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Bowmanville, Ontartio – Ben Young will start from pole position for each of this weekend’s three Pro Superbike races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, after mixed weather conditions and a formal petition forced revised grids on Friday.

Rain stopped the second of two afternoon sessions for the feature Pro Superbike category, where the top ten qualifiers from the first Q1 offering were provided with the opportunity to go out on special Dunlop Qualifying slick rubber.

CSBK Officials initially opted to use the results of the first session to determine the grids, since the unpredictable weather made continuing with the interrupted final “Q2” opportunity problematic. This decision was not well received by several Pro Superbike competitors.

A short while later, a formal petition was submitted by eight of the ten racers who participated in the second “Q2” session to determine Pole and the starting grid. BMW’s Ben Young, Michael Leon, Ivan Babic and Jordan Royds, Suzuki racers Alex Dumas and Trevor Daley, Kawasaki pilot Sebastien Tremblay, and Honda mounted Steven Nickerson all requested that the times posted in the first half of the 20-minute rain-interrupted session be used to establish a grid.

Reigning Canadian national champion Jordan Szoke, riding for Kawasaki, and Tomas Casas, who crashed his Yamaha in the second session, did not sign the document.

“Based on the fact that the majority of the Pro racers asked for this adjustment, we have decided to respect their wishes and honor their request,” explained CSBK boss Colin Fraser. “We understand that the situation this afternoon was complicated, and tempers ran high. It is unfortunate that our goal to go for ultimate lap times with the special tires provided by Dunlop this weekend just didn’t work out.”

With the decision now final, the grid will look much different for the weekend’s three feature races, though Ben Young will retain pole position and Alex Dumas will still start second after both riders claimed the same positions in both sessions.

Now starting third will be Sebastian Tremblay, who moves up one spot from his Q1 time, while Trevor Daley will take the biggest jump to complete the front row in fourth after only managing eighth in Q1.

The second row will now be kicked off by Michael Leon in fifth, an improvement of two positions from his first session, while Steven Nickerson retains sixth place and the middle of the second row.

Tomas Casas will move from third to seventh following the revision, after the early crash in Q2 cost him a second front-row start of the season. Ivan Babic will move up two spots to lead off the third row in eighth, while the biggest faller is reigning champion Jordan Szoke, who drops from fifth to ninth in what is his worst qualifying finish since 2010.

In addition to his Superbike duties, Tremblay will start from pole position in both of the weekend’s Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike races, pacing the grid aboard his Turcotte Performance Kawasaki with a time of 1:24.579.

Rookie pro Trevor Dion was perhaps the biggest surprise of the day, securing second on the grid with a time just 0.162 seconds behind Tremblay, as the former Lightweight race winner will look to spoil the pole sitter’s weekend aboard his LDS Consultants Kawasaki.

Third on the grid for the middleweight doubleheader will be former Guyanese Superbike champion Elliott Vieira, who excelled at CTMP a year ago and will look to replicate that success this weekend for the Snow City Cycle Yamaha team.

Completing the front row in the Sport Bike category will be another Kawasaki in the form of David MacKay, as the Mack Attack Racing rider continued his strong form at the circuit where he found the podium once before in 2018.

Jacob Black stormed to his first career pole position in the Super Sonic Road Race School Lightweight class, shattering the qualifying lap record and breaking his own outright record with a time of 1:39.813 aboard his Kawasaki Ninja 400.

Black was already comfortably on pole when he posted the record-breaking time on his final lap, cruising past second-place qualifier Paul Etienne Courtois by over a second.

Championship leader Mackenzie Weil struggled to fifth in the qualifying session, but the Kawasaki teenager can still make a strong push at the front as the Lightweight category will again rely heavily on the slipstream down the Andretti back straightaway.

Fellow title hopeful Anthony Bergeron was the man to beat on track in the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike class, though Bergeron will be docked one position after failing to meet the fuel requirements in post-race tech inspection on his BMW.

