Archambault keeps streak alive

By John Hopkins

BOWMANVILLE, ON -- Raphael Archambault of St-Colomban, QC kept his perfect record in the Amateur Sport Bike class of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship intact with his fourth win of the season at Mosport International Raceway on Saturday.

The rider of the Centre Hamel Honda-backed Honda CBR600RR swapped the lead with Hamilton, ON’s Steven Nickerson on the final lap but managed to hold off the STN Racing / DeWildt Honda Powerhouse CBR600RR rider by 0.105 secs. at the line.
     
Archambault now has a commanding 85-point lead over Jeremie Hade Precourt, who placed fifth on Saturday, in the series standings.

The first half of the 12-lap race featured a scintillating eight-bike battle for the lead, but eventually Archambault, Nickerson and Marcel Irnie on the IrnieRacing / Amsoil Kawasaki ZX-6R broke away from the group. On the final lap Nickerson tried a move around the outside of the points leader but Archambault held his line and staved off the challenge.

"I knew they were close so I was just trying to protect my line," Archambault said. "I didn't even see him [Nickerson]. I saw the bike and I thought it was Irnie. So I just tried to get on the throttle earlier."

Archambault can clinch the Amateur Sport Bike title on Sunday if he stretches his advantage to 108 points. A race win is worth 50. The series concludes with another doubleheader at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS Aug. 6-8.

Nickerson recovered from a poor start to score his best finish of the year. After qualifying fourth the 2009 Honda CBR125 Challenge champion worked his way up from the back of the early eight-bike lead battle to establish himself in second in the closing stages of the race.

"I didn't have a great start and I knew I had to make up ground," he explained. "Near the end Archambault had a bit of a gap but we got into some lapped riders and I was able to catch back up. The first few races were a little iffy for me, I was still getting used to the bike. But I love this track and I was hoping to do well here."

The duel between Archambault and Nickerson pitted the 2008 CBR champion, Archambault, against last year's titlist.

"We have a rivalry," Nickerson said. "I want to get back at him."

Irnie said he had trouble with a slipping clutch and may have to use his back-up bike in Sunday's back half of the doubleheader.

Jody Greening took fourth on his Suzuki GSX-R600, snatching the spot from Hade Precourt's JHP Racing / Picotte Performance Suzuki on the final lap.

Bodhi Edie (Edie Racing / Meidl Honda Powerhouse Honda CBR600RR) and Joey McRae (Mimic Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) were both part of the lead scrap but crashed in turn five in separate incidents. Samuel Proulx was also in the thick of the fight before retring with a suspected engine failure near the finish.

Rob Busby stretched his lead in the K&N Filters Sport Twins standings with his third win of the year on his Buell XB12. The Brantford, ON rider finished 0.776 secs. ahead of Olivier Spilborghs aboard a Buell XB9 and now leads the White Rock, BC rider by 57 points in the standings, 204-147.

Laurent Feuiltault of Richmond Hill, ON took third on his Kawasaki EX650.

Darren James debuted the Ruthless Racing Harley-Davidson XR1200R and came from the back of the grid to take eighth.

Ryan Appenrodt of Quesnel, BC won his fourth CBR125R Challenge race of the year to extend his lead in the championship to 25 points over Laval, QC’s Loic Viscasillas, who placed second. Calgary's Cody Conrad completed the podium.

The race was red flagged twice for incidents in turn one. In the first polesitter Ryan McCormick suffered a broken collarbone, while in the other Kelsey Giacchetta sustained a separated shoulder.

Jordan Szoke’s wife Amy added to the family domination of the weekend by scoring her first ever win in the Pro Honda Oils Women’s Cup on her Waznie Racing / BMC Ciclo Werks / DeWildt Honda Powerhouse Honda CBR600RR.

Szoke made a bold pass of the Les Soeurs En Vrac Honda CBR600RR of Natalie Catherine Provost into turn 10 on the final lap and held off the Laval, QC rider to win by 0.143 secs. With her runner-up finish, however, Provost extended her lead in the series point standings over Vanessa Gareau-Dominguez, who placed third on Saturday aboard the Seamont Brokerage Suzuki GSX-R600.

