Szoke and Seguin earn Readers' Choice Awards

From the Canadian Motorsports Expo

TORONTO, ON -- Brantford, Ont.’s Jordan Szoke added more hardware to an already impressive 2010 trophy haul on Saturday night.

The winner of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship was presented with the Inside Track Readers’ Choice Award as Canadian Motorcycle Racer of the Year at the Canadian Motorsports Expo at Toronto’s International Centre.

“This is really special,” Szoke said after picking up his second straight Readers’ Choice Award. “To be chosen by the people just makes this all the more gratifying.”

The 31-year-old Szoke made history last year by winning a seventh Canadian Superbike Championship and his fifth straight Parts Canada crown. He enjoyed a historic perfect season, sweeping all seven races on his Waznie Racing / BMC Ciclo Werks / DeWildt Powerhouse Honda CBR1000RR.

Szoke also won a record-tying fifth straight national Pro Sport Bike title on a Honda CBR600RR.

“When we started the year we thought we had a good chance at the championships but we never expected things to go as well as they did,” Szoke added. “But Honda gave us great bikes and we had the perfect crew helping us out.”

Also honoured with a Readers’ Choice Award was Tyler Seguin of Welland, Ont., who was voted as Canada’s Up and Coming Motorcycle Racer of the Year by the readers of Inside Track Motorsport News. The 14-year-old flat track racer claimed both the Intermediate Open and 450 titles in the CMA National Dirt Track Championship in 2010 riding a Honda CRF450R and Rotax 600.

“We had a great season,” said the MT Bellies, Darkside Tattoos-backed rider. “The plan was just to take it one race at a time. Next year I’d like to take another championship.”

Voting for the Inside Track Readers’ Choice Awards was conducted online from mid-November through to midnight, Dec. 31 with winners selected in 13 categories. Toronto’s James Hinchcliffe, 23, was chosen as Overall Canadian Racer of the Year after finishing second in the 2010 Indy Lights series. Twenty-seven-year-old oval track ace Steve Arpin of Fort Frances, Ont. was voted as the Canadian Racer Competing at the Highest Level of International Competition.

The Canadian Motorsports Expo runs through Sunday at the International Centre in Toronto. Show hours on Sunday are 10:00am-5:00pm. More information is available at www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com.