Szoke returns to Kawasaki for 2011

By John Hopkins

Seven-time and defending Canadian Superbike champion Jordan Szoke will be racing Kawasakis again in 2011.

The Competition Systems race team, in conjunction with Canadian Kawasaki Motors, issued a press release Tuesday night confirming that the 31-year-old Brantford, ON racer would ride the new Kawasaki ZX-10R in this summer's Parts Canada Superbike Championship.

“Jordan and I both have a strong passion for racing," said team owner and crew chief Mike Crompton in the release. "This is what drives us to win. The realities of the recession that hit the power sports industry in 2009 made it difficult to build the race team that we enjoyed in previous years. However, the close relationships formed within our team during the winning of eight consecutive championships have allowed us to reunite for a new challenge in 2011.

"Kawasaki’s strong commitment to racing has allowed Jordan and our team to reunite and battle for more championship wins.”

Szoke scored his first Canadian national Superbike title with Kawasaki in 1998 and picked up four consecutive Parts Canada Superbike and national Pro Sport Bike crowns on Ninjas between 2006 and 2009.

Szoke and Kawasaki split following the 2009 season and last year he put together a private Honda team, earning his fifth straight Superbike and Pro Sport Bike titles and sweeping all seven Superbike races aboard a CBR1000RR prepared by Scott Miller and Fast Company.

Competition Systems took over control of the Canadian Kawasaki Motors effort in 2010 and ran Alex Welsh, who won a Pro Sport Bike race at Atlantic Motorsport Park on the team's ZX-6R. The Uxbridge, ON racer's status for 2011 is unclear.

The Competition Systems release indicated sponsorship details for the 2011 team would be announced shortly.