CSBK - Round 1 Report: Michael Leon

Round 1 Report: Michael Leon

Details: Category: Team News; Published on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 14:53 EDT

CSBK Shannonville Rd1 Race Report: One step forward, two steps back

The 2018 Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship started well but took a quick turn for the worse for rider Michael Leon and the Royal Distributing Superbike crew at the season opener held at Shannonville Motorsport Park this past weekend May 25 - 27. After qualifying the BMW S1000RR Superbike on the front row, Michael crashed during the opening laps of the race while running in 4th place.

Up until the race on Sunday, Michael was consistently running in the top 5 during the practice sessions. The setup required little changes and team members Kyle Blakely (from Windmill Motorsports) and Joe Gervais were able to focus on small tweaks rather than big changes. Michael qualified in fourth place with a time of 1:05.488 seconds during Saturday’s Dalton Timmis Insurance SuperPole session, putting him on the front row for the first time in the last few seasons.

Unfortunately, the race did not go to plan. Leon botched the start and completed the first lap in 5th place. He then crashed out of corner 3 after making the pass for 4th on the third lap. “I had the pace for a strong 4th place but threw it away. I guess I got a little desperate to get by for 4th because I could see 3rd place was starting to gap us. Even after all these years, I need to work at being patient during a long race! We have stepped things up this year, now I just need to stop hitting the pavement. At least the bike isn’t too badly damaged. Thanks to all the well wishers who have checked in on me since the race and a huge shout out to my crew Kyle and Joe for all the hard work and staying positive despite the disappointment.” commented Michael.

He added “I’ve got to mention my gear sponsors. Once again Bell Helmets, Joe Rocket leathers, Five Gloves and TCX Boots have saved my butt. It’s amazing how good the current gear is and that we can walk away from crashing a motorcycle at over 120 Km/hr with only a swollen hand!”

A huge positive for the team is the new 2018 BMW S1000RR that Pro 6 Cycle is preparing. It should be ready for testing next week and ready for competition at Round 3, Michael’s home race in Quebec.

The Royal Distributing Superbike Team hopes to see you at Grand Bend Motorplex for the second round of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship June 8-10th.

The Royal Distributing Racing Team would like to thank Royal Distributing, Pro 6 Cycle, Dunlop USA, BMW Motorrad Canada, Windmill Motorsports, Bell Helmets, Joe Rocket Canada, Five Gloves, TCX Boots, Hindle Exhaust, Liqui Moly Canada, Motovan, Performance Friction, Perry Performance, Forsaken Motorsports, Apex Brakelines, GianMajor Inc., Armour Bodies, Woodcraft, MWR Air Filters, Bickle Racing, Dave Smith and Vortex Racing Sprockets.

From a press release