At the opening CSBK National of 2021 at Calabogie, BMW’s Ben Young earned the Yuasa Battery Pole Position Award for the Pro Superbike Feature class, joined on the podium by runner-up Tomas Casas for Yamaha (Left) and third fastest qualifier, Kawasaki’s Jordan Szoke (right). (Photo-Colin Fraser)
By: Canadian Superbike Championship
August 5 2021
 

Toronto, Ontario – The upcoming second round of the COVID-delayed 2021 Canadian Superbike Championship will feature the return of the special sticky, soft option Dunlop “Q” rear slick tire. These special tires will come into play on Friday mid-afternoon, August 13 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, north-east of Oshawa, ON.

 

In the second and final Yuasa Batteries Pole Qualifying session, the top ten competitors from the earlier, initial “Q1” session will be provided with a special rear tire option courtesy of spec tire supplier Pro 6 and Dunlop.

 

After the first Qualifying session for the entire Pro Superbike field, the special Dunlop slick “Q” tires will be released to the top ten riders from that opening Yuasa Batteries Pole session. This will give the final ten competitors time to get the new tire on warmers and adjust their machines to take advantage of the increased rear grip, prior to the start of the final “Q2” session, scheduled to start at 2:45 PM EST and run for 20 minutes.

 

Video coverage of the final Superbike Qualifying will be available online later Friday afternoon, presented by Canadian Kawasaki Motors.

 

CSBK last used Q-spec tires in 2019, also in August at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, or “old Mosport.” The “Q” tire option made its debut at C.T.M.P. in 2016. This year, the latest KR451 rear Dunlop slick tire will be provided, in the 0516 compound.

 

CTMP is the only venue to offer the top racers from the feature class the opportunity to utilize the super-soft rear rubber in their final “Q2” session, which will finalize the grid for the weekend’s races.

 

For the first time ever, the 2021 CTMP event will have three Pro Superbike Feature races presented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and all three National events will utilize the same grid established during Friday’s Yuasa Batteries Pole Qualifying sessions.

 

The famed 4-kilometer long, ten-turn venue, host to Grand Prix races for both two and four-wheeled competitors, is expected to provide close racing due to the slipstreaming nature of the long, uphill Mario Andretti-named back straight.

 

The 2021 CSBK Championship chase is headed by double race winner Alex Dumas of Desmaures, QC, aboard a Liqui Moly/FAST Riding School/M.P.G.-backed Suzuki GSX-R1000. The 18-year-old points leader has not previously competed at CTMP.

 

Canada General Warranty-backed Kawasaki ace Jordan Szoke of Lynden, ON, won all four 2020 events, including both races at CTMP, on his way to a record 14th career Canadian title. Last year Szoke earned pole for the weekend with a lap of 1:22.99, just 0.5 seconds ahead of the BMW of Beaconsfield, QC veteran Michael Leon.

 

In 2019, Friday rain forced Qualifying to move to Saturday morning, and then a crash by eventual series champ Ben Young of Collingwood, ON, stopped “Q” action early. Nonetheless, Young took pole for BMW with a lap of 1:21.59, the last lap completed with the “Q” tire.

 

For more information on the CSBK Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca