Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Parts Canada Superbike Cham pionship Round 1: Race City Motorsport Park By J OH N H O PK IN S P HO T O S B Y C OLIN F RA S ER CAL GARY AB, CANAD , JU II , A NE onda 's RCS1 made a remarkable Canad ian racing debut with a dominant performance in the o pe n ing ro un d of the Parts Canada Superbi ke Ch amp ionship at Calgary 's Race City Motorsport Park . B rantford , Ontario's Jordan Szok e . wo n bot h Superb ike rac es o n the new twi n, w hile tea mma te St ev e Cr ev ier chased him ac ross the li ne each ti me . Szoke also set a new track rec ord in q ualifying, whi ch w as th en su rpassed by Crevier in t he first l fi -Iap feature . " It' s t he b est weekend of r ac in g I' ve eve r ha d ," sai d Szoke. the 1998 Canad ian Supe rbike cham p wh o won three rac es fo r Hon da last ye ar. Mean wh ile , Ka wasaki's b id to ad d a histo ric 10th st raig h t N a t i on a l Superbike crown to its trophy case got off to a rough start. Defendi ng Parts Canada Superbike champion Francis Ma rtin placed fourth in both races on his lX · 7RR, while Michael T aylor cra shed out of the lead ba ttle in t he secon d race after pla cin g third in th e o pe ner o n hi s lX·9R. In his Suzu ki debut, Li nnley Clarke completed the podium in the second rac e, beh in d Szok e and Crevier, after fin ish ing fi ft h in th e fi rst leg. The na ti ve of Barrie, Onta rio , was rid ing th e Fas t Comp any t ea m ' s 900cc GSX -R7S 0 hyb rid , nic kn am ed " Brutus." Yam ah a als o enj o y ed an enco ur ag i ng sta rt t o t he seas on as Wood bridg e , Ont a r i o ' s Fra nk Tro m b ino t oo k hi s YlF -R l to six th in th e fir st rac e, o nly to be eli m inated in T ay lor's cras h early in th e second . Szoke had to ured the 2 -mile Rac e City faci lity in one minu te, 18 .78 1 seconds in time trials, as time d qua lifying m ade it s de but on th e Na t io na l to ur. (Heat races were pr evi ou sly used .) But he was onl y seve nth off the line at th e st art of the first race , as Martin grabbed the lead fro m Clark e and T aylor. T aylor wa s into th e lead by the seco n d lap , w hil e Sz o ke and C r e v i e r hook ed u p in fo u rt h and fifth . They pass ed Clarke i n tand em and t h en Martin . A t the st art of lap six , Szoke go t ins ide T aylor at the en d of th e long front straight, and two laps late r Cre vi er moved up to seco nd wh en Ta yl or, who w a s n ow battling o v er he at i ng tires, went wid e in turns two an d four. Crevie r w as un ab le t o c ha llenge hi s Hon da tea m mate , howe ve r. "T hese ra ces are to o sho rt for wh at I' m used to ," said Cr ev ier , a four -time Canadi an Superbik e Champion wh o has spe nt th e pa st several yea rs run ning in AMA co m pe ti tion . "T here's no stra t egy - just go! " Ta yl or settl ed for third , ahead of Mart in , Clarke and Trombino. Szok e was aga in slow off the line at the start of race two and found himself at the back of a four -rider battl e for the lead led by Ta ylor; Crevier and Trombino. It was shaping up to be an interesting race, but on lap six T ay lo r suffered a high -side. Crevier m anag ed to squeeze betw een the fallen rider and his spinning bike , but t h e back of t he Kawasak i clipped Tr ombino's Yamaha as he tried t o squ eeze thro ugh. T r o m bin o w ent down and his brand -new R I demolished itself in a series of fli ps, although neither he nor Taylor was hurt. Szo k e was lucky t o av o id the ca rnage, b ut fe ll abo ut 1 .5 seco nds behind his team mate. How e ver , he put his head down, erased the m argin and took the lead between turns on," and two later in the race . Cl a rk e ra n third , ah ea d of Martin . The rid er fr om Rock For est , Q uebec , hounded the Suzuki rider m erci lessl y bu t was un abl e to ge t b y , and Cl ark e gave Su zuki it s fi rst Su perb ik e podi um finish in several y ears . " M a n, th at f e e ls go od , " sai d Clark e, wh o won last year's Yoshirnura 600c c Sport Bike t itl e fo r Yamaha . "It' s been a wh il e sinc e I've been on a [Sup erbik e] pod ium." J ean- Francois Cy r com plete d th e top fi v e on a Honda CB R929 RR, and K awasak i's N ei l J enk in s was si xth . Szo k e 's tw o win s p lu s h i s p ol e qualify ing effo rt left him solidly in th e le ad of the Parts C anada Su perb ik e st andi ng s, w ith 110 points to Crev i er's 88 . Clark e is th ird w ith 66 po ints, ju st two ahead of Martin . Owen We ichel wo n a wil d o pe ner t o th e Yo shimu r a 6 0 0 cc Sport B ik e Champion sh ip at Calg ary. Th e To ro n to rider, on Metz ler t ire s, led unt il th e final lap , w he n f ell o w H on d a CBR600F4 rider Crev ier m ounted a st rong attack . The rid er fro m M apl e Ridge, British Co lumbia , gr abbed t he lead briefl y , o n ly to lose it agai n t o We ichel a few corn ers fro m th e finish. Crevier's front t ire glanc ed off the rea r of Weichel's bike ex iti ng the final turn, and Crevier was lucky not to fal l. Szok e , m e an while , had tr ied to lAbove) Frank Trombino celebrates after w inning the International Motorcycle Supershow Open Sport Bike feature at Race City Motorsport Park. (Left) Steve Crevie r peft), J ordan Sz oke (cen ter) and M ichael Taylor (right) ta ke to the podi um at the opening rou nd of the Pa rts Canada Superbike Championship. pass Weich el and Crevier in the '" Bus Stop " ch icane at the end of th e back st ra ight, only to run off the t ra ck and suff er a big t ank -slap per. He was able t o snea k h is C B R600 F4 und er h is t eammate , howeve r, to gra b sec ond be h ind W ei chel at t he fini sh , whil e Cr evi er salvaged th ird . Crevier insist ed We ichel had do ne a " brak e check " on him in the fina l turn, causing the co nt act, and fil ed a protest , terming the inci den t " a pr etty idi o t ic move by Owen." Weich el denied hitting the brak es, and said hi s rear whe el had spun as he go t on the throttle. Defending class cha m pio n Cla rke wa s fou rth on his Suz uki GSX -R600 afte r run n in g second in th e early laps. T romb in o ros e from fourth at th e start to win the Internationa l Motorcy cl e Supershow Open Sport Bi ke round at Race Ci ty on his R1. Tayl or led early o n his ZX -9 R and traded th e to p spot cue I e br iefl y with defend in g class ch am pion Beno it Pilon, ri di ng an R 1. T rom b ino grabbed the lead for good on lap seven and held it to th e end, while Tay lor settl ed for second, j ust ahead of R1 pil ot an d local star Murra y Clift. Pilon fad ed CN to eighth with gearbox trouble . Race City Motorspart Part< Calgary, Albert. Canada Results: June 11, 2000 IRaund 11 PRO S/BK I : l. Jordan Szoke (Hon): 2. Steve Crevier (Hon); 3. Michael Taylor ( Kaw) ; 4 . Francis Marti n ( Kaw); 5 . Linnley Clarke (Suz) ; 6. Fran k Tromb ino ( Ya m); 7. Ben oit Pilon (Ya m); 8 . Neil Jenkin s ( Kaw ) ; 9 . Jeff Williams (Kaw); 10 . Clint McBain (Hon) . PRO S/BK 2 : l . Jordan Szoke (Hon); 2. Steve Crevier ( Hon) ; 3 . Linnley Clarke (Suz) ; 4 . Francis Martin (Kaw); 5. J.F. Cyr (Hon): 6. Neil Jenkins (Kaw); 7. Jeff Williams (Kaw) ; 8. Csaba Werner ( Kaw) ; 9. laITY Denning (Yam); 10. Clint McBain (Hon). . PRO 6 00 SPT/BK: I. Owen Weichel ( Hon); 2. Jordan Szoke ( Hon); 3 . Stev e Cre vier ( Hon) ; 4 . Linnley Clar ke (Suz); 5 . J .F. Cyr ( Hon ); 6. Frank Wilson (Yam); 7. MurrllY Clift (Yam); 8. Jeff Williams (Kaw ); 9 . Ne il Jenkins (Kaw ); 10. Joel McDo nald (Hon). PRO OPEN SPT/BK: 1. Frank Trombino (Yam) ; 2. Michael Tayl or (Kaw) ; 3. Murray Clift (Yam ) ; 4. J .F. Cy r ( Hon) ; 5 . John Shar rard (Ya m); 6 . Clint McBain ( Hon ); 7 . Da le Yama da {Ke w}: 8 . Benoit Pilon (Ya m ) ; 9 . Francois Duma s ( Kaw); 10. Ale n Andreasen (Yam) . n e _ s • JUNE 2B, 2000 49

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