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By: Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship
June 18, 2024
June 18, 2024
Hamilton, Ontario – The third round of the 2024 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship is shaping up to be the most-anticipated yet, as a number of notable entries will set the tone for a thrilling return to RAD Torque Raceway, June 21-23.
The GP Bikes Pro Superbike class is already fresh off its most unpredictable weekend in years at Grand Bend, as Sam Guerin and Trevor Daley each took maiden victories to limit Ben Young’s gap atop the standings, and now Young will have to deal with another old rival as Alex Dumas returns to the series in Edmonton.
None of Young, Guerin, or Dumas were present at RAD Torque when the series last visited the circuit in 2015, and Daley will unfortunately not be competing in round three, leaving the lead group all on equal terms when it comes to prior knowledge of the 2.7 km, 14-turn layout.
Young and Guerin will enter in seemingly similar positions, as both will be navigating their familiar BMW machinery around the unfamiliar venue, though Young will be the one expected to set the benchmark as he carries an eleven-point championship lead into Alberta.
The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider is a near-automatic bet to fight for the win, having missed the podium just three times in his last 44 races – an absurd stretch dating back to 2018 – and amassing seven victories in eight races prior to Grand Bend.
The three-time champion will not have much of a cushion in the standings, however, following a fantastic debut victory for Guerin in round two. The EFC Group BMW rider has coupled his strong pace with much more consistency in 2024, putting legitimate pressure on Young despite a season that would have seemed more straight-forward in the absence of Dumas.
Making matters worse for Young is that the aforementioned absence is now over, with Dumas set to make his CSBK return for a revamped Economy Lube Ducati squad.
The 2021 champion may need more time to adjust to his V4 Panigale after just two days of testing, but he will be a definitive race-winning threat should he come to grips with the new machine right away, complicating the championship picture.
Lost in all the drama is the lone rider without any unfamiliarity, as Jordan Szoke will enter round three with perhaps his best shot at a victory since his 2022 injuries.
Szoke swept both races at Edmonton in 2015 and is the only former national Superbike winner at the venue, giving the CKM Kawasaki team an important advantage when the field arrives on Thursday.
As if the trip west and return of Dumas weren’t enough to throw at the leaders, the round will also feature the wildcard appearance of Torin Collins, who makes his CSBK and overall Superbike debut.
Collins is currently riding in the MotoAmerica Supersport class after departing the FIM JuniorGP series last season, and the 18-year-old out of nearby Calgary will now try his hand aboard a Superbike as he pilots a privateer Kawasaki in front of his home fans.
Those home spectators will have plenty of others to cheer for, though, as a number of local riders are expected to be in attendance, headlined by CSBK regular Paul Macdonell.
The Grande Prairie native currently sits seventh in the overall standings for the Vass Performance/PMR BMW team and has plenty of experience at RAD Torque, having won the regional Open Superbike championship in 2021.
A number of Macdonell’s former regional foes are now expected to join him at their home round, including EMRA round one winner Brian Worsdall. The Mots Racing Honda rider has been regularly lapping in the same range as the top-five did nine years ago, putting Worsdall potentially in the podium mix given his track expertise.
All the new arrivals will be bad news for first-year Superbike riders David MacKay and Connor Campbell, who will have another challenge ahead of them as they hunt for their own debut national podiums in Edmonton.
MacKay remains fourth in the championship despite a race two crash with Macdonell at Grand Bend, and the ODH Snow City Cycle Honda rider has looked comfortable right out of the gates aboard his new machine, but he will now put that to the test at a brand-new circuit.
As for Campbell, the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year leader has been riding at less than full health following a rib injury in round one, but is finally hoping to be back at 100% as he heads west for the first time aboard his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki.
Like Szoke, another returning rider from 2015 will hope to put his knowledge to good use, as Sebastien Tremblay will also continue his double-duty at Edmonton.
The Turcotte Performance Suzuki rider is shorthanded aboard his lesser-displacement GSX-R750, the same machine he leads the Pro Sport Bike championship with, but will hope his previous experience can limit the difference at RAD Torque.
