Motourage

A winning collaboration of team and rider was reunited for the 2011 Canadian Superbike Championship.  Defending Superbike Champion Waznie Racing’s Jordan Szoke and famed tuner Mike Crompton of Competition Systems rolled out their all new Kawasaki ZX10 Superbike for the first time last week for a two day test at Jennings GP.

Their results from the first test at this popular motorcycle test track in North Florida proved they are the combination to beat for this year’s Canadian Superbike Championship.

The Canadians were met with warm weather, with track temperatures reaching as high as 54 degrees C.   “I love the heat, don’t get me wrong,” smiles Szoke “But it sure makes it difficult to get a fast lap in.  Your window of opportunity is so small in the mornings and late afternoons, you really have to be prepared.”

The Competition Systems crew consisting of Richard Winter and Harald Surian were more than primed for Szoke and his superbikes, and were rewarded with an unofficial fast lap of 1:14’2 in the morning session and a 1:14’4 in the afternoon session in the last day of the test.

“It was pretty incredible to be able to achieve those kind of lap times on both our K-Tech and Ohlins set up, to be so close on both bikes is awesome.  I was particularly impressed with the feel of the K-Tech; it allowed us to put in a lot of consistent fast laps.  We also got to try the new rear shock which works really well.” says Szoke, “We had a lot of things to try during this short testing period, and the crew worked amazingly hard to get tons of laps in.  Big thanks to John Cornwall for working tirelessly with us to get these Kawis dialed in, we got tons of things accomplished together.”

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.

Big changes are in store for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship in 2011.

Canada’s national motorcycle road racing series will see two former regular venues return to the fold and the addition of two new classes. The coming season will mark the 32nd anniversary of national Superbike racing in Canada and Parts Canada returns as title sponsor for a 12th year. There will be a year-end prize fund in 2011.

The series will consist of five rounds, opening once again at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, Que. May 27-29 and wrapping up for the first time with the doubleheader at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ont. Aug. 19-21.

Rounds will also be held at Shannonville Motorsport Park in Shannonville, Ont. July 1-3, Autodrome St-Eustache in St-Eustache, Que. July 8-10 and Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S. Aug. 5-7. A second doubleheader weekend is also under discussion, bringing the total number of races to seven.

“These are challenging times for the Canadian motorcycle industry but the Parts Canada Superbike Championship has a long tradition of showcasing the best in the sport in this country,” said Colin Fraser of series organizer Professional Motorsports Productions. “Keeping the nationals thriving and moving forward for the future is of paramount importance.”

One of Canada’s most storied motorcycle facilities, Shannonville returns to the tour after a one-year absence. The venue staged its first national in 1980 and has run 44 Canadian Superbike races, the most of any track in Canada.

St-Eustache last hosted a national in 2003, but has since been repaved and is now owned by former racer Alan Labrosse and his family.

The national series will consist of six classes, headlined by the Pro Superbike division. Returning categories will include Pro Sport Bike, Amateur Sport Bike and the CBR125R Challenge. New to the championship will be the Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup spec class and Amateur Superbike.

The Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup is based on similar series already running in the United States and Britain. Backed by Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada, the series uses identical, near stock versions of the sport twins to ensure a high level of competition without the necessity of major upgrades over the course of a season.

“We are very excited to bring the XR1200 class to Canada,” said Darren James of Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada. “We think it provides an excellent opportunity for dealers to get involved in a racing program; the bikes sound great and they will provide a dramatic spectacle.”

The Amateur Superbike class will mirror the Pro category, showcasing the latest in sports bike technology and offering a potential second entry for Amateur Sport Bike competitors.

“The Amateur Superbike class gives our up-and-coming racers another opportunity to get seat time and build up their racing experience at a high level,” Fraser added.

There will be separate Thursday test sessions offered at most rounds of the 2011 Parts Canada Superbike Championship, with national staff supervision.

All classes will be governed by horsepower limits and the official series Dynojet Dyno will again be used to monitor horsepower levels and qualifying sessions and race events.

Pirelli returns for its sixth year as the spec tire supplier to the Parts Canada Superbike Championship through its distributor Orion Motorsports. For 2011 there will be more restrictive limits in the Pro divisions.

In 2010 Jordan Szoke of Brantford, Ont. made history by sweeping all seven races to claim his fifth straight Parts Canada Superbike Championship and his seventh overall on the Waznie Racing / Ciclo Werks BMC / DeWildt Honda Powerhouse Honda CBR1000RR. The 31-year-old also won a fifth straight Pro Sport Bike crown.

2011 Parts Canada Superbike Championship Schedule
Round One May 27-29 Circuit ICAR   Mirabel, Que.
Round Two July 1-3 Shannonville Motorsport Park Shannonville, Ont.
Round Three July 8-10 Autodrome St-Eustache  St-Eustache, Que.
Round Four Aug. 5-7 Atlantic Motorsport Park Shubenacadie, N.S.
Round Five Aug. 19-21 Mosport International Raceway Bowmanville, Ont.
Round Six Aug. 19-21 Mosport International Raceway Bowmanville, Ont.

Canadian Superbike Rookie of the Year Cody Matechuck

The Acceleration Suzuki Motovan Race Team traveled east to Nova Scotia for the final two rounds of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship this past weekend. Often regarded as the most technical track in Canadian road racing, the twisty elevated roadway of Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia provided locals with some of the most spirited racing of the season. Cody Matechuk looked to secure his lead in the Pro Rookie of the Year standings as well as lock a top-three ranking in the Pro 600 Class, a first by any rookie in the Canadian series.

Thursday and Friday provided little opportunity for teams to negotiate power and handling setup as rain crashed the paddocks throughout the early hours Friday. By lunch however, the sun had track conditions back to dry and qualifying ran as scheduled. Using every minute from the Qualifiers, the Acceleration crew consistently whittled away at the lap times. Although coming short of Matechuk’s personal goal of low 109′s. The hard work did put the red and black GSX-R on the inside of the second row for the start of the Pro 600 race and inside on the third row for the Superbike Feature.

The Pro 600 race was first up both days. Saturday’s action saw some steady, level-headed racing result in the 16-year-old’s fourth visit to the pro podium this year. Matechuk challenged veteran racer J.F. Cyr for most of the 18-lap race in what looked to be the final podium position. Just four corners from the finish, a crash by current points leader Jordan Szoke graduated both warriors to the podium. Sunday’s rematch saw a less dramatic conclusion. Matechuk pushed hard throughout the event running his fastest time of the weekend to overcome Cyr midway through the race. The combined points accumulation not only locked up the Pro Rookie of the Year title, it left the young Cochrane teen with a top-three finish overall in the 2010 Pro 600 standings.
“It’s been an amazing year”, said team owner, Clint McBain.  “We didn’t expect any podiums, but the kid took four. We hoped for a top-five finish; he ends up third and he’s the top Pro Rookie. That’s quite the first year.”
Matechuk later added, “I think it was an awesome season, and as a small team we did so well. I can’t believe how much I learned this season; how different it is at this level. We were so fortunate to have the Sponsors we did and I can’t thank them enough for believing in us.”

For the 22-lap featured Superbike race, the Acceleration team was looking for a strong showing inside the top ten even with the lower power of the smaller GSXR600. Saturday’s penultimate round challenged Matechuk to better his 11th-place grid position against the larger horsepower of his opponents. A phenomenal launch and scrappy racing effort moved the young rookie’s GSX-R into eighth position before a few anxious mistakes from those around him started to thin the field. Two more racers crashing out promoted Matechuk to an impressive sixth-place finish.

The follow-up event on Sunday played out similarly with the exception of fewer crashes. Winding through the field, Matechuk again rode his fastest pace of the weekend to claim a seventh-place finish in the final Superbike round adding valuable overall points. Getting slightly edged out by Factory BMW racer Michael Ferreria, Matechuk ended up sixth overall in the Superbike standings.
“It was the fastest we ran all weekend”, smiled a content Matechuk. “You know it’s a great weekend when you finish that way. Our Race Tech set up just got better every day as Clint & I worked on lines and technique. He’s a great coach and I understand much better how fast and how good a racer he really is.”

The stellar 2010 season performance earned the Pro Rookie of the Year Title, coupled with an unprecedented four podium visits from the teenage rookie and third-place finish in the Pro 600 class. Overwhelmed with the success and accomplishments this year McBain shared, “It’s phenomenal to see someone so young achieve so much in their rookie year. Before McCormack it had been a long time since the series had produced any young promising talent.  Now with Cody progressing at this rate and more kids coming behind, it’s a very exciting time for racing in Canada.”

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.

Round One, Parts Canada Superbike Championship, Mirabel, Quebec, May 28-30, 2010

The final weekend in May – round one of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship – marked road racer Rheanna Christie’s first national race. She entered her Durham Honda Powerhouse CBR125R in the CBR125R Challenge Series’ double header at Mirabel, QC’s Circuit ICAR, located about 40 miles west of Montreal. ICAR hosted rounds one and two of the 10-round series, which will travel across the country to Calgary, and then return to Mosport, ON and on to Shubenacadie, NS for the final two rounds on Aug 5-8.

The heat and a new track made for some nervous moments Thursday, but after an orientation with head instructor Ed Sorbo, she was ready to take to the track. With instruction to take her time and learn the course, she did well and placed 11th in the first session with a time of 206.171. After a good night’s rest, a track walk the following day and a talk with her brother, Jodi, she felt more confident. In the Friday sessions, her times dropped to the 1.58 mark. With ongoing track instruction and more one-on-ones with some of the local racers, Rheanna was optimistic about Saturday qualifying and felt she could better her times. She ended qualifying on the third row with a time of 156.775 – a full 10-second improvement from her first day

Lining up for her first national race, Rheanna got a great start  and was through the first corner in 8th place  Riding a great race, she slowly picked off three more riders and ended her race in 5th place dropping another second off her time with a new personal best of 155.313.
“It took me a while to get my confidence at this track,” said Rheanna. “It’s a lot different than Shannonville; it’s very flat yet still quite bumpy. The track walk helped me a lot and I was able to improve over yesterday. It was a great battle for position out there, and my Durham Honda Powerhouse CBR125R was working great; traction on the Pirelli tires was good throughout the race” She was also happily surprised to see that 5th place paid $250.00.

By Sunday morning, there was one more practice session before the final race in the afternoon, and Rheanna decided to only turn a few laps and try a couple of changes in lines then come in and rest for the afternoon final.

Starting one row farther back proved to be a bit of a challenge. Off the fourth row she got a good start, but on the equally powered machines it was hard to make up time. She picked her way through the pack and ended up 10th, running times of 153.039 through the race.
“To have dropped that much time through the weekend was great; it sure felt a lot faster in the last race,” said Rheanna. “I have to be happy with my weekend. It’s a long series and all the tracks are new to me; I can’t wait for Calgary.”

The teams second development rider Giselle Philp had to sit out Icar but attended the weekend to support her fellow competitors, she is recovering from an ankle injury she received at the last Regional round and will be on track for Calgary’s triple header.

Parts Canada has announced its support of Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Teams’ Alex Welsh and Kawasaki-sponsored rider Vicki Schouten for the upcoming 2010 season of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship.

Competition Systems Kawasaki’s Alex Welsh

Welsh, a promising talent in Canadian road racing, is not unfamiliar with taking the podium after receiving the 2008 HJC Pro Rookie of the Year award and having several top-three finishes in 2009 in the Superbike and Pro Sport Bike classes.

Riding the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, Welsh will be a tough competition in Canadian Superbike racing in 2010, and Parts Canada is proud to be involved with such a talented force.  CEO of Parts Canada, James Danyluk, offered, “Alex has shown great talent and exemplary sportsmanship in previous years, and we’re happy to be supporting his efforts this season.”

Kawasaki rider Vicki Schouten

Vicki Schouten, in addition to receiving the #1 plate on the Women’s Cup Challenge in 2009, raced to a respectful third place finish in the Armour Bodies Amateur Sport Bike Championship.  Although she has only four seasons of road racing behind her, Schoutten has proven herself to be a serious competitor on the bike and an excellent role model off the track. She brings tremendous spirit and professionalism to the sport and Parts Canada is excited to be part of her 2010 season of the Pro Sport Bike and Superbike National Championships.