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Parts Canada Superbike Championship Round 1: Shannonville Motorsport Park By a critical error, however. As the field started the final lap, Trombino, riding Honda's new CBR954RR, led a tight group consisting of McBain, JOHN HOPKINS PHOTOS BY COLIN FRASER SHANNONVILLE, ON, CANADA, MAY 19 Iyin' Frank" Trombino lived up to his nickname at the opening round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park. Making his debut with the Honda Canada/Orion Motorsport team, the 27 -year-old from Kleinburg, Ontario, led from start to finish in the Honda Motorcycles Challenge to grab the early-season points lead. Trombino's Honda RC51 finished 12.621 seconds ahead of the Suzuki Canada/Blackfoot Motosports Suzuki GSX-Rl000 ridden by Jordan Szoke, while Owen Weichel was third on a Kawasaki ZX- 7RR. "I just put my head down right from the start," said Trombino after hi~ third career Parts Canada Superbike win. "I didn't want to get caught in any traffic. Later on, I just tried to maintain a comfortable pace, and my crew kept me informed of the gap at all times." Trombino had qualified second for the season opener, as teammate Steve Crevier of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, grabbed the pole with a II Frank Trombino led the Pro Superbike race from start to finish at the opening round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championships. into the lead when the Dunlop Starting Lights switched to green, with the Coors Light Racing Fast Company Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Francis Martin in pursuit. Szoke completed the opening lap in third after a superb start from the second row, with Weichel fourth and Kevin Lacombe's Diablo Suzuki GSX-Rl000 fifth. Martin's race ended half a lap later, however, when he lost the front end of his Suzuki at the end of the back straight and tumbled out of the Calgary's Clint McBain claimed the victory in both the International Motorcycle Supershow Open Sportbike and Yoshimura 600cc Sportbike national support classes at Shannonville Motorsport Park. lap record time of 1:05.746 around the l.5-mile Shannonville "Pro" track. However, when the field lined up for the 18-lap race, the two-time defending National Superbike Champion was missing after a race-morning warm-up fall left him with a broken right kneecap and sprained left ankle. A transmission glitch was the reported cause of the tumble. Crevier underwent surgery on the Friday morning after the event, and his status for the remainder of the season was unclear. Under unseasonably chilly conditions, with temperatures not far above the freezing mark, Trombino surged race. The Sherbrooke, Quebec, rider, one of the preseason title favorites, was unhurt. Martin's departure left Trombino with a comfortable four-second lead over Szoke and Weichel after only two laps. While the Honda rider pulled away, the second- and thirdplace riders engaged in an entertaining battle. On lap five, they were joined by Michael Taylor, who was making up for a poor start on the Yamaha Motor Canada/Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1, the result of a clutch problem. Szoke and Weichel traded second until lap 10, when the Suzuki rider Lacombe, Martin and Taylor. Entering the last turn, they came up to lap Kawasaki jockey Jim Proulx, but a yellow flag was waving due to a crash four laps earlier. Nevertheless, Trombino passed Proulx and took the checkered flag first, while McBain edged Lacombe for second at the line. But series officials quickly penalized Trombino five positions for his pass under yellow, leaving McBain the winner, ahead of Lacombe and Martin. secured the spot. A lap later, Taylor also passed the Kawasaki rider, but on lap 13 the Yamaha's clutch problems finally got the better of him and Taylor pulled off, leaving Szoke holding a five-second lead over Weichel to the finish. "It was good, clean fighting," said Szoke, who was making a one-off appearance at Shannonville after visa problems prevented him from racing in the AMA Superbike event at Road Atlanta. "I knew once I stuck the pass [on Weichel], I'd be able to pull away. Then Taylor came, and it was just like old times." Behind Weichel, Lacombe took fourth, his best-ever National Superbike finish. The Granby, Quebec, rider spent most of the race holding off Benoit Pilon's Yamaha Motor Canada/Paquin Yamaha YZF-R1. Pilon, who was riding his Open-class Yamaha, faded back the last few laps, saying the bike was significantly down on power. Jean-Francois Cyr completed the top six after a lonely race on his Yamaha Motor Canada/Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R6. Although Cyr practiced with the bigger R1, he elected to go with the more familiar R6 in the race. Calgary's Clint McBain was the other big winner at Shannonville, claiming the victory in both the Internationa I Motorcycle Supershow Open Sportbike and Yoshimura 600cc Sportbike national support classes. His Open Sportbike victory came only after defending class champion Trombino made In 600cc Sportbike action, McBain took the lead from Lacombe five laps into the 14-lap race and edged clear for a 3.317 -second win over the Diablo Suzuki rider. Weichel placed third on his Kawasaki ZX-6R. The race represented the first time since Linnley Clarke triumphed at Mosport in July of 2000 that someone other than Crevier or Weichel had won a 600cc Sportbike national feature. eN Shannonville Motorsport 'a" Shannonville, Ontario, Canada Results: May 19, 2002 [Round 11 PRO S/BK: 1. Frank Trombino (Hon); 2. Jordan Szoke (Suz); 3. Owen Weichel (Kew); 4. Kevin Lacombe (Suz); 5. Benoit Pilon (Yllm); 6. JeanFrancois Cyr (Yam); 7. Philip Onisto (Suz); 8. Darryn Wilbur (Yam); 9. Michael Leon (Suz); 10. Bruce McDonald (Yam). PRO 600 SPT/BK: I. Clint McBain (Suz); 2. Kevin Lacombe (SUl); 3. Owen Weichel (Kaw); 4. Jean-Francois Cyr (Yam); 5. Ugo Levert (SUl); 6. Matthew McBride (Hon); 7. Bruce McDonald (Ytlm); 8. Chris Tufford (Yam); 9. Chris Peris (Hon); 10. Victor Paiva (Kaw). PRO OPEN SPT/BK: I. Clint McBain (Suz); 2. Kevin Lacombe (Suz); 3. Francis Marlin (Suz); 4. Jean-Francois eyr (YlIm); 5. Benoit Pilon (Yam); 6. Frllnk Trombino (Hon); 7. Darryn Wilbur (Yam); 8. Michael Taylor (Yam); 9. Michael Leon (Suz); 10. Matthew McBride (Hon). On the Superbike podium, Frank Trombino, Jordan Szoke and Owen Welchel celebrate on the Superbike podium In Shannonville, Ontario. cyc'. n e _ S • JUNE 19. 2002 65