Martin leads race to the wire

From Professional Motorsport Productions

TORONTO, ON -- The Parts Canada Superbike Championship wraps up its 2005 season at Shannonville Motorsport Park this weekend with Francis Martin in a strong position to claim his second national Superbike title.

The Rock Forest, QC rider, who first won the Canada Cup in 1999, holds a 22-point lead in the standings over Calgary’s Clint McBain, 277-255. A top three finish in Sunday’s 14-lap feature race around the 4.0km (2.5-mile) Shannonville ‘Long Track’ would be enough to assure Martin of the title.

But no fewer than five other racers have a mathematical shot at wresting the championship from Martin at Shannonville. Just one point behind McBain in the standings, with 254 is two-time defending Parts Canada Superbike champion Pascal Picotte. Jordan Szoke lies fourth in points with 250, while Kevin Lacombe and Steve Crevier are fifth and sixth with 231 and 223 points, respectively.

With a maximum of 56 points available at this weekend’s season finale 50 for the race win, two for leading the most laps and four for nabbing the MPM Array Pole Award it would take a remarkable set of circumstances to see Lacombe or Crevier lift the Canada Cup. But the pair are the most recent winners on this year’s tour.

This weekend’s racing includes the final rounds for four other national classes, three of which still have titles up for grabs.

Crevier has already clinched the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike crown for Honda after sweeping the AMP doubleheader, but he will be hard pressed to add to his five class wins this season.

Mark Douglas comes to Shannonville with a 27-point lead over fellow Yamaha rider James Collins in the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike standings.

The fight for the Thunder Championship took a big swing at the previous round at AMP as race winner Darren James took over the points lead.

And fifteen-year-old Karl Daigle holds a commanding lead in the Suzuki SV650 National Cup point standings coming into the Shannonville finale.

Qualifying for the national classes will take place Saturday afternoon with features on Sunday.