As for the Constructors Standings, the new venue will need to throw a lot at Young and Guerin to displace BMW from the top spot, who will also have a valuable third option in home favourite Macdonell.
However, the battle for second will get far more complicated with Dumas joining fifth-placed Ducati, who look to chase down Suzuki (fourth), Honda (third), and Kawasaki – the latter of whom will get their own boost with the wildcard appearance of Collins.
More information on the third round at RAD Torque Raceway can be found on CSBK’s official website.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca
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- Category: Motorcycle
By: Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship
June 17, 2024
June 17, 2024
Hamilton, Ontario – The third round of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship will present a rare home opportunity for its western stars this weekend, June 21-23, as the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike class returns to RAD Torque Raceway for the first time since 2015.
Amongst the local talent will be one man trying desperately to keep them at bay, however, as championship leader Sebastien Tremblay aims to extend his title advantage as he also returns to the Edmonton circuit.
Tremblay is one of the few returnees from that 2015 round, having finished sixth in both Superbike races nine years ago. While he will be making his Sport Bike debut this time around, the 2021 champion will be thankful to have as much prior knowledge as he can get, something that will be hard to come by for his Ontario and Quebec counterparts.
The Turcotte Performance Suzuki rider has won twice and finished as the runner-up twice in four races this season, taking 95 of a possible 108 points through the first two rounds to stretch out a commanding 45-point lead, a gap he will look to manage over the next four rounds to bring home his second Sport Bike title.
Tremblay’s odds will also be boosted by the unfortunate absences of championship runner-up Zoltan Frast and round two winner Trevor Daley, the latter of whom also raced at Edmonton in 2015, leaving a massive difference in track knowledge compared to his usual eastern-Canada foes.
However, his prior resumé at RAD Torque will pale in comparison to the numerous local riders that are expected to be in attendance, some of whom have been contesting the full series and will now look to level the playing field at their own home track.
Leading that charge is expected to be John Laing, who has quickly become a regular frontrunner in the Sport Bike ranks despite making his CSBK debut just last season.
The Vass Performance Kawasaki rider has already amassed one win, two podiums, and five top-five finishes in his 13 career races, and will surely be back at the front in a more familiar setting at Edmonton, only three hours north of his hometown of Cochrane, Alberta.
Joining him in the bracket of local riders is teenage sensation Philip Degama-Blanchet, the youngest pro rider in the national series at just 16 years old.
The Calgary native burst onto the scene in round one with a fourth-place finish and could become the youngest winner in Pro Sport Bike history this weekend if he can maximize his home race, surpassing Chris Peris’ mark that has stood since 2004.
While the rest of Tremblay’s rivals will be making their debut trips west, the 2021 champion won’t want to discredit them either, especially pre-season contender Elliot Vieira.
A disastrous round two saw Vieira tumble down the championship order, but the GP Bikes Ducati rider has race-winning potential at virtually every track on the calendar, and it wouldn’t be surprising if RAD Torque is added to that list this weekend as he tries to claw back crucial points.
Vieira will also get a bit of reinforcements in the Ducati stable, as rookie Mavrick Cyr joins the Economy Lube program aboard a V2 Panigale in round three.
The 19-year-old reigning amateur double-champion was rumoured to be making the switch prior to round two before sticking with Rizzin Racing Triumph, but Cyr will now make the move official as he looks to step on a pro podium for the first time in Edmonton.
Another confirmed entry will be Alex Michel, who has battled through a season plagued by mechanical issues (including a pair of engine failures at Grand Bend) but will hope to get things back on track in round three.
The SpeedFactory67 Kawasaki rider showed what he’s capable of at unfamiliar venues with a strong finish at the Daytona 200, and will hope to have better luck underneath him as he tries to climb the leaderboard out west.
The class may see a familiar face return to the grid as well, with reigning Pro Twins champion AJ Van Winkle potentially slated for a national return.
