McCormick on SportBike pole

By John Hopkins

MIRABEL, QC – Brett McCormick qualified on pole position for Sunday’s Yoshimura Pro Sport Bike feature at Circuit ICAR with a time of 1:24.794 on his Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing / Suzuki GSX-R600.

“I’m feeling super comfortable and not pushing to do those times,” McCormick said. “We might try some tweaks for tomorrow but nothing major.”

Three-time defending class champion Jordan Szoke was second fastest at 1:25.450 riding his Canadian Kawasaki Motors / Kawasaki ZX-6R.

"I'm not happy to be second but I believe the pace I'm doing is very comfortable," said the winner of the season opener at Calabogie Motorsports Park. "I've done a ton of laps and we're getting more than a race distance out of a set of tires. I just can't seem to get one fast lap in.

Andrew Nelson used a couple of quick laps near the end of the session to snatch third with a 1:25.960 on his Nelson Racing / Yamaha YZF-R6, this despite a broken shock.

"We couldn't make one suspension change but it was 95 per cent close to where I wanted it," said the Kars, ON racer. "I didn't feel like I was overworking the bike but we may need to change the gearing a bit for tomorrow."

Kevin Lacombe completes the front row of the grid on his Team Toyota Yamaha / OTSFF / Yamaha YZF-R6 and Alex Welsh was fifth fastest on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors / Kawasaki ZX-6R despite a crash near the end of the session.

Joining Welsh on the second row of the Pro Sport Bike grid will be remarkable 14-year-old rookie Royce McLean of Coaldale, Alta. on his Team Toyota Yamaha / OTSFF Yamaha YZF-R6 and Steve Crevier's Deeley Racing Powered By Buell / Buell 1125R.

Karl Daigle (A. Perusse Kawasaki / Kawasaki ZX-6R), Jean-Francois Cyr (CyrRacing / Honda CBR600RR) and Michael Ferreira (BMW Motorrad Canada / BMW HP2) round out the top 10 qualifiers. Ferreira turned his quick lap right at the start of the session before a crash in turn one brought out the red flag and ended his session early.

There was also a red flag interruption when Martin Grande also crashed his Suzuki Sport Collette / Suzuki GSX-R600 in turn one. Like Ferreira the Montrealer was unhurt.

In other action at Circuit ICAR, Cody Matechuk of Cochrane, AB will try for his second straight Armour Bodies Amateur Sport Bike win from pole after qualifying fastest on his Suzuki Dealers / Acceleration Racing / Suzuki GSX-R600 with a time of 1:29.562.

Sebastien Tremblay of Longueuil, QC was second fastest at 1:30.375 on the A. Perusse Kawasaki / Kawasaki ZX-6R and Belleville, ON racer Efram Ellenbogen will start third on Sunday after turning a 1:30.390 on his BnE Racing / Yamaha YZF-R6.

Points leader Rob Busby of Brantford, ON led qualifying for the Suzuki SV650 National Cup with a time of 1:32.335. Philippe Masse of St- Dominique, QC was second at 1:32.803 and Ottawa’s Dan Henri set the third fastest time of 1:34.293.

Karl Robitaille of Ste-Julie, QC was fastest in qualifying for the Honda CBR125R Challenge with a time of 1:46.504. Bodhi Edie or Warman, SK was second at 1:46.764 and opening round winner Steven Nickerson of Hamilton, ON placed third with a time of 1:47.015.

Laval, QC's Natalie-Catherine Provost will start from pole position in Sunday’s Pro Honda Oils Women’s Cup feature on her Honda CBR600RR after the bike of fastest qualifier Marie-Josee Boucher exceeded the class horsepower limit in post-race tech.

Yoshimura Pro SportBike Qualifying Results
1. Brett McCormick (Saskatoon, SK) 1:24.794, Suzuki GSX-R600
2. Jordan Szoke (Brantford, ON) 1:25.450, Kawasaki ZX-6R
3. Andrew Nelson (Kars, ON) 1:25.960, Yamaha YZF-R6
4. Kevin Lacombe (Granby, QC) 1:26.198, Yamaha YZF-R6
5. Alex Welsh (Uxbridge, ON) 1:26.371, Kawasaki ZX-6R
6. Royce McLean (Coaldale, AB) 1:27.706, Yamaha YZF-R6
7. Steve Crevier (Maple Ridge, BC) 1:27.730, Buell 1125R
8. Karl Daigle (Roxton Pond, QC) 1:27.878, Kawasaki ZX-6R
9. J.F. Cyr (Ste-Adele, QC) 1:28.046, Honda CBR600RR
10. Michael Ferreira (Mississauga, ON) 1:28.284, BMW HP2
11. Dave Estok (New Smyrna Beach, FL) 1:28.293, Buell 1125R
12. Martin Grande (Montreal, QC) 1:28.316, Suzuki GSX-R600
13. Tony Kasper (Becker, MN) 1:28.469, Yamaha YZF-R6
14. Darren James (North Vancouver, BC) 1:29.195, Buell 1125R
15. Francis Martin (Sherbrooke, QC) 1:29.383, BMW HP2
16. Jodi Christie (Keene, ON) 1:29.577, Honda CBR600RR
17. Marie-Josee Boucher (Montreal, QC) 1:30.317, Honda CBR600RR
18. Louie Raffa (Ste-Marthe, QC) 1:30.593, Yamaha YZF-R6
19. Todd Scott (Bedford, NS) 1:31.589, Honda CBR600RR
20. Jean Paquet (Chambly, QC) 1:32.013, Honda CBR600RR
21. Rob Busby (Brantford, ON) 1:32.036, Kawasaki ZX-6R
22. Elie Daccache (Ottawa, ON) 1:32.235, Kawasaki ZX-6R
23. Alain Campagna (Mascouche, QC) 1:33.005, Yamaha YZF-R6
24. Genevieve Lesieur (Quebec, QC) 1:33.491, Suzuki GSX-R600
25. John Savoy (Ottawa, ON) No Time, Triumph 675