Szoke wins at Calabogie

From Professional Motorsports Productions

CALABOGIE, ON – Two-time defending Parts Canada Superbike Champion Jordan Szoke won the opening race of the 2008 season at Calabogie Motorsports Park on Sunday.

The Brantford, ON racer rode his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R to a 5.325-second victory over the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 of Granby, QC’s Kevin Lacombe.

In a remarkable performance Maple Ridge, BC’s Steve Crevier finished third in the debut of the Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada / Ruthless Racing Buell 1125R.

“I want to defend my number one plate as best I can,” said the 29-year-old Szoke, who is gunning for his fifth national Superbike title. “This is a new bike and it’s great to start off with a victory.”

Szoke was third after the opening lap but he passed Lacombe for second on lap 2 of the 20-lap race and took the lead from the Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Michael Barnes on lap 12. He stayed in front the rest of the way.

“I’ve got to work on my starts,” said Szoke, who started second on the grid. “I really wanted to get off the line cleanly. But I thought as long as I got off in the top three I could hang in there.”

Barnes claimed the lead off the line but the Boca Raton, FL rider was judged to have jumped the start and was due to be penalized five seconds at the end of the race. However, he pulled into the pits with an engine problem on lap 12. Barnes was subbing for Acceleration Racing’s regular rider Clint McBain, who was sidelined with a separated shoulder.

Lacombe stayed close to Szoke until lap 13, when he lost time after he felt something hit his front fender.

“I thought something had gone through my front fender,” explained Lacombe, who won Saturday’s Pirelli Superpole competition to claim pole position for the race. “I took a corner or two to make sure everything was OK and I lost contact with Jordan.”

Crevier qualified eighth on the Buell and spent most of the race battling with the Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Francis Martin. The pair initially ran seventh and eighth but moved up as a number of the leaders ran into problems.

In addition to Barnes’ retirement Brett McCormick crashed out of fourth place and the Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing Suzukis of Chris Peris and Matt McBride crashed while battling for third on lap 18. None of the fallen riders was seriously hurt.

That put Martin in third and Crevier fourth, but despite a big horsepower disadvantage the twin-cylinder Buell passed the Suzuki on lap 19 and held on to the finish.

“It’s quite amazing,” said Crevier, a six-time Canadian Superbike champion. “We only got the bikes last Friday, and the crew has been slaving for a week solid. We even had to use a DOT rear tire because our rim was too narrow for the slick. It got a little mushy at the end but it felt OK.”

Martin, from Rock Forest, QC was fourth and Calgary’s Jeremy Stepper took fifth aboard the Stepper Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Szoke’s win was his 24th career Canadian Superbike Championship victory, pulling him to within two wins of Crevier for the all-time lead.

Szoke takes a seven-point lead over Lacombe to the second round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Calgary’s Race City Motorsport Park June 27-29. He has 53 points to Lacombe’s 46, with Crevier third on 37.