Szoke on pole for Superbike races

By John Hopkins

BOWMANVILLE, ON – Jordan Szoke of Brantford, ON will try to add to his Parts Canada Superbike Championship points lead from the head of the pack at Mosport International Raceway this weekend.
       
The 31-year-old four-time defending series champion took his third Inside Motorcycles Pole Position Award of the season despite seeing the Pirelli SuperPole session cancelled on Friday.
       
Thursday afternoon’s practice times will instead set the line-up for the fourth and fifth rounds of the series, and Szoke was fastest in that session with a time of one minute, 20.829 seconds on his Waznie Racing / BMC Ciclo Werks / DeWildt Honda Powerhouse Honda CBR1000RR.
       
His time was under the track lap record of 1:21.061 set by Brett McCormick last year but does not count as a new mark since it was not recorded during an official qualifying session.
       
“Our race set-up is good, we know we can run the times we did yesterday,” Szoke said. “I think we could have run mid to low 20s in the cooler conditions today, but what can you do?”
       
The top 10 runners from Thursday’s practice were lined up and ready to go in the Pirelli SuperPole session when reports of rain around the track forced the session to be scrubbed at the last minute.
       
“It’s too bad for the fans that there’s no SuperPole,” Szoke said, who has won all three rounds of the series so far this year. “But you can’t do anything stupid. The track is not 100 per cent and it’s a little dangerous in those circumstances.”
       
While Szoke does get credited with pole position he doesn’t pick up the four points that normally go along with setting the fastest time. He heads into this weekend’s races with a 54-point lead, 164-110, over Francis Martin in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship standings.
       
Martin will start this weekend’s races second on the radX HD / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR after turning a lap at 1:22.209 on Thursday.
       
“It’s too bad we didn’t have a day to improve the bike at all, but it’s the same situation for everybody,” said the Sherbrooke, QC rider, who is coming off a runner-up finish in the most recent round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Calgary’s Race City Motorsport Park. “We’ll try some different things before the race tomorrow and see how it works.”
       
Frank Trombino of Kleinburg, ON will line up third on his ProStar Motorsports / Sturgess Cycle Honda CBR1000RR with a time of 1:22.327 from Thursday and Kars, ON’s Andrew Nelson completes the front row on the Orion Motorsports / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR after turning a practice lap at 1:23.161.
     
“I’m happy with where we’re at,” said Trombino, a two-time Superbike race winner at Mosport. “Third place is good. I think we’ll leave things the way they are and see how it goes.”

Trombino admitted he was still tentative going into turn eight at the end of the backstraight, scene of his nasty accident two years ago.

"Turn eight is still messing me up," he conceded. "I know I can go quicker through there."

Nelson comes into the weekend fourth in points with 88.
       
Michael Ferreira of Mississauga, ON leads off the second row of the grid for this weekend’s races on the second of the radX HD / BMW Motorrad Canada entries. Next up is Uxbridge, ON’s Alex Welsh on the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team Kawasaki ZX-10R with Matt McBride starting seventh aboard the Budds’ Motorrad / Riders Choice BMW S1000RR in his first appearance of the season.
       
Keene, ON’s Jodi Christie (Jodi Christie Racing / Durham Honda Powersports Honda CBR600RR), Cody Matechuk of Cochrane, AB (Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000) and Montreal racer Marie-Josee Boucher (Excel Moto Honda CBR1000RR) complete the top 10 starters for this weekend’s races.
       
Boucher would have been the first woman to participate in Pirelli SuperPole had the session taken place on Friday.
       
Matechuk is third in the Superbike standings with 90 points and leads the HJC Pro Rookie of the Year standings. Christie is tied for fifth with Ferreira on 83.

Superbike Starting Line-Up (based on Thursday PM Practice)
1. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, ON (Honda CBR1000RR) 1:20.829 (176.239 km/h)
2. Francis Martin, Sherbrooke, QC (BMW S1000RR) 1:22.209
3. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, ON (Honda CBR1000RR) 1:22.327
4. Andrew Nelson, Kars, ON (BMW S1000RR) 1:23.161
5. Michael Ferreira, Mississauga, ON (BMW S1000RR) 1:23.331
6. Alex Welsh, Uxbridge, ON (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 1:23.493
7. Matthew McBride, Missussauga, ON (BMW S1000RR) 1:24.159
8. Jodi Christie, Keene, ON (Honda CBR600RR) 1:24.482
9. Cody Matechuk, Cochrane, AB (Suzuki GSX-R600) 1:24.738
10. Marie-Josee Boucher, Montreal, QC (Honda CBR1000RR) 1:25.604
11. Sean Huffman, Kemptville, ON (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 1:25.631
12. Franklyn Dominguez, Montreal, QC (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 1:25.766
13. Chris Murray-Audain, Scarbrough, ON (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 1:25.789
14. Kenny Riedmann, Belfountain, ON (Triumph Daytona 675) 1:25.841
15. Dan Henri, Ottawa, ON (BMW S1000RR) 1:26.276
16. Andrew Dunlap, Truro, NS (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 1:26.369
17. Scott Rupert, Gadshill, ON (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 1:26.377
18. Martin Ricard, Montreal, QC (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 1:26.998
19. David Young, Woodstock, ON (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 1:27.005
20. Stephane Chabot, Oshawa, ON (Yamaha YZF-R6) 1:27.078
21. Elie Daccache, Ottawa, ON (Kawasaki ZX-6R) 1:27.169
22. Terry Steeves, Dartmouth, NS (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 1:28.016
23. Dave Stokowski, Calgary, AB (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 1:28.494
24. Dean Plater, Ottawa, ON (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 1:29.568
25. Greg White, Raleigh, NC (Kawasaki ZX-6R) 1:30.430
26. Adam Roberts, Milford, NS (Kawasaki ZX-6R) 1:31.580
27. Matthew Leahey, Halifax, NS (Honda CBR600RR) 1:37.701
28. Jean-Francois Cyr, Ste-Adele, QC (Suzuki GSX-R600) No Time