Szoke scores 25th Superbike win

From Professional Motorsports Productions

BOWMANVILLE, ON – Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke scored his 25th career national Superbike win in the third round of the Parts Canada Superbike at Mosport International Raceway on Saturday.

The two-time defending series champion came out on top of a wild five-rider battle for the win on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R, holding off the Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Clint McBain by just 0.058 secs.

Francis Martin placed third on his Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Kevin Lacombe was fourth riding the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Racing Yamaha YZF-R1. The top four were covered by less than a second.

“I love winning here,” said Szoke after claiming his fifth Canadian Superbike win at Mosport. “This track has so much history, and it’s cool to win at a track where a lot of the greats have competed.”

With the victory Szoke also improved his bid for a third straight Parts Canada Superbike title and fifth career championship. He now has a 23-point lead over Lacombe, 154-121 heading into Sunday’s back end of this weekend’s doubleheader.

Szoke, McBain, Martin, Lacombe and Martin’s Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing teammate Chris Peris traded positions from the start of the 20-lap race, with all but Martin taking a turn in the lead. Szoke moved to the front on lap 16 and managed to hold off the rest of the group over the final laps.

“On the last lap I tried to get a really good drive coming onto the back straight and the rear spun up on me, and I was just waiting for someone to come flying by,” Szoke explained. “We’ve been chasing the front end a little this weekend, trying to get the bike consistent, but it was a lot better today.”

McBain was unable to take advantage of Szoke’s trouble getting on to the backstraight as he also got a poor drive off the corner.

“Both of us slipped coming out of Moss Corner,” said the Cochrane, AB rider, who won the previous round of the series in Calgary and is third in points with 98. “He gapped me a hair and that was it for me. I caught him a little bit but it wasn’t enough.”

Third place was Martin’s best finish of the season and the Sherbrooke, QC rider is fourth in the point standings, just two behind McBain.

Peris fell in turn five on the final lap but recovered to cross the line sixth. That became fifth when the third Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Mississauga, ON’s Matt McBride was unable to complete its mandatory post-race dyno run and was disqualified from fifth place.

Chris Murray-Audain of Scarborough, ON ran a lonely race to sixth on his One Stop Dealer Services Kawasaki ZX-10R.

The Fundy Power Sports Kawasaki ZX-10R of Truro, NS’s Andrew Dunlap held off Maple Ridge, BC’s Steve Crevier on the Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada / Ruthless Racing Buell 1125R for seventh place, with Hamilton, ON’s Ross Millson close behind in ninth on the RMP Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Csaba Werner of North York, ON rounded out the top 10 aboard the Werner Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Race Results
1. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 20;
2. Clint McBain, Cochrane, Alta., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20;
3. Francis Martin, Sherbrooke, Que., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20;
4. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, Que., Yamaha YZF-R1, 20;
5. Chris Peris, Calgary, Alta., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20;
6. Chris Murray-Audain, Scarborough, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 20;
7. Andrew Dunlap, Truro, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 20;
8. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, B.C., Buell 1125R, 20;
9. Ross Millson, Hamilton, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20;
10. Csaba Werner, North York, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20;
11. Franklyn Dominguez, Santo Domingo, D.R., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 20;
12. Jeremy Stepper, Calgary, Alta., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20;
13. Marie-Josee Boucher, Montreal, Que., Honda CBR1000RR, 20;
14. Dave Young, Woodstock, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 19;
15. Terry Steeves, Dartmouth, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 19;
16. Zenon Nelson, Bowmanville, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R600, 19;
17. Sean Heydorn, Stouffville, Ont., Honda CBR600RR, 19;
Did Not Finish
Martin Ricard, Montreal, Que, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 17;
Dean Plater, Ottawa, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 4;
Matthew Cooper, Guelph, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 0;
Disqualified (Unable to compete technical inspection)
Matthew McBride, Mississauga, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20;
Did Not Start
Brett McCormick, Saskatoon, Sask., Kawasaki ZX-10R;
Karl Daigle, Granby, Que., Kawasaki ZX-6R;
Stephan Chabot, Oshawa, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R6;
Dan Henri, Ottawa, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R6;
Elie Daccache, Ottawa, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-6R;
Louie Raffa, St-Marthe, Que., Yamaha YZF-R6
Margin of Victory: 0.058 secs.
Fastest Lap: 1:21.691 by Szoke on lap 2

Point Standings
1. Jordan Szoke, 154;
2. Kevin Lacombe, 121;
3. Clint McBain, 98;
4. Francis Martin, 96;
5. Jeremy Stepper, 67;
6. Chris Peris, 61;
7. Steve Crevier, 60;
8. Andrew Dunlap, 57;
9. Ross Millson, 56;
10. Franklyn Dominguez, 54;
11. Chris Murray-Audain, 48;
12. Csaba Werner, 42;
13. Marie-Josee Boucher, 33;
14 tie. Brett McCormick, 31;
John-Ross MacRae, 31;
16. Matthew McBride, 27;
17. Dave Stokowski, 21;
18. Zenon Nelson, 20;
19. Peter Holzinger, 19;
20. Terry Steeves, 18;
21. Karl Daigle, 17;
22. Matt Cooper, 15;
23. Brian Blaauwendraat, 13;
24. Dave Young, 12;
25. Dan Henri, 8;
26 tie. Brad Gavey, 6;
Sean Heydorn, 6;
28 tie. Andrew Carruthers, 4;
Steve Bourdeau, 4;
30 tie. Michael Barnes, 2;
Mark MacDonald, 2;
32 tie. Richard Maurice, 1
Cory Canfield, 1