. The arrangement precludes the manufacturer from providing direct support for ‘A’ teams in either class, however it leaves the door open for privateers and dealer supported competitors to ride Suzukis in the national series. Suzuki’s GSX-R1000 is particularly popular among smaller racing teams. “Everyone understands the current financial challenges in the motorcycle industry and it was important to provide some flexibility to Suzuki Canada so that it could continue to play a role in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship,” said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions, which administers the series. “Our four partner manufacturers agreed that keeping the GSX-R out of the series would have a detrimental effect on the national championship and we think we have found a good compromise that can work for all parties. We appreciate Suzuki’s willingness to find a way to make this happen.” The move is also based on Suzuki Canada making an early commitment to the 2011 Parts Canada Superbike Championship. The company will continue to pay contingency to riders on board its motorcycles. “This is going to be a challenging summer and we’ve had to make concessions in a number of areas,” Fraser added. “But we are confident that by taking these steps for 2010 we can ensure a strong and prosperous national championship for the 2011 season and beyond.” Yamaha Motor Canada will not officially participate in the 2010 Parts Canada Superbike Championship. The company made its decision to withdraw last November. As a result, the YZF-R1 Superbike has been excluded from the national series, along with any 2010 Yamaha models. Yamaha YZF-R6 motorcycles from the 2009 model year and earlier are still permitted in the Sport Bike class. “We all hope, however, that Yamaha will return to the Parts Canada Superbike Championship in the near future,” Fraser added. The Parts Canada Superbike Championship is overseen by Professional Motorsports Productions along with partner manufacturers Canadian Kawasaki Motors, Honda Canada, BMW Motorrad Canada and Deeley Racing. The 2010 season opens May 28-30 at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, Que. For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com