Szoke goes for eighth title at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
TORONTO, Ont. Jordan Szoke will attempt to become the first competitor in Canadian motorcycle road racing history to win eight premier class national championships when the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship wraps up its 2012 season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend.
The Brantford, Ont. racer comes into the doubleheader weekend with a solid 66-point lead in the battle for the Canada Cup. With 50 points available for a race win, a victory in Saturday’s 20-lap race around the 3.9km (2.459-mile) CTMP road course would assure him of his eighth Canadian crown.
Momentum is certainly on Szoke’s side heading into the weekend. He has won 10 races at CTMP in his 16-year Pro career, including six of the last eight Superbike events. Last year his triumph in the season finale prevented national champion Brett McCormick from enjoying a sweep of the season’s races.
Additionally, Szoke is on a roll this summer. He has won three races in a row on the Waznie Racing / Parts Canada / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR, picking up his 40th national Superbike victory two weeks ago at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant.
Another rider on a roll in the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship is Szoke’s closest challenger in the standings, Jodi Christie. The teenager from nearby Keene, Ont. is coming off a spectacular charge to third place at Mont-Tremblant that vaulted him into second in the point standings. Christie has traditionally run well at his home track of CTMP and his tremendous effort two weeks ago in his first race aboard the Jodi Christie Racing / Accelerated Technologies Honda CBR1000RR will make him a racer to watch this weekend.
Christie will also need to keep a close eye behind him, however, as he leads a close three-way scrap for second in the national standings. Andrew Nelson of Kars, Ont. sits in third place, just a point behind Christie in the rankings while St-Cesaire, Que.’s Kevin Lacombe lies fourth, another three points behind.
Nelson won the season opener at Shannonville Motorsport Park on his Nelson Racing / Endras Motorrad / mcn.tv BMW S1000RR but has not been able to stand on the podium in the three races since then. Lacombe has a top finish of third at Autodrome St-Eustache aboard the Team Couturier Racing BMW S1000RR.
Fifth in points is Mississauga, Ont.’s Matt McBride, who is enjoying a career year with the Riders Choice BMW S1000RR. McBride scored runner-up finishes at both Shannonville and Mont-Tremblant and he is another rider with a successful history at CTMP, placing second at the track in last year’s season finale.
Another rider to watch will be Uxbridge, Ont.’s Alex Welsh, who has shown the pace to run at the front but has not been able to string together strong finishes. The rider of the AW7R / Kenwood Electronics Canada Suzuki GSX-R1000 comes into this weekend seventh in the standings with a top finish of second at St-Eustache.
This weekend will also see five other national champions crowned. In the K&N Performance Filters Pro Sport Bike class, Christie comes to CTMP with a commanding 74-point lead in the standings, having won the last three races on his Honda CBR600RR. Christie’s nearest challenger is Kleinburg, Ont.’s Frank Trombino aboard the Acme Slate Suzuki GSX-R600, while second-year Pro Raphael Archambault of Terrebonne, Que. is third in points with the Team Archambault Racing / Picotte Motorsport / G Susupension Suzuki GSX-R600.
Steve Crevier is trying to wrap up a second straight Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada XR1200 Cup title and complete a perfect season at CTMP. The Maple Ridge, B.C. veteran has won all four races for the MotoSport Plus / Dominion Lending team and comes into this weekend with a 57-point lead over Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada / Ruthless Racing’s Darren James of Deep Cove, B.C.
Trevor Daley of Mississauga, Ont. has a 46-point lead in the Bazzaz Amateur Superbike standings thanks to a win and three other podium finishes this season on the OneSpeed / Riders Choice Suzuki GSX-R1000.
In the Inside Motorcycles Amateur Sport Bike class, St-Hyacinthe, Que.’s Philippe Masse enjoys a solid 43-point edge on the racingphil.com / Pete’s Superbike Kawasaki ZX-6R.
In the closest national points battle, Stacey Nesbitt of St-Lazare, Que. holds a slender four-point lead over Pickering, Ont.’s Ryan Roche in the Honda CBR250R National Race Series.
Practice and qualifying for this weekend’s event get underway Friday, with feature races in all six national classes set to go Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Off track features include the BMW Motorrad SummerFest, plus demo rides featuring the latest bikes from top manufacturers.
Advanced Weekend Super Tickets are $50 and Sunday only tickets are on sale for $35. To purchase tickets or for more information visit www.canadiantiremotorsportpark.com or call 1-800-866-1072.
2012 Point Standings
Mopar Pro Superbike: 1. Jordan Szoke (BMW) 207; 2. Jodi Christie (Honda) 141; 3. Andrew Nelson (BMW) 140; 4. Kevin Lacombe (BMW) 137; 5. Matt McBride (BMW) 112
K&N Performance Filters Pro Sport Bike: 1. Jodi Christie (Honda) 216; 2. Frank Trombino (Suzuki) 142; 3. Raphael Archambault (Suzuki) 120
Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup: 1. Steve Crevier 223; 2. Darren James 166; 3. Michael Taylor 126
Bazzaz Amateur Superbike: 1. Trevor Daley (Suzuki) 183; 2. Philippe Masse (Kawasaki) 137; 3. Tim Robinson (BMW) 109
Inside Motorcycles Amateur Sport Bike: 1. Philippe Masse (Kawasaki) 180; 2. Will Hornblower (Yamaha) 137; 3. Austin Shaw-O’Leary (Honda/Kawasaki) 119
Honda CBR250R National Race Series: 1. Stacey Nesbitt 360; 2. Ryan Roche 356; 3. Tomas Casas 288
Recent Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Superbike National Winners
2011 Brett McCormick (Saskatoon, Sask.); Jordan Szoke (Brantford, Ont.) Kawasaki
2010 Jordan Szoke (Brantford, Ont.) Honda; Jordan Szoke (Brantford, Ont.) Honda
2009 Jordan Szoke (Brantford, Ont.) Kawaswaki; Jordan Szoke (Brantford, Ont.) Kawasaki
2008 Jordan Szoke (Brantford, Ont.) Kawasaki; Clint McBain (Cochrane, Alta.) Suzuki
2007 Clint McBain (Cochrane, Alta.) Suzuki; Steve Crevier (Maple Ridge, B.C.) Yamaha
2006 Jordan Szoke (Brantford, Ont.) Kawaswaki; Jordan Szoke (Brantford, Ont.) Kawasaki
Provisional Weekend Schedule
Friday, August 24
1:00 p.m. 1:20 p.m. K&N Performance Filters Pro Sport Bike Qualifying
1:30 p.m. 1:50 p.m. Inside Motorcycles Amateur Sport Bike Qualifying
2:00 p.m. 2:40 p.m. Mopar Pro Superbike Pirelli SuperPole Qualifying
2:50 p.m. 3:10 p.m. Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup Qualifying
3:20 p.m. 3:40 p.m. Bazzaz Amateur Superbike Qualifying
3:50 p.m. 4:10 p.m. Honda CBR250R National Race Series Qualifying
Saturday, August 25
1:00 p.m. Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup Race (14 laps)
K&N Performance Filters Pro Sport Bike Race (14 laps)
Honda CBR250R National Race Series Race (10 laps)
Inside Motorcycles Amateur Sport Bike Race (12 laps)
3:20 p.m. Mopar Pro Superbike Race (20 laps)
Bazzaz Amateur Superbike Race (12 laps)
Sunday, August 26
12:45 p.m. K&N Performance Filters Pro Sport Bike Race (14 laps)
Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup Race (14 laps)
Honda CBR250R National Race Series Race (10 laps)
Inside Motorcycles Amateur Sport Bike Race (12 laps)
3:20 p.m. Mopar Pro Superbike Race (20 laps)
Bazzaz Amateur Superbike Race (12 laps)