McBain completes sweep

From Professional Motorsports Productions

CALGARY, AB - Calgary’s Clint McBain completed a perfect weekend at Race City Motorsport Park Sunday, winning the second half of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship doubleheader.

In a near repeat of his victory in Saturday’s opening race, the 32-year-old series veteran put his Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 into the lead just off the start and proceeded to dominate the 18-lap race around the 3.2km (2.0-mile) Race City road course.

Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke finished second on his Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR, 3.024 secs. behind McBain. Francis Martin placed third on the Snobgirls / Laval Moto Suzuki GSX-R1000 after a fierce battle with Szoke.

“Today was a big relief,” said McBain, who hadn’t won a national Superbike feature before this weekend. “It was time I got to the front. I proved I could do it, and I did it in style.”

The win gave McBain the lead in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship after three of eight races. He now has 139 points to the 134 of Martin. The series resumes with another doubleheader at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, ON July 16-17.

Although McBain was a little slow off the line he had the lead by the time the field hit turn 1 and by the end of the opening lap he was almost a second clear of the pack. Behind McBain a fierce three-way battle was waged for second between Szoke, Martin and the second Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Kevin Lacombe. Through the second half of the race Martin and Szoke constantly traded the runner-up position, with Martin often drafting past on the front straight only to be outbraked by Szoke into turn 1.

“The bike was fantastic but I’ve got to get a better start,” said Szoke, who completed the opening lap in sixth. “I knew Francis would battle with me and he gave me a hard time.”

Lacombe finished a close fourth while fellow Granby, QC rider Pascal Picotte, the defending Parts Canada Superbike champion completed the top five on the Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1.

Steve Crevier of Maple Ridge, BC started on the front row and ran as high as second on the Diablo Performance Honda CBR1000RR but had to pit on lap 5. He rejoined in 16th and charged his way back to seventh at the finish.

In other action at Race City, Crevier made it three wins in a row in the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike class as he edged McBain for the victory. Riding the Diablo Performance Honda CBR600RR, Crevier finished just 0.166 secs. ahead of McBain’s Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R600 after the pair traded the lead repeatedly over the second half of the race.

Vancouver rider Olivier Spilborghs won the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike race for the second straight year on his Yamaha YZF-R6.

For the second day in a row 15-year-old Karl Daigle of Roxton Pond, QC won the Suzuki SV650 National Cup feature.