Szoke wins to regain points lead

By John Hopkins

BOWMANVILLE, ON – Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke regained the lead of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship with a victory in round four of the series at Mosport International Raceway on Saturday.

Riding the Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R, the three-time defending series champion led the Suzuki Dealers / Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Cochrane, AB’s Clint McBain by 0.586 secs. when the race was stopped due to rain after 11 of a scheduled 20 laps.

“I’m extremely happy. At last the luck seems to be going my way,” the 30-year-old Szoke said after his 28th career national Superbike win, the most all-time. “Unfortunately it didn’t end the way I wanted it to end. But we’ll take the win for sure today. I’ve lost races like this before.”

Saskatoon’s Brett McCormick was running first on the track when the race was stopped but the rider of the Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 was penalized five seconds for a jump start, which dropped him to third.

McCormick was then docked an additional five positions when his bike exceeded the class horsepower limit in post race technical inspection, leaving him eighth in the official results.

Szoke’s win was his second of the season and combined with McCormick’s finish moved him into a 15-point lead in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship standings heading into Sunday’s fifth round. Szoke now has 199 points to the 184 of McCormick.

Szoke, McBain and McCormick spent the entire race trading positions around the 3.9km (2.459-mile) Mosport circuit while threatening clouds moved in.

“I had no idea Brett had jumped the start,” said Szoke, who has now won six Superbike nationals at Mosport, more than any other rider. “I just tried to settle in and get a good pace. After the first five or six laps, when the fuel load lightens, our Kawasaki really seems to come into its own.”

McBain led the opening six laps before first Szoke and then McCormick passed him. The runner-up finish was McBain’s best result of the year, and he heads into Sunday’s race a solid third in the standings with 135 points.

“The bike is back to where we want it and to be competing for the lead again is a good feeling,” said last year’s Parts Canada Superbike Championship runner-up. “I think without the rain it would have come right down to the end. I was quite content to be there in third, just biding my time.”

With McCormick’s penalties, Alex Welsh of Uxbridge, ON finished third on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R, his best career Superbike finish.

“It’s not really the way you want to get it but it’s an important result and we’ll certainly take it,” said last year’s winner of the HJC Pro Rookie of the Year Award on the national tour.

Immediately after the race McCormick was unflustered by his jump start penalty.

"I moved a little," he admitted at the podium. "It happens and it's my mistake. I'll learn from this mistake."

Mississauga, ON’s Matt McBride recovered from a poor start to finish fourth on the Riders Choice Suzuki GSX-R1000, crossing the line less than a second ahead of the Deeley Racing Powered By Buell / Buell 1125R of Maple Ridge, BC’s Steve Crevier.

Making his first series start since the Calabogie season opener, McBride was seventh after the first lap but moved up to sixth quickly and closed in on Crevier, passing the Buell on lap eight and then holding him off the rest of the way.

Scott Rupert of Gads Hill, ON was an impressive sixth on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 after a race-long battle with the Parkway Powerhouse Honda / ProStar Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR of Michael Taylor.

Rupert was making his first start of the year in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship and moved up from 13th on the starting grid.

Taylor was also penalized five seconds for a jump start but still finished seventh. The two-time Canadian Superbike champion from Toronto was also making his first appearance of the year.

Andrew Nelson of Kars, ON was ninth on his Nelson Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 after dropping as far back as 15th in the early stages of the race, while Keene, ON’s Jodi Christie completed the top 10 aboard the Ontario Honda Powerhouse Dealers / Roz-Gar Racing Honda CBR600RR.

Christie spent most of the race scrapping for top 600 honours with the A. Perusse Kawasaki / Kawasaki ZX-6R of Roxton Pond, Que.'s Karl Daigle, and they were caught in the closing stages by the recovering Nelson and Frank Trombino aboard the GoLo Racing Suzuki GSX-R750. Daigle finished 11th while Trombino also incurred a jump start penalty and dropped to 14th in the official results.

Granby, QC’s Kevin Lacombe started on the front row but was out just a few corners into the race when the engine blew on his Team Toyota Yamaha / OTSFF Yamaha YZF-R1.
       
Sunday's back end of the doubleheader at Mosport gets underway at 3:15 p.m.

Race Results
1. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 11 laps
2. Clint McBain, Cochrane, Alta., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 11
3. Alex Welsh, Uxbridge, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 11
4. Matt McBride, Mississauga, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 11
5. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, B.C., Buell 1125R, 11
6. Scott Rupert, Gads Hill, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 11
7. Michael Taylor, Toronto, Ont., Honda CBR1000RR, 11*
8. Brett McCormick, Saskatoon, Sask., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 11**
9. Andrew Nelson, Kars, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 11
10. Jodi Christie, Keene, Ont., Honda CBR600RR, 11
11. Karl Daigle, Roxton Pond, Que., Kawasaki ZX-6R, 11
12. Erick Beausejour, Val D'Or, Que., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 11
13. Chris Murray Audain, Toronto, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 11
14. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R750, 11*
15. Ross Millson, Hamilton, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 11
16. Royce McLean, Coaldale, Alta., Yamaha YZF-R6, 11
17. Martin Ricard, Montreal, Que., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 11
18. Marie-Josee Boucher, Montreal, Que., Honda CBR1000RR, 11
19. Franklyn Dominguez, Montreal, Que., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 11
20. Larry Orde, Peterborough, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 11
21. Sean Huffman, Kemptville, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 11
22. Terry Steeves, Halifax, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 11
23. Martin Grande, Montreal, Que., Suzuki GSX-R600, 11
24. Dave Stokowski, Calgary, Alta., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 10
25. Sean Heydorn, Stouffville, Ont., Honda CBR600RR, 10
26. Alain Campagna, Mascouche, Que., Yamaha YZF-R6, 10
Did Not Finish
Pat Barnes, Scarbrough, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 8
Dean Plater, Ottawa, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 7
Kevin Lacombe, Granby, Que., Yamaha YZF-R1, 0
Margin of Victory: 0.586 secs.
* -- Penalized five seconds for jump start
** -- Penalized five seconds for jump start and five positions for exceeding class horsepower limit

Point Standings (after 4 of 7 rounds)
1. Jordan Szoke, 199
2. Brett McCormick, 184
3. Clint McBain, 135
4. Andrew Nelson, 117
5. Alex Welsh, 116
6. Steve Crevier, 113
7. Kevin Lacombe, 81
8. Royce McLean, 71
9. Karl Daigle, 61
10. Jodi Christie, 60
11. Matt McBride, 51
12. Erick Beausejour, 42
13. Frank Trombino, 41
14. Dave Stokowski, 39
15. Ross Millson, 35
16. Marie-Josee Boucher, 30
17. Scott Rupert, 27
18. Michael Taylor, 25
19. Peter Holzinger, 23
20. Sean Huffman, 22
21. Jean-Francois Cyr, 21
22. Chris Murray-Audain, 19
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, 4
31. Dean Plater, 2
32. Franklyn Dominguez, 2
33. Larry Orde, 1