Alex Cleary will instead start from pole this weekend, benefitting from the penalty after only losing out on the fastest time by 0.126 seconds to his BMW counterpart out front.

Brad Macrae continued his sensational Amateur Sport Bike season with another pole position in middleweight category, blitzing the field to a time of 1:26.476 aboard his privateer Honda.

Only hometown teenager Matthew Simpson was able to get close to Macrae, qualifying second on the grid and just 0.360 seconds behind, while no other rider was able to get within a second of the top two championship rivals.

Full results from Friday’s exciting day of qualifying can be found on the series’ official website at csbk.ca, while the schedule for this weekend’s racing can also be found online ahead of Superbike race one on Saturday.

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

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Toronto, Ontario – The Pro Superbike feature class won’t be the only category under extra pressure this weekend, as the four Canadian Superbike Championship support classes enter a pivotal round two doubleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, August 13-15.

The four National classes will enter “Old Mosport” in drastically different circumstances, with two categories following up a one-sided season opener while two others remain wide open at the front.

The most dominant showing came from the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class, where fan favourite Sebastian Tremblay held off a brief challenge en route to a comfortable victory at Calabogie aboard his Turcotte Performance Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja. Tremblay entered as the preseason favourite for his first National title and should be a safe bet to continue that trend at CTMP, where he has won the last three races dating back to the 2019 season.

The battle behind him remains a close one, however, with a number of Quebec-born riders making their mark on the middleweight class. Leading the group is Phillippe Masse, who claimed an emotional second place as part of an all-Kawasaki podium in round one, with rookie Christian Allard settling for third on his Turcotte Performance machine after challenging Tremblay early on.

Behind the Francophone contingent, another top name to watch will be former Guyanese racing champion Elliott Vieira, who’s podium charge at Calabogie was derailed by an early crash. Vieira was ultimately able to remount his Snow City Cycle Yamaha YZF-R6 and salvage seventh, though he will hope for a better outcome as he returns to the circuit where he scored an impressive fourth-place finish in Superbike a year ago.

Hometown favourite and fellow rookie Jake Leclair also figures to be in the podium fight, as the Blackstock, ON native looks to build upon a strong Pro debut in fourth aboard his Yamaha Canada machine, while another Kawasaki rider in David MacKay will aim to better his fifth-place finish as he returns to one of his personal best tracks in CTMP.

The other dominant outing from round one was teenager Mackenzie Weil in the Super Sonic Lightweight Sport Bike category, who swept both races of his doubleheader to take a comfortable 39-point advantage into round two.

The Kawasaki Ninja 400 rider will again be one of the frontrunners at his home track, though slipstream will be far more important down the long Andretti straight, a feature that has played a huge role in numerous thrilling battles over the years.

Leading the challenge will likely be fellow Kawasaki rider Jacob Black, who narrowly settled for second in race one and was aiming for a similar result in race two before being taken out in an incident-filled weekend. Championship runner-up Jean-Francois Croteau also figures to be in the lead group once again, though the standings remain tight-knit after a wild second race in Calabogie.

The closest of all championship battles entering CTMP is in the MotorcycleCourse.com Amateur Superbike class, where Anthony Bergeron will take a slim ten-point lead into the pivotal doubleheader aboard his BMW S1000RR.

Bergeron entered as the odds-on title favourite and looked the part early in round one, but a poor qualifying and a four-rider battle at the front nearly derailed his weekend before he was ultimately able to hold on for a thrilling one-second victory over Guillaume Lavallee.

Lavallee will be looking for a measure of revenge in round two aboard his Yamaha, while round one pole-sitter Julien Lafortune will be eager to make up for a difficult showing of his own for Kawasaki, though all three Quebec-born riders will lose their home-track advantage to fourth-place finisher Brad Macrae.

Macrae will aim to “do the double” and champion both Amateur classes in 2021, but he will have his work cut out for him down the Andretti straight as he brings his lesser-powered Yamaha sport bike into the fight once more.

