Szoke survives for Mosport win

By John Hopkins

TORONTO, ON – Jordan Szoke overcame engine troubles and a race long fight for the lead to take his fourth straight win in the 2010 Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Mosport International Raceway on Saturday.
       
The Brantford, ON racer discovered a radiator leak on his Waznie Racing / BMC Ciclo Werks / DeWildt Honda Powerhouse Honda CBR1000RR just before the start of the 20-lap race. But after a cautious start the series points leader moved into the lead on lap five of the 20-lap race and then held off challenges from Frank Trombino and Francis Martin to maintain his perfect win record and extend his season points lead.
     
Martin picked up his second straight runner-up finish on the rad X HD / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR, 3.371 secs. behind Szoke and Andrew Nelson placed third on the Orion Motorsports / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR.
       
Trombino actually crossed the line second on the ProStar Motorsports / Sturgess Cycle Honda CBR1000RR after he made a bold pass of Martin two turns from the finish. But the Kleinburg, ON racer was later disqualified when his bike ran out of fuel on the dyno and could not complete its mandatory post-race run.
       
Szoke completed the 20 laps in 27 minutes, 14.008 seconds for an average speed of 174.359 km/h (108.352 mph).
       
“We got up to the starting line and the rad was spraying water,” said Szoke after his 33rd career national Superbike win and his eighth at Mosport. “I launched it really easy and tried to baby it. It cooled down to about 110 degrees, 80-85 is normal, and it stayed there the rest of the way.”
       
Trombino grabbed the lead from third on the grid but on lap two he was passed by Martin, who led the next three laps before Szoke took over. Although the Honda was never headed again Martin and Trombino stayed on his tail.
       
“Francis kept me honest right to the end,” added Szoke, who is bidding for a fifth straight Parts Canada Superbike title and seventh overall. “I kept pushing even though I wanted to be careful. I want to win and I know when things are OK. And there’s nowhere I want to win in the world more than Mosport.”
       
Martin dropped 64 points behind Szoke in the Superbike standings with three races left, including Sunday’s back half of this weekend’s Mosport doubleheader. Szoke now has 216 points to Martin’s 152.
       
“I was not lucky with traffic,” said the two-time Canadian Superbike champion. “I was with Jordan the whole race but Jordan had better drive onto the straight. We just need better drive out of turn five tomorrow and I know we’ll be right there.”
     
Kars, ON’s Nelson picked up his best finish of the season and moved up to this in the Parts Canada Superbike standings with 125 points.
     
“We went in the wrong direction with the set up; we’re going to make big changes for tomorrow,” Nelson said. “With five laps to go my fuel light came on so I was shifting early, keeping the revs down.”
     
Mississauga, ON’s Matt McBride finished fourth in his season debut with the Budds’ Motorrad / Riders Choice BMW S1000RR after an almost racelong fight with Scarborough, ON’s Chris Murray-Audain on a Kawasaki ZX-10R and Jodi Christie.
     
Christie had moved to the front of this group with five laps to go on the Jodi Christie Racing / Durham Honda Powerhouse Honda CBR600RR but almost immediately the Keene, ON rider suffered a broken shifter and slipped back to sixth in the results.
       
Cody Matechuk of Cochrane, AB was the top rookie finisher in seventh on the Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 and the last unlapped runner.

Scott Rupert of Gadshill, ON finished eighth on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Woodstock, ON's Dave Young was ninth on another Gixxer. These two ran in close company for most of the race before Young dropped off the pace in the last couple of laps.

Montreal's Franklyn Dominguez completed the top 10 finishers on the Seamont Brokerage Kawasaki ZX-10R.
       
Uxbridge, ON’s Alex Welsh held down fourth in the early laps on the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team Kawasaki ZX-10R but crashed spectacularly in turn three on lap eight. He walked away from the incident.
       
Martin’s teammate Mike Ferreira had just taken Nelson for fourth on lap nine when his BMW developed shifting trouble and he pulled into the pits to retire.

Race Results
1. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, ON (Honda CBR1000RR) 20 laps
2. Francis Martin, Sherbrooke, QC (BMW S1000RR) 20
3. Andrew Nelson, Kars, ON (BMW S1000RR) 20
4. Matthew McBride, Mississauga, ON (BMW S1000RR) 20
5. Chris Murray-Audain, Scarborough, ON (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 20
6. Jodi Christie, Keene, ON (Honda CBR600RR) 20
7. Cody Matechuk, Cochrane, AB (Suzuki GSX-R600) 20
8. Scott Rupert, Gadshill, ON (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 19
9. David Young, Woodstock, ON (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 19
10. Franklyn Dominguez, Montreal, QC (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 19
11. Dave Stokowski, Calgary, AB (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 19
12. Terry Steeves, Dartmouth, NS (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 19
13. Dean Plater, Ottawa, ON (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 19
14. Steve Walker, Carleton Place, Ont. (BMW S1000RR), 18
Did Not Finish
Kenny Riedmann, Belfountain, ON (Triumph Daytona 675) 16
Greg White, Raleigh, NC (Kawasaki ZX-6R) 11
Adam Roberts, Milford, NS (Kawasaki ZX-6R) 11
Michael Ferreira, Mississauga, ON (BMW S1000RR) 9
Alex Welsh, Uxbridge, ON (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 7
Sean Huffman, Kemptville, ON (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 2
Did Not Start
Marie-Josee Boucher, Montreal, QC (Honda CBR1000RR)
Dan Henri, Ottawa, ON (BMW S1000RR)
Andrew Dunlap, Truro, NS (Kawasaki ZX-10R)
Martin Ricard, Montreal, QC (Kawasaki ZX-10R)
Stephane Chabot, Oshawa, ON (Yamaha YZF-R6)
Elie Daccache, Ottawa, ON (Kawasaki ZX-6R)
Matthew Leahey, Halifax, NS (Honda CBR600RR)
Jean-Francois Cyr, Ste-Adele, QC (Suzuki GSX-R600)
Disqualified
Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, ON (Honda CBR1000RR)

Time of Race: 27:14.008 (174.359 km/h)
Margin of Victory: 3.371 secs.
Fastest Lap: 1:21.375 by Jordan Szoke on lap 18
Lap Leaders: Frank Trombino 1, Francis Martin 2-4, Jordan Szoke 5-20

Point Standings
1.Jordan Szoke, 216
2. Francis Martin, 152
3. Andrew Nelson, 125
4. Cody Matechuk, 115
5. Jodi Christie, 110
6. Mike Ferreira, 83
7. Kevin Lacombe, 82
8. Alex Welsh, 79
9. Dave Stokowski, 59
10. Franklyn Dominguez, 53
11. Scott Rupert, 52
12. Steve Crevier, 46
13. Matt McBride, 29
13. Frank Trombino, 29
13. Chris Murray-Audain, 29
16. Justin Knapik, 27
17. Mike Zottmann, 21
17. Dave Young, 21
19. Jean-Francois Cyr, 19
20. Kenny Riedmann, 17
21. Marie-Josee Boucher, 15
21. Terry Steeves, 15
23. Peter Meier, 13
23. Ross Millson, 13
23. Greg White, 13
23. Dean Plater, 13
27. Steve Walker, 12