Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/842139
IN THE WIND P52 SZOKE TOPS CANADIAN SUPERBIKE R ace day at round three of the 2017 Mopar Canadian Su- perbike Championship ended as most had expected, with Jordan Szoke winning the 22-lap feature race in convincing fashion at Au- todrome St-Eustache, June 25. Most of the action-filled race day was under constant threat of rain, but all races were contested under mainly dry conditions, with some light rain falling during both Pro contests. Polesitter Szoke took the lead early in Pro Superbike and got away from the field immediately, pulling clear for a 6.203-second victory on his Mopar Express Lane/Motovan BMW S 1000 RR ahead of the Z1/Parts Canada Yamaha R1 of Bodhi Edie and the Sturgess Cycle/Liqui Moly Kawasaki ZX-10RR of Kenny Riedmann. It marked the seventh consecutive win at St-Eustache for the 11-time Canadian Super- bike Champion, who first won at the Montreal-area track back in 2002. "The bike was fantastic all weekend, right out of the box," said Szoke on the podium after his 61st Canadian Superbike victory. "We have a great setup here, and this is my strongest track. Our bike's running amaz- ing, and we had it dialed for the race. "I was getting pretty angry when it was starting to rain," con- tinued Szoke, acknowledging the threatening pre-race conditions. "I'm a great rain rider, but I knew if we had a dry track, we had the bike." Szoke's BMW actually started to slow in the final turn, and he was barely able to complete his in-lap. The champ suspected an electronic glitch. Szoke will carry a 33-point lead into the round four double- header at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS. "That was a blast," said runner-up Edie after an engaging race-long duel with Riedmann for second. "It was pretty much a battle between Kenny and I from lap three or four; we had multiple passes in different corners on each lap, inside and outside. I got a pretty good start from the second row, but unfortunately Jordan got out front and got away right away. He had the pace all weekend." "It was a super fun race, and that's why we ride motorcycles," said Riedmann, who earned his third podium finish of the year. "We're not making a living out here, and it's just so much fun when you get into a race-long battle like that. I wish I would have come out on top, but I'm just happy to be having fun on a motorcycle, because I haven't been having much fun lately. Now my team is ready to regroup and start winning races." CN AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2017 T he AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame will welcome five new inductees on September 22 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. The ceremony, which takes place in conjunction with the American International Motorcycle Expo, will officially induct FMF Racing founder Donnie Emler Sr., off-road racing champion Eddie Lojak Sr., world motocross champion and Road 2 Recovery founder Bob Moore, racer and filmmaker Peter Starr and racer, and team owner and publisher John Ulrich. "The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2017 includes giants of the motorcycle lifestyle, sport and industry," said Ken Ford, a member of the AMA board of directors and chairman of the American Motor- cycle Heritage Foundation board. "Each of these individuals has made a lasting impact on motorcycling in some profound way. "Generations of riders have benefitted from their accomplishments or can appreciate their competitive talent," said Ford. "The Hall of Fame will shine a little brighter this Sept. 22, when these five motorcyclists are enshrined for perpetuity." CN