That won’t be an issue for him in the Brooklin Cycle Racing Amateur Sport Bike category, however, where he will aim to hold off hometown teenager Matthew Simpson and build upon his eleven-point gap atop the standings.

Macrae was dominant at Calabogie and should be the frontrunner again in round two, especially after a harrowing crash in regional racing for Simpson, though the Bowmanville, ON native escaped major injuries and will look to continue the hot start to his Amateur career at his home circuit.

Joining the support classes at CTMP will be the Pro Superbike feature class, who will embark on the series’ first ever tripleheader this weekend. Tickets are still available for the event, which will take place just an hour east of Toronto, ON.

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

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Toronto, Ontario – The Canadian Superbike Championship will enter unfamiliar territory in a number of ways this weekend, as teenage sensation Alex Dumas carries a surprising title lead into the first ever Pro Superbike tripleheader in round two at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, July 13-15.

The feature class grid will enter its most compressed weekend schedule ever, with qualifying and the chase for the Yuasa Batteries Pole Award – also featuring the return of the Dunlop Q tires – set to run on Friday afternoon before a 20-lap race one on Saturday, and two 18-lap races on Sunday.

Dumas entered round one at Calabogie widely believed to be a frontrunner, but the 18-year-old rookie far exceeded any expectations as he swept both legs of the thrilling doubleheader, earning a 17-point championship lead in the process.

Riding a Liqui Moly MPG Fast Riding School-backed Suzuki GSX-R1000, Dumas will now get three more chances to carve out history at “Old Mosport,” though he will have to do so with perhaps even tougher competition than he faced in the season opener.

Leading the challenge will again be 2019 champion Ben Young, who returned after a year away from the sport to snatch pole position and a pair of second place finishes at round one. Young has traditionally excelled at CTMP, the circuit where he captured his lone title two years ago, and he will look to continue that run of success aboard his Van Dolder’s Home Team BMWS1000RR this weekend.

The other member of the “big three” out front, defending champion Jordan Szoke will be looking to shake off a solid although disappointing opener, where he settled for a pair of third place finishes to take a 29-point deficit into CTMP.

The Canada General Warranty Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja rider has conquered the circuit a record 18 times before, including a sweep of the doubleheader last season as he claimed the 2020 championship, his 14th National title overall.

While the podium finishers appeared to be a step ahead in round one, the trio will likely be in for a much tougher task at the fastest track on the calendar, as the long Andretti straightaway usually delivers stunning battles throughout the grid.

A consistent frontrunner over the last few years, Trevor Daley came away with a mixed bag in round one as a pair of slow starts meant he could only manage fourth in each race, but the OneSpeed Suzuki Canada rider showed podium pace in both contests and will look to replicate that at his home track this weekend.

Another local favourite sure to join the lead group will be Tomas Casas, who returned to Calabogie after his own one-year absence to claim a career-best qualifying position in second. The Parts Canada Yamaha YZF-R1 rider went backwards on race day, most notably due to arm pump, but he seemed to right the ship with a victory at the Pro6 GP regional series and will be returning to full health in front of his hometown fans at CTMP.

The second-place finisher from that regional racing battle, rookie Samuel Guerin will also be looking to put a tough opening round behind him, as the 2020 runner-up was forced out of both races with mechanical issues. The EFC Group BMW rider remains a rookie due to the COVID-19 pandemic but looked like anything but a year ago, when CTMP proved to be his best track as he battled Szoke to the line before ultimately settling for second.

One wildcard to watch will be Sebastian Tremblay, as the Pro Sport Bike championship leader is believed to be adding a full Superbike program to his plans for round two. The Turcotte Performance Kawasaki rider has been focusing his efforts aboard a lesser-powered 600cc machine in recent years, though that hasn’t seemed to limit him as he claimed a pair of sixth place finishes at Calabogie.

An upgrade to a full 1000cc machine may make Tremblay a podium challenger – or even a dark horse for race wins – should the decision be made official this weekend, though his focus will still lie with the middleweight championship.

