Shannonville, Ontario - Collingwood, Ont.’s Ben Young made an impressive Superbike debut this past weekend at the opening round of the national MOPAR Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK) at Shannonville Motorsport Park. In a highly entertaining and unpredictable feature race Young battled hard aboard his #86 Tim Hortons / Scot Build / BMW Motorrad Canada S1000RR crossing the finish line just shy of the podium in fourth place, which seemed to be the theme of the weekend.

After two successful and educational test days at Shannonville Motorsport Park on Wednesday and Thursday, Young made a very strong debut taking fourth overall in Friday’s Official practice sessions with a lap time of 1:05.720 aboard his #86 BMW Motorrad Canada S1000RR.

Chief mechanic Scott Cartier and suspension specialist Willie Vass assessed the feedback from Young to refine the set up for what was certainly going to be a hotly contested Dalton Timmis Pro Superbike Top Qualifier Award session Saturday afternoon.

Setting a time of 1:05.404 in Saturday afternoon‘s qualifying Young would complete the front row for Sunday’s 22-lap feature race The 22-year-old Superbike newcomer, set his time early despite rear brake issues: “Pole is always the goal but we’re where we need to be and I feel if I can get a good start I could battle with the other guys.” said Young.

Unseasonably hot temperatures was certainly going to play a key factor in the opening round of the 2016 CSBK campaign at Shannonville Motorsport Park on Sunday. Good tire management and overall fitness to manage the heat was something Young felt would work to his advantage.

In front of a crowd of passionate CSBK fans and the TSN cameras Young had a near perfect launch off of the line and came out of the first corner in second place.

Kenny Riedmann and fellow BMW Pilot Matt McBride wasted little time letting the field know that they were prepared to set a blistering pace early on. McBride, a veteran of the CSBK series took the lead from Riedmann at the end of the backstraight on lap 2 with Szoke working his way to the front passed Young heading into Allen’s Corner on lap 3. McBride stretched out his lead to almost two and a half seconds.

After losing third place to Szoke, Young found himself in a battle with Bodhi Edie for fourth. Young and Edie were both fighting to work their way up to a spot on the podium however they were also both battling fading front brakes. On the last lap Edie pushed too hard relinquishing the fourth spot to Young. His efforts earned him fourth overall in the national MOPAR Pro Superbike Point Standings.

A strong runner on the British and American tours, It’s been sometime since the 22-year-old Superbike newcomer has considered himself a rookie. However, Young was pleasantly surprised to learn that since he has never contested a full Canadian series or ridden a Superbike he was eligible for a “race within a race” - the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year Award, or RotY.

“I first have to thank CSBK staff, event organizers and the race marshals for putting on a great and safe event and for all the fans who came out especially under these very hot conditions.” Young said. “I just love riding the BMW S1000RR. I know we have more work to do, but I think we’re certainly within striking distance of a podium and win is a strong possibility."

Mopar Pro Superbike action from this weekend will premiere on TSN1 on June 14 at 7:30 p.m. Visit the Official CSBK series website csbk.ca for more info.

The Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship resumes at Autodrome St-Eustache in St-Eustache, Que. June 24-26. This event will include a doubleheader for the Pro Superbike class.

Young’s partners for his 2016 CSBK season include; Tim Hortons (Sudbury), Scot-build Developments, BMW Motorrad Canada, AXO Racing, Arai Helmets, Hindle Exhaust, KarmaComa Studio, Woodcraft, Human 2.0, Core Power high protein milkshakes, Epic Racewear, Vortex Racing and K&N Filters.

He is also a proud "Laps for Muscular Dystrophy" (Laps4MD) rider who’s pledged to donate $1 for every lap he leads this season. These donations go to Muscular Dystrophy Canada to help make a difference in the lives of over 50,000 Canadians affected by a neuromuscular disorder.

To keep up-to-date on Ben Young throughout the year visit; www.BenYoungRacing.com, www.facebook.com/BenYoungRacing and on Twitter and Instagram: @benyoung_86.