The 17-year-old became the youngest pro champion in CSBK history last season but has yet to return to the national paddock, though he has enjoyed plenty of regional success in British Columbia with the MotoMeccanica Ducati squad.
Also expected to join the weekend are a number of regional stars from the EMRA (Edmonton Motorcycle Roadracing Association) series, headlined by former national entry Justin Knapik.
Knapik last raced with CSBK during that 2015 season, taking a pair of strong Superbike finishes at his home track including a fourth-place result in race two. While the Edmonton native may focus on Superbike again, Knapik has been piloting an Argyll Motorsports Yamaha to great success in the Sport Bike ranks at EMRA rounds and could be a podium threat during the national weekend.
More information for round three of the 2024 CSBK season can be found on the series’ official website.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca
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- Category: Motorcycle
By: Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship
June 9, 2024
June 9, 2024
Grand Bend, Ontario – The Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship produced another first-time Superbike winner on Sunday, as Trevor Daley captured an emotional debut Superbike victory in a wet race two at the Grand Bend Motorplex, presented by Southwest Marine & Powersports.
Daley was already victorious on the day after a dramatic win in the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike class, but saved something even more special for the feature GP Bikes Pro Superbike category as the rain poured down in the afternoon.
It was race one winner Sam Guerin who originally looked poised for a weekend sweep, grabbing the holeshot and pacing 14-time champion Jordan Szoke while pole-sitter Ben Young slipped to third and Daley ran fourth.
A scary moment for Szoke on lap one backed up the pack, however, allowing Daley to move past his close friend and championship leader Young for third, eventually passing Szoke only a lap later as he began to chase down Guerin.
The OneSpeed Suzuki rider attempted a move for the lead on lap four but was denied by Guerin, who fought hard for a second career win and led for almost half the race. It was only a matter of time for Daley though as he made the move into turn eight on lap seven, one that would prove to be the race-winning overtake.
It wasn’t without pressure, as Young would string together a pair of beautiful passes on both Szoke and Guerin to move into second. The three-time champion had then caught his former Daytona teammate and dragged Guerin with him, setting up a brilliant three-rider battle over the final five laps.
Daley would make the crucial decision – similarly to his earlier Sport Bike win – to attack lapped traffic early and put the slower rider between himself and the chasing duo, holding up Young and Guerin and preserving his hard-fought victory.
It was an emotional one for the perennial frontrunner, considered by many to be the best rider to never win a Superbike race with 16 career podiums – something he put an end to on Sunday.
“I was stepping on spiders all week to get this rain,” Daley joked. “I’m really at a loss for words. It’s been a long time coming. I can’t thank my team and everyone that’s supported me enough. With the adjustments we made, the confidence I had in the rain…it was just incredible!”
Daley missed round one as he balances double duty as part of Sean Dylan Kelly’s crew in MotoAmerica, and while he may miss future rounds for the same reason, he did let on that this won’t be his final appearance in the CSBK paddock.
“I really just wanted to come here and have some fun this weekend, and it’s true that you do ride faster when you’re having more fun,” Daley admitted. “Hopefully we’ll be back soon to have a little more fun.”
It was a popular win throughout the paddock, but one also extremely popular with the man he beat on Sunday, his best friend Ben Young. The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider held off a late charge from Guerin to claim a crucial second for the championship, but was focused mostly on the emotion with Daley on the podium.
“I’ve probably never been this happy to finish second, to be honest. It’s been a bit of a tough weekend for us, but I can’t be happier for Trev, he’s earned this,” Young said. “As the track started to dry a bit our Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW worked really well, but we just got held up by traffic again which is pretty unfortunate.”
As for Guerin, it was still a confidence-inspiring performance after he captured his own debut victory on Saturday, as he pushed Young and Daley right to the end – including a thrilling late attack aboard his EFC Group BMW.
“I had a good start, and I was comfortable up front. It was pretty easy to lead, to be honest, but then Trevor got by me and Ben was just a bit faster when the track was drying,” Guerin said. “It was a crazy race, but we’re still doing well in the championship.”