Perhaps joining the frontrunning battle for the first time since 2019 will be both rider and manufacturer, as Steven Nickerson is set to return to the series aboard his Dewildt Powersports Honda CBR1000RR after sitting out round one and all of last season. The SOAR regional racing champion will be a welcome boost for Honda in the Constructors standings, though Nickerson himself will have his sights set on a maiden podium as he joins a wide-open fight at the front in round two.

This weekend’s action won’t be the final National event of the season for CSBK, with a third and final round planned for Calabogie Motorsports Park in mid-September to be announced shortly.

The second round of the CSBK season will also feature the return of spectators to the storied circuit, with tickets available until August 12 at noon (online only) at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park website.

The full schedule of events and prior results can be found on the series’ own official site at www.csbk.ca.

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

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Category: Motorcycle

Toronto, Ontario – While the main title standings capture the headlines in the Canadian Superbike Championship, the separate Award races have been equally as exciting to begin the 2021 campaign, and that trend will continue into the first ever Pro Superbike tripleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend, August 13-15.

The newest campaign will see four side championships handed out this summer, a major overhaul from years past when only the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year Award was offered to the feature class.

The additional awards will feature the first ever Constructors Championship, the Yuasa Batteries sponsored Pole Position Championship, and – new to this weekend – the FAST Riding School Hard Charger Award.

Leading the Rookie of the Year standings in historic fashion is teenage sensation Alex Dumas, who became the first ever rider to win his Pro Superbike debut before winning again in race two to sweep the opening round at Calabogie.

Dumas could clinch the award as early as this weekend, with a 65-point lead already in hand and 160 points on offer at CTMP. The Liqui Moly MPG FAST Riding School Suzuki rider is chasing one of the best rookie seasons in CSBK history, as he aims to capture the Pro Superbike feature title in just his first year north of the border.

Trailing Dumas in the fight for second will be Jordan Royds and fellow Suzuki rider Guillaume Fortin, with Royds taking a four-point advantage into round two aboard his IBEW-sponsored BMW.

Dumas’ round one performance also bolstered a surprising start for Suzuki in the new Constructors Championship, as they lead BMW by 30 points entering the tripleheader event at “Old Mosport.” A pair of victories and a pair of fourth place finishes from OneSpeed’s Trevor Daley has given the Hamamatsu factory an early advantage, but one that won’t be without a challenge in round two.

BMW and Kawasaki have split every race win at CTMP since 2014, with Suzuki’s last victory at the circuit coming in 2013, and the track has been especially kind to reigning champion Jordan Szoke (Kawasaki) and 2019 champion Ben Young (BMW) over that span as they look to close the gap for their respective factories in round two.

The weekend will also see the return of Dewildt Powersports rider Steven Nickerson and with it the reunion of Honda to the feature class grid, who have not scored a point since 2019 and will look to make up for lost ground in the Constructors standings.

Leading the Yuasa Batteries Pole Position Championship into Friday’s qualifying session will be Young, who showed zero signs of rust in his return to the series at round one as he blitzed the field to pole position and ten points in the award standings.

The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider has captured pole twice before at CTMP and will aim for the hat trick to begin the weekend, though Dumas, Szoke, and second-place qualifier from round one Tomas Casas all figure to be in the mix during qualifying.

Szoke sits third in the Pole Position standings after qualifying in the same spot at Calabogie, while Dumas will aim to fix the lone blemish on his season so far and improve upon his fourth place standing in round two.

The newest entry to the awards showcase, the recently announced FAST Riding School Hard Charger Award, will go to the rider “deemed to have produced the best effort in context of that race, specifically overcoming a potentially wide range of challenges.”

While there will be no season-long standings in the awards battle, the added incentive may provide for some thrilling racing in the midfield, as the weekend is sure to provide plenty of drama throughout the grid amidst all three races.

The second round of the CSBK season is set to get underway on Friday, August 13, with five National classes stealing the spotlight alongside the awards battles. Tickets are still available for the event, which will take place just an hour east of Toronto, ON.

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