Motourage

The 10th round of this year’s Superbike World Championship is a home race for both Team Suzuki Alstare riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli, and one they are both looking forward to this weekend.

The Silverstone Circuit is a home track for Haslam because he is a Briton and lives in Derbyshire, but it is also a home race for Guintoli as the Frenchman has lived in the UK for some time and is married to an English girl. He will be making the short trip from his home near Melton Mowbray, while Haslam will have a slightly further journey.

Both have raced in the British Superbike Championship and have been to Silverstone before, but this will be their first time on the new circuit. The historic Silverstone circuit has undergone major reconstruction this year and the new layout is very different to that which was used when World Superbikes were last there in 2007.

Leon Haslam:
“I was at the launch of the new track at Silverstone earlier this year and it’s very different to what it was before. It seems to be a fast and flowing high-speed track and I’m sure the racing is going to be very close. I am looking forward to the weekend and although some might say that there is extra pressure on me to do well in front of my home fans, I do not see it that way.  I want to do well at all tracks, and although I’d obviously like to do well at Silverstone, my main concern will be to finish in front of Max Biaggi in both races. The ideal situation would be for me to win both races and the other six Brits to finish ahead of Max”

Sylvain Guintoli:
“It’s always good to race at home and because I have been in England so long, I feel like it is my home, which in fact it is because I live here. I have raced at Silverstone before, but now the track is very different and all of us will have to learn the track before we can really charge. Normally, I am quite good at learning tracks, so hopefully things will go well for me in practice and qualifying, so that I can do a good Superpole and end up with a good grid position. If I do that, I have a very good chance of giving my ‘home’ fans and friends something to shout about.”

The Atlantic Roadracing League is gearing up for the busiest two weeks of its five-month race calendar. The next two weeks will see Atlantic Motorsports Park in Shubenacadie, NS and surrounding areas explode with racers from all over the country as ARL holds Round 4 of its Atlantic Championship and then plays host to the final rounds of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship the following weekend.

July 30 – August 1 will see ARL holding Round 4 of the Atlantic Championship at the 1.6 mile (2.5 km) Atlantic Motorsport Park. This will be the second year ARL has organized Round 4 of its regional series to be held the weekend prior to its national event. This is to allow away riders to come down a week early and get as much track time in as they can, plus it gives spectators a great chance to get into the swing of things before the big national the following week. So, far away riders have taken full advantage of this opportunity, also relishing the chance to soak up some of that famed East Coast hospitality.

The following weekend, August 5 – 8, will see the country’s best riders make their annual pilgrimage east for the Atlantic stop on the Parts Canada Superbike tour. This time, things are slightly different. Traditionally, the east coast stop on the tour was the penultimate stop on the calendar; though this time it will be the final stop. All season a championship battle has been brewing and is set to come to a boil at AMP in August. All five national titles are still up for grabs, and if the past is any indication, AMP will provide some great races to decide the final title standings.

Adding to the excitement is a strong mix of fast local riders looking to show well in their home event. The east coast is home to some of Canada’s fastest riders with multi-time Canadian Champion Don Munroe hailing from Bedford, NS – just 40 minutes from AMP. One of the main reasons ARL keeps organizing the Atlantic stop of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship is to provide its riders with a chance to showcase their talent on the national level without having to travel halfway across the countr – something that is not feasible for most local riders. This is a great opportunity for all local riders to show well against the country’s best and leave their mark on the National series – one we sincerely hope everyone takes advantage of.

With established national stars Jordan Szoke, Jodi Christie, Francis Martin, Alex Welsh, Steven Nickerson, Raphael Archambault and co. all ready and rearing to go, the stage is set for some great racing. Throw in local fast men Todd Scott, Andrew Dunlap, Ron Munroe, Charlie Legere, Austin Shaw-O’Leary and Mark Goodwin and things get even more exciting.