Motourage

Jordan Szoke signed a one-year deal with Competition Systems and Canadian Kawasaki for the 2011 Parts Canada Superbike Championship season.  Szoke will aim for his sixth consecutive Superbike Championship aboard the all-new 2011 Kawasaki ZX10.
Szoke’s record book history with Team Green dates back to his first Superbike Championship in 1998 as the youngest racer to win a National Championship in Canadian History aboard a ZX-7.  Szoke returned to Kawasaki in ‘06 which lead to a record-breaking string of National Superbike and Sportbike Championships in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 aboard the 636, ZX6 and ZX10.  Worldly sources were calling as Szoke was also invited to Valencia Spain in 2008 to ride the Moto GP ZX-RR, and filled in for injured Monster Energy Kawasaki racer Roger Hayden at the Laguna Seca AMA Superbike round.

Most recently Szoke earned the Superbike and Pro Sportbike National Championships in 2010, stretching his back-to-back championships to five.  Owning and Managing his own team also earned him Team of the Year honors.

When asked about being back under the Kawasaki banner Szoke says, “It feels really good to be back on a Kawi again.  I have worked with the same crew in our championship seasons previous, so I am excited to be back.  Kawasaki also has a new ZX10 model out so I can’t wait to ride and develop that.”

When asked about the new model for ’11, Szoke replied, “I have spent a lot of my career developing motorcycles, and this one is no different.  Kawasaki has a brand new model this year and it looks really (really) awesome.  With the team that we have working with us, and my experience I don’t foresee any problems getting the new superbike up to speed.”

Competition Systems and Szoke plan on starting pre-season testing in March.

Speed Channel announcer Greg White will once again be joining Alex Welsh under the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team canopy at Mosport, competing in the 4th and 5th round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. White will be aboard a Richard Winter-built ZX600 Ninja with the backing of Parts Canada, Kahuna Cycle, and Schouten Racing. His machine will be maintained by the talents of seasoned race tuner Mark Orchard. Greg was called in by the injured Vicki Schouten to fill her seat on her team at the previous Calgary rounds last weekend.

“Mosport is one of the best racing venues in North America and I was surprised that Greg had never been there. I discussed it with the crew and we thought let’s show him the track from the best seat in the house.” said Mike Crompton, team owner. “Greg was a lot of fun to have under the tent and we are looking forward to working with him again.  We hope all the fans will get the chance to drop by our pit and say hi to Alex and Greg this weekend.”

Time to get out your sundial.

The Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team has announced that Alex Welsh of Uxbridge, Ontario will pilot its Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R in the 2010 Parts Canada Superbike Championship.

Primary sponsors of the team will be Canadian Kawasaki Motors and Parts Canada.

“Kawasaki has a long and successful history of racing in Canada and the team is thrilled that they have entrusted us to carry on that tradition,” said team owner Mike Crompton. “We are also very pleased to have Parts Canada on board. They have put so much into this series and sport that we all enjoy. Their support will be a great asset to our team.”

The 21-year-old Welsh is one of the hottest new talents in Canadian motorcycle road racing. He was the 2008 HJC Pro Rookie of the Year in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship and last summer joined the Canadian Kawasaki Motors factory team.

Despite missing one race due to injury, he finished seventh in the Superbike class on a Ninja ZX-10R with a top finish of third at Mosport International Raceway. He placed fourth in the Yoshimura Pro Sport Bike standings with four podium results to his credit, including a runner-up finish at Mosport, riding Kawasaki’s ZX-6R Ninja.

“Alex showed great promise and team spirit in 2009,” Crompton added. “All the crew is looking forward to concentrating its efforts with him and look forward to a successful 2010 season.”

The crew will consist of Harald Surian, a multi-time championship-winning tuner, who will look after trackside set-up and suspension. Richard Winter, whose immaculate Ninja ZX-6R Sport Bikes have won the past four Canadian national titles, will be the in-house builder and tuner. Crompton will handle engines and logistics. He has some 40 years of experience in the Canadian motorcycle industry, supplying engines and race equipment to some of the country’s leading competitors.

For the past several years, Canadian Kawasaki Motors has run its national road race program in-house. Last summer the squad claimed its fourth straight titles in the Parts Canada Superbike and Yoshimura Pro Sport Bike divisions. Crompton had been the crew chief for the Kawasaki program through its run of success.

“Work has begun in preparation for the new season and we will be ready for testing soon,” he added.

The 2010 Parts Canada Superbike Championship opens May 28-30 at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, Quebec

Canadian Kawasaki Motors has secured the services of Toronto-based Competition Systems to handle Kawasaki’s assault in the 2010 Parts Canada Superbike Championship. The team will consist of one rider and focus exclusively on the Superbike feature class with Kawasaki’s potent Ninja ZX-10R.

The new entity will be called Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team.

For the past several years, Canadian Kawasaki Motors has run its national road race program in-house. Last summer the squad claimed its fourth straight titles in the Parts Canada Superbike and Yoshimura Pro Sport Bike divisions.

Mike Crompton of Competition Systems has been the crew chief for the Kawasaki program through its run of success and will now take over as team owner of the new race program. Some of the existing crew will continue with the team and a rider and sponsors will be announced within a few days.

“Due to a number of circumstances we have decided to suspend activities with our factory program for 2010,” said Jeff Comello of Canadian Kawasaki Motors. “But despite this state of change we have tried to keep as much continuity as possible and Mike Crompton and Competition Systems are the perfect fit. We have been together now for four-plus years and have enjoyed a great deal of success.”

Crompton has some 40 years of experience in the Canadian motorcycle industry, supplying engines and race equipment to some of the country’s leading competitors.

“Canadian Kawasaki Motors is a great company and I’m looking forward to this,” Crompton said. “We already have a good team structure and equipment. We’ve spent a number of years building this program and all we have to do is just continue what we’ve started.”

The agreement between Canadian Kawasaki Motors and Competition Systems is for one year and will be re-evaluated at the end of the 2010 racing season.

“Kawasaki is committed to showcasing the Ninja brand in competition and we feel strongly that we need to be behind the Parts Canada Superbike Championship,” Comello said. “This is the perfect venue for us to display our products.”

“We all have to dig deep and support the series,” Crompton added. “It is important to do what we can to have a successful 2010 and build on that for 2011 and beyond.”

In addition to claiming the past four Parts Canada Superbike titles Canadian Kawasaki Motors enjoyed a string of nine straight national championships from 1991 to 1999, and also claimed the first two Canadian crowns in 1980 and ’81 with riders George Morin and Lang Hindle, respectively.

The 2010 Parts Canada Superbike Championship opens May 28-30 at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, Que. For more information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com.