P28
IN
THE
WIND
following another rider or not,
one still had to ride the bike.
Questioned after qualifying,
the top three – Cal Crutchlow,
Bautista and Marquez – all said though Crutchlow said it would
they liked the new-this-year sys- be even better to run a Supertem, which has also injected bike-style, one-lap Superpole.
Saturday excitement for the fans;
Michael Scott
SZOKE CROWNED CANADIAN CHAMP
J
ordan Szoke clinched the
2013 Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship in style
by winning the final round of the
season at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant on Sunday. Unfortunately,
the race was marred by the death
of John Ross MacRae, who was
killed in a Harley-Davidson Canada XR1200 Cup qualifying session on Saturday.
Szoke took the lead on the
opening lap and led the rest of
the way on his Waznie Racing/
BMW Motorrad Canada/Parts
Canada BMW S1000RR. He finished the 16-lap race 6.183 seconds clear of Alex Welsh. Jodi
Christie completed the podium
aboard his Honda CBR1000RR.
The title was Szoke's second
in a row and his ninth Canadian
National Superbike crown. He
finished the season with 307
points to the 252 of Welsh and
Christie's 208.
"To win one of these championships means so much to a rider," said the 34-year-old Szoke.
"I never imagined I would be able
to win nine. I hope it never stops.
These guys [Welsh and Christie]
gave me a good fight this year.
They keep getting better and
better and I keep getting older."
MacRae, 24, was taking part
in qualifying for the Harley race
when he was involved in a single-bike accident in turn one.
MacRae was transported to a
hospital in Montreal, where he
succumbed to his injuries on
Sunday morning.
MacRae became a regular
competitor in the national series in 2011 when he joined the
Ruthless Racing team in the
XR1200 Cup class. He came
into the weekend's race third in
the XR1200 Cup point standings
after claiming his first win in the
Jordan Szoke is flanked by Alex
Welsh (left) and Jodi Christie (right)
after winning the final round of the
Canadian Superbike Series.
class two weeks ago at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
"John Ross MacRae was one
of the bright young stars in our
sport and his loss is a great tragedy for Canadian racing," said
series director of competition
Colin Fraser. "He was very popular with his fellow competitors
and was greatly respected. Our
sympathies go out to the MacRae family and his friends."