The second and third-place finishes for Young and Guerin will see the title gap grow to only eleven, just a single point higher than Young’s advantage was going into the weekend.
Fading backwards in the middle portion of the race was Szoke, who flashed his wet-weather expertise early but quickly lost pace after a couple of moments in the early laps.
The CKM Kawasaki would limit the damage and escape with a solid fourth, however, keeping himself firmly in the title mix entering round three in Edmonton, a track he is the only previous CSBK winner at.
Saturday’s breakout star Steven Nickerson would round out the top five, making a last-lap pass on local friend Chris Pletsch. The DeWildt Honda rider didn’t have quite the same pace as his race leading laps from a day ago, but still managed an impressive performance to cap off the weekend.
As for Pletsch, the Stratford Cycle Centre Honda rider was unable to add another wet podium after doing so in 2023 at Grand Bend, but will be pleased with his performance after a battle with Nickerson and Szoke in the middle portion of the race.
Finishing a career-best seventh was Turcotte Performance Ducati’s Guillaume Fortin, who has struggled with various mechanical issues in his return this season but looked very comfortable in the wet conditions, salvaging much-needed points for Ducati.
Phillip Leckie would take a strong eighth for the SCM/Tanians BMW team, fending off rookie Connor Campbell in ninth, who was hoping for rain aboard his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki but ultimately couldn’t overcome his round one rib injury that has still not fully healed.
Rounding out the top ten despite a last-lap incident was Paul Macdonell, who came together with home favourite David MacKay in the penultimate corner before Macdonell remounted his PMR/Vass Performance BMW.
The two were fighting over seventh position when MacKay attempted a rare pass around the outside, one that collected both riders – though Macdonell had no ill will towards the ODH Snow City Cycle Honda rider in what was described as a racing incident. MacKay would also remount to finish 12th.
Full results from the weekend action can be found on the series’ official website.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca
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- Category: Motorcycle
By: Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship
June 15, 2024
June 15, 2024
Hamilton, Ontario – The 2024 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship will feature an exciting new addition when it returns to action in Edmonton, as former champion Alex Dumas is slated to make his return to the series at RAD Torque Raceway, June 21-23.
Dumas will be joining forces with Economy Lube Ducati to headline a brand-new project beginning in round three, having completed a private test at Shannonville on Friday.
The 22-year-old became the youngest GP Bikes Pro Superbike champion ever when he captured the title in his rookie season in 2021, finishing as the national runner-up in each of the last two seasons to rival Ben Young.
Dumas elected not to participate in the full campaign as he prepared for the 101st Loudon Classic in New Hampshire, where he recently finished 13th, but his absence will not last more than two rounds as he now heads west to Edmonton.
The Quebec City native will now make his return official aboard a Ducati V4 Panigale, joining an Economy Lube stable that was previously headlined by Trevor Dion and has offered title support to riders such as Elliot Vieira, Mavrick Cyr, and Dylan Bauer.
A two-time MotoAmerica champion in the junior categories, Dumas has been historically successful since returning north of the border, winning 12 times and scoring 24 podiums in just 26 career Superbike races, crashing out of the lead in his only two podium absences.
His win rate (46.2%) trails only Jordan Szoke (50.6% with 78 wins in 154 races) for the best all-time in CSBK history, and his most recent victory in the 2023 finale moved him into a tie with Don Munroe for the fifth-most in the Superbike class.
Dumas’ return will play a pivotal role in the championship battle, where three-time champion and rival Young currently leads BMW-mate Sam Guerin by eleven points entering Edmonton, the third of six scheduled rounds.
More information can be found on the series’ official website at CSBK.ca.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca
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- Category: Motorcycle
By: Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship
June 9, 2024
June 9, 2024
Grand Bend, Ontario – It was a long-awaited return to the top step of the podium for Trevor Daley on Sunday, as he won a thrilling Sport Bike race two in the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, presented by Southwest Marine & Powersports.
Daley returned to Grand Bend Motorplex after a round one absence and scored an impressive podium on Saturday, his first action in the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike class in nearly ten years, but he had even more up his sleeve in race two on Sunday.