Amateur Sport Bike Results
1. Raphael Archambault, St-Colomban, QC (Honda CBR600RR) 12 laps
2. Steven Nickerson, Hamilton, ON (Honda CBR600RR) +0.105 secs.
3. Marcel Irnie, Kelowna, BC (Kawasaki ZX-6R) +0.839
4. Jody Greening, Burlington, ON (Suzuki GSX-R600) +8.881
5. Jeremie Hade Precourt, Granby, QC (Suzuki GSX-R600) +8.990
6. Philippe Masse, St-Dominique, QC (Kawasaki ZX-6R) +27.097*
7. Marco Sousa, Schomburg, ON (Suzuki GSX-R600) +29.374
8. Aubrey Bailey, Parry Sound, ON (Suzuki GSX-R600) +30.003
9. Bill McKay, Tavistock, ON (Kawasaki ZX-6R) +34.066*
10. Dominic Dupont, Laval, QC (Kawasaki ZX-6R) +46.964
11. Amy Szoke, Brantford, ON (Honda CBR600RR) +47.182
12. Jeff Fenwick, Hamilton, ON (Kawasaki ZX-6R) +47.716
13. Lee Kuhn, Hamilton, ON (Triumph 675 Daytona) +47.947
14. James Peterson, Courtice, ON (Suzuki GSX-R600) +49.022
15. Marco Dias, Bradford, ON (Yamaha YZF-R6) +52.572*
16. Vanessa Gareau-Dominguez, Montreal, QC (Suzuki GSX-R600) +1:01.885
17. Martin Gosselin, Plessisville, QC (Honda CBR600RR) +1:02.230
18. Alain Lefebvre, Rouyn-Noranda, QC (Suzuki GSX-R600) +1:07.933
19. Pedro Sousa, Mississauga, ON (Suzuki GSX-R600) +1:14.275
20. Ted Kuehn, Kingston, ON (Kawasaki ZX-6R) +1:19.063*
21. David Tremblay, Longueuil, QC (Honda CBR600RR) +1:20.439
22. Josee Bouchard, Ottawa, ON (Yamaha YZF-R6) +1:22.236*
23. Rob Cousineau, Aurora, ON (Suzuki GSX-R600) +1 Lap*
24. Philippe Bonin, St-Colomban, QC (Suzuki GSX-R600) +1 Lap
25. Roxanne Gravelle, Gatineau, QC (Yamaha YZF-R6) +1 Lap
Did Not Finish
Samuel Proulx, Magog, QC (Suzuki GSX-R600) 11 laps
Bodhi Edie, Warman, SK (Honda CBR600RR) 10 laps
Raymond Gauthier, Petawawa, ON (Suzuki GSX-R600) 10 laps
Joey McRae, Orangeville, ON (Yamaha YZF-R6) 7 laps
Paul Hollister, Windsor, ON (Honda CBR600RR) 7 laps
Natalie Catherine Provost, Laval, QC (Honda CBR600RR) 6 laps
Did Not Start
Jason Thoms, Ottawa, ON (Kawasaki ZX-6R)
* -- Penalized five seconds for jump start

Time of Race: 17:21.778
Margin of Victory: 0.105 secs.
Fastest Lap: 1:26.390 by Steven Nickerson on lap 5

K&N Filters Sport Twins Race Results
1. Robert Busby, Brantford, ON (Buell XB12) 10 laps
2. Olivier Spilborghs, White Rock, BC (Buell XB9) +0.776 secs.
3. Laurent Feuiltault, Richmond Hill, ON (Kawasaki EX 650) +23.917
4. Brent Strong, Mississauga, ON (Suzuki SV650) +29.594*
5. Stuart Pilkington, Blackstock, ON (Suzuki SV650) +32.442
6. Guy Lagace, Levis, QC (Suzuki SV650) +33.323
7. Dan Henri, Ottawa, ON (Suzuki SV650) +34.122
8. Darren James, North Vancouver, BC (Harley-Davidson XR1200R) +40.859
9. Craig Atkinson, Toronto, ON (Suzuki SV650) +43.182
10. Kana Matsumoto, Aurora, ON (Suzuki SV650) +46.639*
11. Chris Dopke, Cambridge, ON (Suzuki SV650) +48.905
12. Tiberius Trifu, Kingston, ON (Suzuki SV650) +56.521
13. Philippe Bonin, St-Colomban, QC (Suzuki SV650) +59.116
14. Ian McQueen, London, ON (BMW F800S) +1 Lap
15. David McKiver, Cornwall, ON (Suzuki SV650) +1 Lap
* -- Penalized five seconds for jump start

Time of Race: 15:16.717
Margin of Victory: 0.776
Fastest Lap: 1:30.832 by Olivier Spilborghs on lap 10

Honda CBR125R Challenge Race Results
1. Ryan R. Appenrodt, Quesnel, BC, 4 laps
2. Loic Viscasillas, Laval, QC, +0.075
3. Cody Conrad, Calgary, AB, +0.662
4. Sam McManus, Calgary, AB, +0.825
5. Milan Jablan, Saskatoon, SK, +1.092
6. Cedric Martineau, Ste-Catherine, QC, +1.152
7. Scott Lingelbach, Wellesly, ON, +1.572
8. Chris Wilson, Airdrie, AB, +2.841
9. Nicole Pilkington, Blackstock, ON, +3.132
10. Robert Haynes, Calgary, AB, +3.204
11. Jacob Snell, Calgary, AB, +4.298
12. Stacey Nesbitt, St-Lazare, QC, +4.471
13. Ian McWhirter, Calgary, AB, +4.828
14. Young Jae Kim, Mississauga, ON, +5.063
15. Leah Vignale, Kemptville, ON, +5.698
16. Neil Graham, Toronto, ON, +5.702
17. Will Hornblower, Sarnia, ON, +7.307*
18. Austin Shaw-O'Leary, Falmouth, NS, +8.759
19. Jay Fox, Calgary, AB, +17.634
20. Karolina Pelc, Guelph, ON, +24.464
21. Greg White, Raleigh, NC, +30.522*
22. Shay Gauthier, Petawawa, ON, +24.183**
23. Toni Nesbitt, St-Lazare, QC, +1:05.785
24. Dana Wrigley, Calgary, AB, +1:06.818
Did Not Finish
Eric Green, Richmond, ON
Allyssa Fox, Calgary, AB
Did Not Start
Ryan McCormick
Kelsey Giacchetta, Calgary, AB
* -- penlized five seconds for jump start
** -- penalized two positions for passing under yellow

Time of Race: 8:28.454
Margin of Victory: 0.075 secs.
Fastest Lap: 2:05.837 by Loic Viscasillas on lap 4