McBain breaks through

From Professional Motorsports Productions

CALGARY, AB -- Calgary racer Clint McBain scored his first ever national Superbike win at Race City Motorsport Park Saturday, dominating the second round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship.

The 32-year-old series veteran started from pole on his Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 and led all 18 laps around the 3.2km (2.0-mile) circuit. He finished 4.025 secs. ahead of the Snobgirls /Laval Moto Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Rock Forest, QC’s Francis Martin. Martin just edged Maple Ridge, BC rider Steve Crevier on his Diablo Performance Honda CBR1000RR after the two battled throughout the second half of the race.

“This has been a long time coming and it feels unbelievable,” said McBain, who also became the first Calgary rider to win the Superbike national at Race City. “I’ve been close the past few years; we’ve had some seconds, some thirds. It’s great to do it in front of the hometown fans.”

The race was the first half of a doubleheader weekend for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship competitors at Race City. The second 18-lapper goes Sunday afternoon.

With his win McBain moved from fourth to second in the Parts Canada Superbike point standings. Opening round winner Martin maintains his lead with 97 points while McBain now has 87.

McBain burst into the lead off the line and had an advantage of almost a second over Crevier by the end of the first lap. He stretched that lead to just over four seconds by half distance and at one point had opened the margin to almost seven seconds.

“I tried slowing down a bit but I made a lot of mistakes so I thought I should turn it back up,” McBain said. “It took me a couple of laps to get my rhythm back.”

Crevier ran second through the early laps while Martin charged his way up from fifth after the opening lap. He passed Kevin Lacombe for third on lap 6 and soon after put the pressure on Crevier. The two traded the runner-up spot before Martin took the position for good two laps from the finish.

“We found a good set-up for the race just before the start,” said Martin, a winner at Race City in 1999. “I wasn’t even sure if it would work.”

Jordan Szoke of Brantford, ON placed fourth on his Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR after running down in eighth spot after the opening lap.

Granby, QC rider Lacombe was fifth on the second Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R10000.

In other action at Race City, Crevier took his second straight win in the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike feature. Riding a Honda CBR600RR, Crevier just edged Calgary’s Chris Peris on the Topline Yamaha YZF-R6. McBain finished a close third on his Suzuki GSX-R600.

Fifteen-year-old Karl Daigle led all the way to score his first career win in the Suzuki SV650 National Cup feature.

Both the Pro 600 Sport Bike and SV650 Cup will run feature races on Sunday as well.

Qualifying for the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike class was rained out on Saturday. Practice times will be used to establish a grid for Sunday’s race, giving the pole to Warkworth, ON’s Mark Douglas, riding a Yamaha YZF-R6.