By John Hopkins
CALGARY, AB – Saskatoon’s Brett McCormick passed Jordan Szoke two turns from the finish to win Sunday’s third round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship, presented by Turple Bros. Ltd. and Suzuki, at Calgary’s Race City Motorsport Park.
The rider of the Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing Suzuki GSX- R1000 nipped inside Szoke’s Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R and then held him off in the run to the finish line to claim his second straight win by just 0.080 secs.
The Brantford, ON racer started from pole position and led the first 21 laps of the 22-lap race around the 3.2km (2.0-mile) track with McCormick never more than a second or two behind.
“It was a pretty long race and I just wanted to study him and not show him anything,” said McCormick, who extended his lead in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship to 11 points over Szoke, 157-146. “On the last lap he left the door open and I had some room so I took a chance.”
Szoke's bike slid wide as he led McCormick through the Keyhole section of the track, which leads racers back onto the front straight, for the last time. McCormick saw an opening and snuck inside the Kawasaki, getting alongside before Szoke came back down in an apparent bid to shut the door on the Suzuki, the two bikes making contact. Szoke felt McCormick had ridden into the side of his motorcycle.
“I’m a little annoyed right now,” said the three-time defending Parts Canada Superbike Champion. “The bike was perfect. I’m mad at myself for leaving the door open. I know rubbing is racing but I consider that a little much. My bodywork's broken and my leathers are scuffed.”
Series officials reviewed video of the altercation and declared it a "racing incident" with no disciplinary action required.
On a few occasions during the race Szoke looked set to break away from McCormick, but said he lost ground while lapping backmarkers.
"I know that's racing but a couple of guys really slowed me up," he said. "I'm a little disappointed about that."
McCormick admitted he got some good breaks in traffic, athough he said he had an anxious moment when he turned in too early at the Bus Stop Chicane, hit the kerbing and almost crashed.
Kevin Lacombe finished third on the Team Toyota Yamaha / OTSFF Yamaha YZF-R1 after a race-long battle with fellow Yamaha rider Andrew Nelson. The Granby, QC racer was third at the end of the opening lap but accidentally hit his kill switch at the start of the second and dropped back to fourth behind Alex Welsh.
Lacombe got back ahead of Welsh’s Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R on lap four only to come under pressure from Nelson, who grabbed third place on lap 14. But Nelson got a pair of false neutrals at the start of lap 17 and Lacombe got back ahead, holding off Nelson’s Nelson Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 by just 0.602 secs.
“It was a really intense race,” Lacombe said. “I was getting really exhausted at the end but I put my head down and pulled it out.”
Despite having to settle for fourth place in the race Nelson maintained third in the Parts Canada Superbike standings with 96 points.
“I had the pace and the bike to finish third,” said the Kars, ON rider, who worked his way up from sixth on the opening lap. “I guess it was not meant to be, unfortunately. It’s a lot of work for fourth place.”
Local ace Clint McBain of Cochrane, Alta., who won this race last year, battled serious front suspension problems to finish fifth on his Suzuki Dealers / Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000.
"On the warm-up lap it felt like we had no damping at all," he said. "I stopped at the pit wall and [crew chief] Patrice [Goyette] put some compression in it, but it made no difference. I'm not too sure what was wrong. It was really bad through the bumps in turn eight and into turn one. It was pushing the front like crazy."
Maple Ridge, B.C.’s Steve Crevier placed sixth on the Deeley Racing Powered By Buell / Buell 1125R, passing Uxbridge, Ont.’s Welsh five laps from the finish. All three Buell team riders -- Crevier, Darren James and Dave Estok -- were afficted with some form of stomach ailment early in the weekend, although Crevier said he fet fine on Sunday.
Welsh admitted to struggling with his Kawasaki as the tires went away.
"The bike was handling well the first seven or eight laps but I have to learn to slide the bike more later in the race," the 2008 HJC Pro Rookie of the Year admitted.
Despite incurring a five-second jump start penalty Banff, Alta.’s Peter Holzinger took eighth place behind Welsh on his Zinger Racing / Toloco Fibreworks Suzuki GSX-R1000 and 14-year-old Royce McLean of Coaldale, Alta. was the top rookie finisher in ninth on his Team Toyota Yamaha / OTSFF Yamaha YZF-R6.
Calgary’s Dave Stokowski completed the top 10 aboard the Blackfoot / Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R after holding off McLean for the first half of the race and another Calgary rider, Michael Zottmann was 11th on the Mountain Toys Racing / Majik X Suzuki GSX-R1000 after suffering a late race fall while running eighth.
Race Results
1. Brett McCormick, Saskatoon, Sask., 22, Suzuki GSX-R1000
2. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., 22, Kawasaki ZX-10R
3. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, QC, 22, Yamaha YZF-R1
4. Andrew Nelson, Kars, Ont., 22, Yamaha YZF-R1
5. Clint McBain, Cochrane, Alta., 22, Suzuki GSX-R1000
6. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, B.C., 22, Buell 1125R
7. Alex Welsh, Uxbridge, Ont., 22, Kawasaki ZX-10R
8. Peter Holzinger, Banff, Alta., 22, Suzuki GSX-R1000 (Jump Start Penalty)
9. Royce McLean, Coaldale, Alta., 22, Yamaha YZF-R6
10. Dave Stokowski, Calgary, Alta., 22, Kawasaki ZX-10R
11. Mike Zottmann, Calgary, Alta., 22, Suzuki GSX-R1000
12. Jodi Christie, Keene, Ont., 21, Honda CBR600RR
13. Mitch Rathje, Calgary, Alta., 21, Suzuki GSX-R1000
14. Sean Huffman, Kemptville, Ont., 21, Suzuki GSX-R1000
15. Ross Millson, Hamilton, Ont., 21, Suzuki GSX-R1000
16. Brad Gavey, Calgary, Alta., 21, Honda CBR1000RR
17. Marie-Josee Boucher, Montreal, Que., 21, Honda CBR1000RR
Did Not Start
Dave Estok, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Buell 1125R
Darren James, North Vancouver, B.C., Buell 1125R
Jesse Sherstan, Stony Plain, Alta., Yamaha YZF-R6
Tony Kasper, Becker, Minn., Yamaha YZF-R6
Time of Race: 28:58.033
Margin of Victory: 0.080 secs.
Fastest Lap: 1:16.120 by Jordan Szoke on lap 6
Point Standings
1. Brett McCormick, 157
2. Jordan Szoke, 146
3. Andrew Nelson, 96
4. Clint McBain, 90
5. Steve Crevier, 84
6. Alex Welsh, 79
7. Kevin Lacombe, 79
8. Royce McLean, 63
9. Karl Daigle, 44
10. Jodi Christie, 41
11. Dave Stokowski, 39
12. Frank Trombino, 29
13. Erick Beausejour, 27
14. Marie-Josee Boucher, 26
15. Ross Millson, 25
16. Peter Holzinger, 23
17. Sean Huffman, 22
18. Jean-Francois Cyr, 21
19. Matt McBride, 19
20. Martin Grande, 17
21. Mike Zottmann, 17
22. Mitch Rathje, 13
23. Martin Ricard, 10
24. Elie Daccache, 8
25. Brad Gavey, 8
26. Chris Murray-Audain, 6
27. Alain Campagna, 6
28. Terry Steeves, 4
29. Dean Plater, 2
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