McCormick opens new season on top

From Professional Motorsports Productions

JENNINGS, FL – Brett McCormick fired the first shot of the 2009 Parts Canada Superbike Championship season by recording the fastest time on the opening morning of the two-day official Pirelli test at JenningsGP in Jennings, Fla. on Tuesday.

The 17-year-old from Saskatoon set a time of one minute, 15.639 seconds around the 3.219km (2.0-mile) road course on his Team Suzuki /Blackfoot / Picotte Motorsport Suzuki GSX-R600. That was over a second quicker than his former team-mate Jordan Szoke, who turned a 1:16.660 on his new Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-6R.

“I have no complaints,” said McCormick, who won the final round of last year’s Parts Canada Superbike Championship. “This is my first time on the 600 and it’s an awesome bike, easy to adapt to. I’m a second faster than I’ve gone here before. We’re just fine tuning the bike, making it more consistent.”

Most of the riders chose to focus on their Yoshimura Pro Sport Bike class machines in the three-hour morning session.

Szoke, from Brantford, ON, is the two-time defending champion in the class and also the Parts Canada Superbike champ the past two seasons.

Granby, QC’s Kevin Lacombe was third fastest on his Yamaha Canada / OTSFF Yamaha YZF-R6 with a time of 1:16.963.

Next up were a pair of young guns. Szoke’s new team-mate, Alex Welsh of Uxbridge, ON turned the fourth fastest time of 1:18.516 on his Kawasaki ZX-6R in his debut with the Canadian Kawasaki Motors factory team. Becker, MN rider Tony Kasper was fifth with a 1:18.784 aboard the second Yamaha Canada / OTSFF YZF-R6.

Next up was Francis Martin of Sherbrooke, QC, who turned a 1:20.444 on the BMW Motorrad Canada BMW HP2. The bike is making its debut in the Sport Bike ranks.

Seventh fastest was defending Armour Bodies Amateur Sport Bike champ Jodi Christie with a 1:23.469 on his first outing with the Honda Powerhouse Dealers of Ontario / ProStar Motorsports Honda CBR600RR.

Rounding out the Pro Sport Bike runners was Elie Daccache of Ottawa, who turned a 1:26.632 on his Kawasaki ZX-6R.

Erick Beausejour of Val d’Or, QC ran a Suzuki GSX-R1000 he recently purchased from Picotte Motorsports and turned a fastest lap of 1:19.729.

Amateur Sport Bike competitor Brett Birnie of Ottawa recorded a best of 1:26.045 on his Yamaha YZF-R6.

Action at JenningsGP will continue with another test session Tuesday afternoon and a full day of track activity on Wednesday.