Szoke wins 600 opener

From Professional Motorsports Productions

CALABOGIE, ON -- Defending class champion Jordan Szoke won the 14-lap Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike feature at Calabogie Motorsports Park Sunday on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-6R.

The Brantford, ON rider took the lead from Chris Peris on lap 9 and held off his teammate Brett McCormick by less than a second at the line.

“I had a terrible start, and this is a very tough track to pass on,” said Szoke. “But my bike felt pretty good today. We’ve worked hard on it. Chris went a little wide in turn 1 and I was able to get a run on him and get past.”

McCormick took over second when Peris crashed his Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 just two laps from the finish. The Calgary rider was unhurt.

Peris’s teammate Matt McBride completed the top three finishers on another Suzuki, just edging the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 of Kevin Lacombe.

Valter Bartolini of Bologna, Italy led all the way from pole position to win the Canadian Thunder feature on his NCR-Ducati 848. His teammate Andrew Nelson of Kars, ON finished second, 4.435 secs. behind and Dave Estok of New Smyrna Beach, FL placed third riding his Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada / Ruthless Racing Buell 1125R.

In the Canadian Sport Twins class, Ottawa’s Jim Proulx took the win on his Buell XB12R. His winning margin of just over seven seconds on the Kawasaki 650R of Mississauga, ON’s Laurent Feuiltault earned Proulx the Tirox Winning Big Award for having the largest margin of victory in any of the national classes.

Montreal’s Martin Grande edged Jodi Christie of Keene, Ont. for the win in the Armour Bodies Amateur 600 Sport Bike race. The Suzuki GSX-R600 rider finished just 0.088 secs. ahead of Christie’s Yamaha YZF-R6 in the six-lap event.

Christie came back from a nasty fall in the first part of the race, which was later restarted, earning him the Performance Under Gear Performer of the Race Award.

Patrick Marques of Calgary finished third riding a Suzuki GSX-R600.

John Jarvie of Burlington, ON won the Suzuki SV650 National Cup season opener. Jarvie led all 10 laps and finished 4.657 secs. ahead of Laval, QC’s Simon Blue. Rob Busby of Brantford, ON was third, just ahead of Cochrane, AB’s Cody Matechuk.

In Sunday’s opening race Raphael Archambault of St-Colonban, QC won the inaugural race for the Honda CBR125R Challenge, edging Parry Sound, ON’s Aubrey Bailey to the line by just 0.120 secs. Jordan Cardozo of Newmarket, ON was third and Jeremie Hade Precourt from Granby, QC placed fourth. The top four were all covered by less than a second.

The MBP/Brembo Performance Awards went to Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Racing in the Parts Canada Superbike class, NCR Ducati in the Canadian Thunder division and Ruthless Racing in Canadian Sport Twins.