The OneSpeed Suzuki rider immediately snatched the holeshot from second on the grid and led the field through lap one, threatening to break away as soon as lap two with pole-sitter Sebastien Tremblay busy defending from rookie Mavrick Cyr behind.
However, Daley seemingly gave up his race-winning hopes as he ran off-track in turn two, relinquishing the lead and rejoining outside the top ten. That would kick off an incredible five-rider battle for the lead over the next few laps, but one that only distracted the crowd from a hard-charging Daley behind.
The long-time Superbike frontrunner had joined the leaders once again by the halfway point of the 18-lap race, and wasted no time in carving his way through the pack to reach Tremblay with six laps to go. Daley made another slight mistake in turn one, but again rebounded with remarkable pace to put the pressure back on Tremblay on lap 14.
He would make the race-winning pass in the penultimate turn of that lap, slicing past Tremblay under brakes in the penultimate corner and continuing his strong pace to the end to secure the victory. Tremblay would run deep in turn one chasing Daley, though he recovered to hold onto a crucial second place finish.
While he admitted it was a bit of an adventurous race, it was a much-deserved win for Daley in his return to the paddock, having taken his last pro victory nearly ten years ago at Atlantic Motorsport Park in 2014.
“They don’t call me the Wild Child for nothing,” Daley joked. “I made a few mistakes, but our pace was also really good and I had a ton of confidence, so hats off to Suzuki and my team. It was a long time coming, it feels great.”
It was an incredible comeback after Daley was running outside the top-ten early on, and one that came against perhaps one of the strongest Sport Bike riders ever in Tremblay.
However, it was also a sensible ride for the championship leader, as he escaped with yet another podium to extend his title advantage to a whopping 45 points for the Turcotte Performance Suzuki rider.
“It was a hell of a race. One of my contact lenses actually fell out fairly early, so I was trying to manage that,” Tremblay admitted. “I was a bit lucky to finish second, but we were able to pick up more points for the championship which is always good.”
The result was boosted by another DNF for title rival Elliot Vieira, though one that wasn’t entirely his fault. The GP Bikes Ducati rider was defending from local star Zoltan Frast when the two made contact in turn one and Vieira crashed out, effectively ending his early championship hopes.
Frast avoided any discipline as it was deemed a racing incident, and continued on to hunt down the lead group as he chased his first career national victory. The Clare’s Cycle Kawasaki rider ultimately couldn’t hang with Daley in the final stint, but managed a repeat podium after putting plenty of late pressure on Tremblay for second.
“I’m super excited. I still gave myself some early work to do, but to get my first two national podiums this weekend is something you can never complain about,” Frast said.
The breakthrough weekend actually moves Frast to second in the championship order, while Daley climbs to third and just two points adrift of Frast despite only appearing in one round thus far.
It was an excellent day for the Bauer brothers, as Dylan Bauer claimed fourth after briefly running as high as second, while Jordon Bauer managed a career-best fifth.
Dylan’s potential podium run was ruined by a disastrous lap 12 where he slipped from second to fifth in just three corners, though he was able to salvage an excellent fourth for Economy Lube Ducati.
As for Jordon, the OneStop Goat Shop Yamaha rider gradually managed his way through the field, earning an impressive fifth behind his brother.
Settling for seventh was John Laing, who slides to fourth in the championship and into a tie with Daley (who owns the tiebreaker thanks to his race two victory). The Vass Performance Kawasaki rider will hope to improve upon his tough weekend when the series shifts to his home track in Edmonton for round three.
Absent from the final finishing order was Cyr, who encountered a clutch failure on the penultimate lap. The Rizzin Racing/Economy Lube Triumph rookie seemed on course for at least his first career podium if not a potential victory, but instead failed to see the chequered flag due to the late issue.
Daley’s victory will not only keep Suzuki’s perfect win streak alive but also help extend their lead in the Constructors standings, where they have opened up a 64-point advantage over Kawasaki through four races.
Full results from Sunday’s race can be found on the series’ official website.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca