McCormick makes it two in a row

From Professional Motorsports Productions

SHANNONVILLE, ON – Saskatoon’s Brett McCormick claimed his second straight Inside Motorcycles Pole Position Award during qualifying for the final round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship, presented by Buell American Motorcycles, at Shannonville Motorsport Park on Saturday.

Meanwhile, his teammate Jordan Szoke of Brantford, ON took a major step toward clinching his third straight national title by setting the second best time of the day.

Riding his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R, the 17-year-old McCormick toured the 2.45km (1.53-mile) Shannonville ‘Pro Track’ in one minute, 4.656 seconds during the Pirelli SuperPole qualifying session.

Szoke was second fastest with a time of 1:04.741 on another Kawasaki ZX-10R and Mississauga, ON’s Matt McBride placed third with a 1:04.950 on his Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000.

“It was a pretty good lap,” said McCormick, who claimed his first career pole at the previous round of the series at Atlantic Motorsport Park. “I had a little wheelie coming onto the front straight that probably cost me some time, but I’ve still got to be happy.

"We’ll fine tune things a little bit more for the race tomorrow. If I can get the holeshot at the start of the race I think I have a good shot at the win.”

In addition to the $500 Inside Motorcycles Pole Position Award McCormick earned four Superbike championship points.

Parts Canada Superbike Championship leader Szoke picked up three more points in his bid to wrap up a third straight series crown on Sunday. The only rider who can catch him in the standings, Cochrane, AB’s Clint McBain crashed his Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 on his Pirelli SuperPole lap and failed to add to his total.

Szoke enters Sunday’s race with 290 points to the 245 of McBain, with a race win worth 50 points and a two-point bonus available to the rider who leads the most laps.

“I’m a little disappointed because I had such an awesome lap going,” said Szoke. “Going into the Esses I tried to let it roll a little more and got way off line, and that messed things up all the way down to Allan’s Corner.”

McBain, who was fastest in Saturday morning’s prequalifying session, will start 10th on the grid in Sunday’s race after he went down in the Esses.

“I can only assume I lost the front end,” said McBain, whose bike was written off in the crash. “But I’ve had such great feel with the front end all weekend, and I didn’t feel anything. I braked earlier off the end of the backstraight and I wasn’t trying to go at a break-neck pace. I think it would have been a pretty good lap.”

McBain needs to win Sunday’s race and hope Szoke finishes lower than 16th to take the Superbike title.

“This isn’t going to deter me,” McBain said. “I’ve still got to do the same thing tomorrow and get a good start and get to the front.”

Granby, QC’s Kevin Lacombe completes the front row for Sunday’s race after setting a 1:05.164 on his Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Racing Yamaha YZF-R1.

Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing teammates Chris Peris and Francis Martin will sandwich the Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada / Ruthless Racing Buell 1125R of Steve Crevier on the second row of Sunday’s Superbike grid. Calgary’s Peris turned a time of 1:05.387 on his GSX-R1000 while Crevier, from Maple Ridge, BC, managed a 1:05.509 and Sherbrooke, QC’s Martin clocked a 1:05.719 in SuperPole.

Toronto’s Michael Taylor, making his first appearance of the season on the ProStar Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000, qualified eighth at Shannonville, just ahead of Granby, QC rider Karl Daigle on the Perusse Kawasaki ZX-6R.

Qualifying Times
1. Brett McCormick, Saskatoon, Sask., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:04.656;
2. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:04.741;
3. Matt McBride, Mississauga, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:04.950;
4. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, Que., Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:05.164;
5. Chris Peris, Calgary, Alta., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:05.387;
6. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, B.C., Buell 1125R, 1:05.509;
7. Francis Martin, Sherbrooke, Que., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:05.719;
8. Michael Taylor, Toronto, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:06.758;
9. Karl Daigle, Granby, Que., Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:06.807;
10. Clint McBain, Cochrane, Alta., Suzuki GSX-R1000, No Time;
11. Alex Welsh, Uxbridge, Ont., Triumph 675, 1:06.784;
12. Jeremy Stepper, Calgary, Alta., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:06.905;
13. Franklyn Dominguez, Santo Domingo, D.R., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:07.358;
14. Ross Millson, Hamilton, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:07.415;
15. Dave Young, Woodstock, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:07.683;
16. Matthew Cooper, Guelph, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:07.746;
17. Marie-Josee Boucher, Montreal, Que., Honda CBR1000RR, 1:07.747;
18. Brian Blaauwendraat, Truro, N.S., Honda CBR600RR, 1:08.085;
19. Dave Stokowski, Calgary, Alta., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:08.169;
20. Jean Paquet, Chambly, Que., Honda CBR600RR, 1:08.403;
21. Todd Scott, Bedford, N.S., Honda CBR600RR, 1:08.478;
22. Louie Raffa, St-Marthe, Que., Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:08.572;
23. Jean-Francois Cyr, Mascouche, Que., Honda CBR600RR, 1:08.641;
24. Andrew Dunlap, Truro, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:08.680;
25. Dean Plater, Ottawa, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:09.313;
26. Stephane Chabot, Oshawa, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:09.388;
27. Dan Henri, Ottawa, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:09.802;
28. Marco Alessandrini, Bradford, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:10.074;
29. Terry Steeves, Dartmouth, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:10.075;
30. Zenon Nelson, Bowmanville, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:11.172;
31. Junior Dallaire, Drummondville, Que., Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:13.088