Superb Szoke wins Superbike stunner

By John Hopkins

BOWMANVILLE, ON – Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke came out on top of a thrilling scrap to win the fifth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Mosport International Raceway on Sunday.

The win completed a sweep of the weekend doubleheader at Mosport and put the three-time defending series champion in a commanding lead of the Superbike point standings with two races remaining in the season.

Riding his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R, Szoke finished just 0.274 secs. in front of his closest championship rival, Saskatoon’s Brett McCormick on the Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing Suzuki GSX- R1000. Granby, QC racer Kevin Lacombe finished third on the Team Toyota Yamaha / OTSFF Yamaha YZF-R1 just 0.336 secs. behind Szoke.

These three traded the lead repeatedly throughout the 20-lap race around Mosport’s 3.9km (2.459-mile) track.

“What a great race, anybody could have won that one,” said Szoke after his 29th career Canadian Superbike win and his sixth at Mosport. “Fortunately I pulled it off today. I got a good break through lapped traffic near the end and was able to hold on.”

The win gives Szoke 251 points in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship standings to the 226 of McCormick heading into the penultimate round at Nova Scotia’s Atlantic Motorsport Park Aug. 7-9. A race win is worth 50 points.

Starting from pole position, the 17-year-old McCormick led the opening four laps before Szoke took over for the first time on lap five. McCormick was in front again from laps 9-12, Szoke led laps 12 and 13 and then Lacombe led two laps before Szoke finally got ahead for good on lap 17.

“When I got out front I tried to slow Brett down a little and keep the pack as tight as possible,” said Szoke, who led the most laps with 10. “I thought maybe I could get a couple of guys between us at the end and help my points situation.”

Lacombe held second until the last turn on the final lap, when McCormick was able to sneak inside.

“That was a lot of fun,” said McCormick, who came into the Mosport weekend leading the Parts Canada Superbike standings and set a new track record in qualifying on Friday. “My goal was to get out front and check out but the other guys thought otherwise. I just didn’t have quite enough today.”

McCormick was coming off an eighth place finish in Saturday’s Superbike feature, where he was penalized five seconds for a jump start and then lost five positions when his bike failed post race technical inspection.

Lacombe had planned to make a move for the win but admitted to missing the last lap signal in the flurry of action late in the race.

“I knew I had to get the holeshot at the start and ride on the edge,” said Lacombe, who dropped out of Saturday’s race on the opening lap with a blown engine. “I was getting a bad drive onto the back straight every lap but my bike was fast, especially on the infield.”

Clint McBain finished fourth on the Suzuki Dealers / Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000. The Cochrane, AB rider spent the entire race glued to the back of the lead fight but found he wasn't getting a very good drive onto the backstraight. He was still able to keep in touch with the top trio and was hoping to make a move on the final lap, but lost a chance to go for the win when he was stuck behind lapped traffic on the final tour.

McBain is now third in the Parts Canada Superbike point standings with 164.

Szoke’s Canadian Kawasaki Motors team-mate Alex Welsh of Uxbridge, ON took fifth on another ZX-10R and moved up to fourth in points with 145. The 21-year-old spent the first half of the race bringing up the rear of the fight for the top spot but lost some ground in lapped traffic and was unable to climb back into contention.

The top five finishers all turned fastest laps within 0.165 secs. of each other, with Szoke's 1:21.435 on lap three the fastest of the race.

Matt McBride of Mississauga, Ont. ran a lonely race to sixth on the Riders Choice Suzuki GSX-R1000. He was bothered from half distance on by an overheating shock that compromised his bike's handling.

Kars, Ont.’s Andrew Nelson came out on top of a three-way battle for seventh on his Nelson Racing Yamaha YZF-R1. Still sore from a big crash on Friday, Nelson spent all of Sunday's race scrapping with Steve Crevier on the Deeley Racing Powered By Buell / Buell 1125R and impressive rookie Scott Rupert on the Thermocomfort Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Nelson finally got the spot for good on lap 15 while Rupert, from Gads Hill, ON, swept by Crevier on the back straight two laps from the end to secure his second top 10 finish in an excellent debut weekend.

Frank Trombino and Erick Beausejour crossed the line next, but Trombino was penalized five positions for passing under a yellow flag and Beausejour was docked five seconds for a jump start. That gave Michael Taylor his second top 10 finish in his return to action on the Parkway Powerhouse Honda / ProStar Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR.

Race Results
1. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 20 laps
2. Brett McCormick, Saskatoon, Sask., Suzuki GSX-R1000, +0.274
3. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, Que., Yamaha YZF-R1, +0.336
4. Clint McBain, Cochrane, Alta., Suzuki GSX-R1000, +3.021
5. Alex Welsh, Uxbridge, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, +17.205
6. Matt McBride, Mississauga, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, +34.445
7. Andrew Nelson, Kars, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, +36.486
8. Scott Rupert, Gads Hill, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, +37.761
9. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, B.C., Buell 1125R, +37.876
10. Michael Taylor, Toronto, Ont., Honda CBR1000RR, +43.613
11. Karl Daigle, Roxton Pond, Que., Kawasaki ZX-6R, +46.699
12. Erick Beausejour, Val D'Or, Que., Suzuki GSX-R1000, +48.374*
13. Chris Murray Audain, Toronto, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, +51.506*
14. Jodi Christie, Keene, Ont., Honda CBR600RR, +54.279
15. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R750, +41.339**
16. Royce McLean, Coaldale, Alta., Yamaha YZF-R6, +54.624
17. Ross Millson, Hamilton, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, +56.853
18. Marie-Josee Boucher, Montreal, Que., Honda CBR1000RR, +1:13.816
19. Larry Orde, Peterborough, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 19 laps
20. Terry Steeves, Halifax, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 19
21. Franklyn Dominguez, Montreal, Que., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 19
22. Sean Huffman, Kemptville, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 19
23. Alain Campagna, Mascouche, Que., Yamaha YZF-R6, 19
24. Sean Heydorn, Stouffville, Ont., Honda CBR600RR, 19
25. Dave Stokowski, Calgary, Alta., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 19
26. Pat Barnes, Scarborough, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 19
Did Not Finish
Andrew Dunlap, Truro, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 12
Louie Raffa, St. Marthe, Que., Yamaha YZF-R6, 1
Fastest Lap: 1:21.435 by Jordan Szoke on lap 3
* -- Penalized five seconds for jump start
** -- Penalized five positions for passing under yellow flag

Point Standings after five of seven rounds
1. Jordan Szoke 251
2. Brett McCormick 226
3. Clint McBain 167
4. Alex Welsh 145
5. Andrew Nelson 142
6. Steve Crevier 134
7. Kevin Lacombe 118
8. Royce McLean 79
9. Karl Daigle 78
10. Matt McBride 78
11. Jodi Christie 72
12. Erick Beausejour 57
13. Frank Trombino 51
14. Scott Rupert 50
15. Michael Taylor 44
16. Ross Millson 41
17. Dave Stokowski 39
18. Marie-Josee Boucher 34
19. Chris Murray-Audain 32
20. Peter Holzinger 23
21. Sean Huffman 22
22. Jean-Francois Cyr 21
23. Martin Grande 17
24. Mike Zottmann 17
25. Martin Ricard 16
26. Mitch Rathje 13
27. Elie Daccache 8
28. Brad Gavey 8
29. Alain Campagna 6
30. Terry Steeves 5
31. Larry Orde 3
32. Dean Plater 2
33. Franklyn Dominguez 2