Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Parts Canada Superbike Championship Round 3: Autodrome Old Milwaukee St-Eustache . ~ " tt= [ElUJ§tt©l(C[h)~ ~ (Left) Jean-Francois Cyr celebrates his first career Canadian National Superbike win after an impressive victory at his home track of Autodrome St-Eustache. (Below) Tom Kipp (5) holds off Pascal Picotte (21) and Francis Martin (16) for second place on the opening lap of the Parts Canada Superbike feature. National 600cc Sportbike win earlier in the day, claiming the third round of the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600cc Sportbike Series with a start-to-finish victory on his Brooklin Yamaha YZF-R6. Series points leader Picotte was also second in this one, 1.979 seconds behind on another R6, while Cyr completed a Yamaha sweep of the podium after passing Lacombe's Honda CBR600RR two laps from the end. The race was interrupted by a red By flag when Crevier crashed his Diablo Suzuki GSX-R600 on lap seven. Crevier was knocked out for a brief JOHN HOPKINS period but was otherwise unhurt. In the International Motorcycle PHOTOS COURTESY CDNSUPERBIKE.COM ST-EOSTACHE, QC, CANADA, JULY 6 ean-Francois Cyr considers the Autodrome Old Milwaukee StEustache his home track, but the venue hasn't been particularly kind to him throughout his Pro career. However, the tight and challenging 1.2-mile race track showed Cyr a lot of love at the third round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. The Joliette, Quebec, racer was quickest in Friday's practice, qualified on the pole with a new track record on Saturday, and then led 13 of 22 laps on his Michelin Yamaha YZF-R1 to claim his first career Canadian National Superbike win. Cyr finished 2.455 seconds ahead of the Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R 1 of Pascal Picotte, while Francis Martin, a two-time St-Eustache winner, completed the podium aboard his Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000. "I'm really happy." beamed the 29-year-old Cyr, the third different winner in three Parts Canada Superbike rounds this season. "It finally goes good for me at my home track. After all the troubles here over the last few years, I finally put the puzzle together." Cyr's impressive win also gave him the lead in the Parts Canada Superbike standings, as a number of the class front-runners struggled. Steve Crevier, the points leader com- Supershow Amateur 600cc Sportbike race, Keremeos, British Columbia, J sensation Jeremy Leduc overcame a ing into this event, was unable to start the Superbike race after suffering a heavy fall in the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600cc Sportbike race earlier in the afternoon. Australian Honda rider Robbie Baird was also a nonstarter after breaking his collarbone in a crash during Saturday's practice, and Chardon, Ohio's Tom Kipp dropped out of the Superbike race due to a suspected clutch failure on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX7RR. As a result of all this drama, Cyr now has 110 points to Crevier's 104. Picotte is third in the standings with 96, and Michael Taylor, with 94, is fourth after a brave ride to seventh at St-Eustache aboard his Orion Honda CBR954RR. Taylor had badly bruised his shoulder in a fall on Saturday. Cyr set a time of 46.463 seconds in the dying minutes of qualifying to claim pole for the Superbike feature and break Jordan Szoke's track record of 46.641, set last year. When the Dunlop Starting Lights flashed green, Cyr led into the first turn. Kipp trailed him after the opening lap, but within another tour Picotte was up to second, and on lap four he took the lead from Cyr at the end of the back straight. penalty for jumping the start to win his second race in a row on his Picotte led the next nine laps, but Cyr was never far behind. "I wasn't scared," Cyr said. "I knew I was quicker than him. He started to slide around, and I waited. When he started to slide more, I said, 'That's it. Itt Yamaha YZF-R6. Leduc led the race from pole but was judged to have moved too early. When a red flag halted action on lap four, he was moved back to fifth for the restart. Undeterred, Leduc worked his way up to the lead with two laps to go. He edged the Honda CBR600RR of Well- Cyr duplicated picotte's pass at the end of the back straight on lap 13 as the St-Cecile de Milton, Quebec, rider started to struggle with his soft Dunlop tires. Cyr, running on a medium Michelin tire, opened up a slight gap and then saw that gap grow as Picotte was delayed by a backmarker on lap 14. "I don't think the back marker ruined the race for me, but it didn't help," Picotte admitted. "The rear tire was not working for me. [After Cyr passed], I hoped he would come back to me, but his bike was really working." Granby, Quebec's Kevin Lacombe was fourth on the Orion Motorsport Honda RC51. For most of the race, he was hounded by the Brooklin Yamaha YZF-R1 of Kleinburg, Ontario's Frank Trombino. On the last four laps, Trombino faded with a cramped knee and settled for fifth. Trombino did score his first-ever cue I EO sley, Ontario's Bill Card for the win. Hugo Brisson of Piedmont, Quebec, placed third on a Kawasaki ZX6RR. Despite missing the opening round, Leduc now leads the Amateur 600cc Sportbike standings with 110 points to the Dan Henri's 102 and Card's 95. eN Autodrllme Old Milwaukee Sl-EusUche St-Eustache, Quebec, Canada Results: July S, 2003 [Round 3J AM 600 SPT/BK: 1. Jeremy Leduc (Yam); 2. Bill Card (Hon); 3. Hugo Brisson (Kaw): 4. Yannick Beauregard (Suz); 5. Yannick Morin (Kaw); 6. Sebastien Michel (Hen): 7. Carot Corbeil (Han); 8. Jeremy French (Hon); 9. Nick Proulx (Han): 10. Derek Bowker (Yam). PRO 600 SPT/BK: 1. Frank Trombino (Yam); 2. Pascal Picotte (Yam): 3. Jean-Francois Cyr (Yam); 4. Kevin Lacombe (Hon); 5. Francis Martin (Suz); 6. Andrew Nelson (Hon); 7. Darryn Wilbur (Yam); 8. Jeff Williams (SUI): 9. Clint McBain (Suz); 10. Michael Taylor (Hon). PRO S/BK: I. Jean·Francois Cyr (Yam): 2. Pascal Picotte (Yam): 3. Francis Martin (Suz); 4. Kevin Lacombe (Hon): 5. Frank Trombino (Yam): 6. Clint McBain (Suz): 7. Michael Taylor (Hon): 8. Jeff Williams (Suz); 9. Andrew Nelson (Hon): 10. Benoit Pilon (Yam). n EO _ S • JULY 30,2003 55

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