TORONTO, Ont. (July 14) Alex Welsh and the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team showed their speed at the fourth and fifth rounds of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Mosport International Raceway last weekend. Unfortunately that didn’t translate into podium results for the team. The 22-year-old Welsh crashed out of fourth place in Saturday’s opening event of the doubleheader weekend, then came back to finish sixth on the Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja on Sunday after running second off the start. “We have the speed, that’s for sure,” said the Uxbridge, Ont. rider. “We’re just missing the consistency right now. I think I’m riding well, and I know the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team is working hard.” Welsh wound up sixth on the starting grid for the weekend’s races after Pirelli SuperPole qualifying was cancelled on Friday due to the weather. That forced Parts Canada Superbike Championship officials to revert to Thursday afternoon’s practice times to set the grid. Welsh had turned a lap at 1:23.493, at the back of a group of five riders within just over a second of each other. The 2008 HJC Pro Rookie of the Year got a rocket of a start in Saturday’s 20-lap race and had the ZX-10R Ninja in third place at the end of the opening lap. Even though he dropped to fourth he was in the fight for the lead when he lost the front end and crashed spectacularly in turn three on lap eight. “I couldn’t get a good feeling in the front,” Welsh explained. “I was catching people on the brakes, running it in hard, and I really had to push the front and ask a lot of the front tire.” Despite injuring his back in the crash and being forced onto his back-up Kawasaki, Welsh again showed pace on Sunday. He was second off the start this time but slipped back to sixth as he battled with the consistency of his motorcycle. Nevertheless, his fastest lap of 1:21.653 was the third fastest of the race. “I was having the same sort of problems as Saturday,” he admitted. “I got away with the leaders again but I wasn’t able to pull a gap. I didn’t want to bin it again so I played it safer.” The Parts Canada Superbike Championship now heads to Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S. for its season-ending doubleheader Aug. 6-8. Welsh is seventh in the point standings, just six points out of sixth. “We’ve only got three weeks before the end of the season so we’ve got to go hard and make the most of it,” Welsh said. “We need to go in with a positive attitude, more than anything this is a mental game. “Right now it’s about getting a result. The team deserves it and I think I deserve it. We’ve got to be focused on getting a decent result so we can go into the off season holding our heads high.” The Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team is sponsored by Canadian Kawasaki, Parts Canada, Noco, Akrapovic, Dynojet, Motul, DID, Vortex, Zero Gravity and Pirelli. More, from a press release issued by Shandra Crawford on behalf of Lenny Hale Racing: Hale Wins Three With AFM At Thunderhill, Leads AFM Championship Chase Lenny Hale won a trio of AFM races at Thunderhill Raceway Park this weekend on his Yamaha YZF-R6, and left the track leading in the chase for the club’s overall championship. In two days of racing in scorching 110 degree heat, Hale backed up his wins in 750 Production, 750 Superbike and Formula 1 with a second in 600 Production, and 3rd in 600 Superbike. In 750 Production and 750 Superbike, Hale went back and forth with Kevin Nekimken on his GSX-R750, those two trading places back and forth until Hale out-drove Nekimken out of the last two turns leading onto the long front straight to take the checkers. In Formula 1 was another good race, with Hale getting the best of Berto Woolridge to take the win. “There was really good racing this weekend, despite the heat. I had really good competition to race against, and it was a lot of fun,” Hale says. In 600 Superbike, Jimmy Wood got an early lead, leaving Tyler O’Hara and Hale battling to the finish, with O’Hara getting Hale by .030 at the line to take 2nd. In 600 Production, Hale and Tyler went at it again right up to the race’s end, with Tyler coming out on top by 0.34 seconds to take first. Hale’s next outings will come in AMA competition, first at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 17-18, then on July 24 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “I am really looking forward to Mid-Ohio,” Hale says. “I’ve never raced there before, and am hoping for some good results.” Hale’s sponsors include Dunlop, PSR, Garage Endeavors, Factory Bodyworks, Pacific Track Time, Repsol Oil, Arai Helmets, NJK leathers. For more information, go to www.LennyHaleRacing.com More from press release issued by Zalusky Advanced Riding School & Track Days: Brainerd, MN (July 14) Top racers from all across the Midwest and Canada converged on July 10 at Brainerd International Raceway for the Inaugural ZARS Shootout presented by Worldwide Machining and Welding, Inc., and sponsored by Motoprimo. The 7-lap sprint had 4 classes with 40 riders total with a cash purse in total of $2000. The Shootout was held in conjunction with the Zalusky Advanced Riding School and Track Day Event on the BIR Competition Course. In the GP3/4 Expert Class, top racer, Tony Kasper took the whole shot and lead the race from start to finish with impressive riding to take the coveted win. Shane Fletcher and Jesse Nelson were close behind and finished respectively in 2nd and 3rd. In the GP1/2 Expert, Karl Rehpohl charged to the front with a sizeable lead to take the win. In a heated battle for 2nd and 3rd, Christian Schmidt edged out Mark Miller in a close, photo finish for 2nd place. In another battle, 13-year old young gun Kaleb De Keyrel debuted at Brainerd for his first time and battled with Kyle Knutsen, but Kyle won this intense battle for 4th place and Kaleb finished respectively for 5th place. In the Novice ranks, young gun Cole Speer took the GP1/2 Championship while Ashish Shakya battled to finish 2nd place ahead of 3rd place finisher, Jason Hoffman. In the super competitive GP3/4 Novice Championship, Anthony Myhre took the checkered flag followed by Jonathon Shore in 2nd and Chase Seller in 3rd. “I’m really excited that we are able to host one of BIR’s most competitive events this season with such a high calibur of riding,” states Jessica Zalusky. The Shootout finale will be held on Labor Day, September 6, at Brainerd International Raceway. For more information, visit www.zaluskyridingschool.com Top 5 Results: Expert GP 1/2: 1 Karl Rehpohl (Suz SV650) 2 Christian Schmidt (Yam 450) 3 Mark Miller (Duc 900SS) 4 Kyle Knutson (Suz SV650) 5 Kaleb De Keyrel (Hon RS 125) Expert GP 3/4: 1 Tony Kasper (Yam YZF-R6) 2 Shane Fletcher (Yam YZF-R6) 3 Jesse Nelson (Yam YZF-R6) 4 Benji Thorton (Tri Daytona 675) 5 Erik DeVaan (Yam YZF-R6) Novice GP 1/2: 1 Cole Speer (Kaw EX650) 2 Ashish K Shakya (Suz SV650) 3 Jason Hoffman (Suz SV650) 4 Derek Gilbertson (Kaw EX650) 5 Stefan Dorn (Suz SV650) Novice GP 3/4: 1 Anthony Myhre (Yam YZF-R6) 2 Jonathan Shore (Suz GSX-R600) 3 Chase Sellers (Yam YZF-R6) 4 Adam Purves (Suz GSX-R600) 5 John Anderson (Yam YZF-R6)