Looking For Wins
While Jordan Szoke’s unprecedented winning streak aboard the Express Lane/Motovan BMW S1000RR continues to be the talk of the Feature Mopar CSBK class in 2016, his competition is working toward a break through. The two racers who look most likely to defeat Szoke are Sturgess Cycle/Liqui Moly Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R pilot Kenny Riedmann and class rookie Ben Young on the Tim Horton’s/Scot-Build BMW S1000RR.
Last year, Riedmann made a brilliant debut in the feature class with his Scott Cameron built Ninja, and this year his fine form has continued with the next generation Ninja. The team are still chasing set-up details, and chassis alterations at the last minute at St-Eustache boosted their pace to challenge for the win.
For Young, St-Eustache was the start of a challenging portion of the 2016 CSBK Schedule, with four SBK races in a row at two tracks new to him. So to run in the lead, and make it to the podium three times (two races and Dalton Timmis Insurance SuperPole) was a great step forward by the crew lead by Scott Cartier of Hindle and suspension guru Willie Vas from Calgary.
Next up is the Atlantic Motorsport Park event July 16 and 17 sponsored by Honda and Pro Cycle, a venue where Riedmann has shown well in the past. Last year, Riedmann fought for the lead with Szoke and 2016 flat tracker Jodi Christie. Meanwhile Young will be busy learning the hilly venue that contains the “Roller Coaster” back straight, but after his recent efforts no one will be surprised if he gets the track figured out in time for the finals.
Yamahas Ready to Break Through
The talk of practice at St-Eustache was fast guy Bodhi Edie aboard the Trip-Dub Racing/Z1 Tuning Yamaha YZF-R1M. Unfortunately, a fall entering the oval during Dalton Timmis Insurance Qualifying made a mess of the yellow number five, although Edie merely went for a slide and was uninjured. The fact he would not be able to race was a disappointment to the team’s many supporters.
Now Edie’s crew are in a race to get the parts and repairs needed to make the trip east for “Shubie.” The Saskatoon-based racer has done well there in the past, and of course is looking forward to his return to the scene of his sole Mopar CSBK Win, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, in August.
Meanwhile, Kevin Lacombe showed good speed aboard the Motosport St-Cesaire/Motovan Yamaha YZF-R1S, but struggled over a race distance. Lacombe would prefer the M model Yamaha 1000, struggling with some electronic issues with the less-racer friendly “S” model. Right now, the team are trying to resolve ABS issues.
While Lacombe earned a fourth and a sixth in the two rounds in Quebec, the One Speed/Rockstar entry of Trevor Daley went 6/7 overall, and the famed bike builder was not happy. Still dealing with electronic updates issues and a lack of tuning options, Daley aims to have everything working well in time for A.M.P., a venue where he has won on a Sport Bike in the past.
Sport Bike Challengers
Kenny Riedmann won the past two Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike Championships aboard a Triumph, and seems well on his way to National title number three in 2016 with his new Sturgess Cycle Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja 636. At St-Eustache, he came under pressure from Michael Taylor (Triumph 675 Daytona), Louie Raffa (Honda CBR600RR) and upstart rookie Pro Alex Coelho (Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja). Still, when the chequered was shown, Riedmann was cruising to the win, just as he did at the Shannonville opener.
Taylor, second at Shannonville, put pressure on Riedmann at St-Eustache, but ran off in the infield at the restart trying for the lead. Although the crash was a minor tip-over, GP Cycles backed Taylor damaged his arm lifting his triple, and is waiting for surgery five days after the incident.
Will Taylor race in Nova Scotia? For anyone else, this would be unlikely, but for veteran tough guy (and twice overall CSBK number one) Taylor, a quick return is certainly within the realm of possibility.
The fastest Pro Sport Bike laps at St-Eustache were set by Tomas Casas, who stalled on the line and then charged after the field aboard the Parts Canada/Peterborough Cycle Yamaha YZF-R6. However, he wound up battered, but not injured, after a slide into the Air Fence at the Carousel. Quick at A.M.P., expect Casas to regain form at the next round.
Rookie Pros Continue to Impress
In a season with much deeper and stronger grids than we have seen of late, it is good to note many of last year’s top Amateurs are making an impression in the Pro ranks. In Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike, Alex Coelho briefly lead and then earned his first podium with a third place, not bad considering his crash the day before.
Fellow rookie Pro Phil Leckie of London, ON, also ran near the front, placing fourth at the finish of the “600 class” with his S.C.I./Crashburn Cycles Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja. Back from a fall in round one at the Shannonville opener, rookie Pro Martin Cote placed fifth with his Honda CBR600RR.
Meanwhile, in Pro Superbike Leckie’s rivals in the Canadian Amateur series from 2015 showed plenty of pace. Top Amateur in the opening race was Samuel Trepanier in eighth aboard his Blysk Racing/Elle Skin BMW S1000RR, working his way though a busy pack after a bad start. 2015 Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike Champ Derrick Whyte earned 12th with his Snow City/Lucas Oils Kawasaki, having just completed his own engine rebuild!
In Sunday’s Superbike counter, Trepanier earned another solid eighth, out-dueling ninth placed Whyte by just half a second. Leckie bumped up to the Feature class for a very strong 11th against the 1000s with his middleweight entry, just in front of Coelho. Honourable mention goes to Cote and his CBR600RR, in the points in Sunday’s CSBK round with 15th after just missing the points with a 16th place on Saturday.
Amateurs Steal the St-E Show
While the Pro action was good at round two in Quebec, there is no question both the Amateur races were edge-of-your-seat affairs.
In Shoei Premium Helmets Amateur Sport Bike, Samuel Desmarais did much of the leading around the tight Autodrome with his CBR600RR but wound up second to the Yamaha YZF-R6 of Alexander Guay. Challenging for the win was opening round S.M.P. victor Chris Brent with his Honda, the clear points leader (Brent has 97 to 7th at St-E Jean-Francois Aubin’s 62-point total) winding up a very close third.
After challenging for the win, Jacob Shaw-O’Leary earned fourth on a Pro Cycle Honda, and is no doubt looking forward to the next round: the first Amateur Double-Header of the year takes place at Atlantic Motorsport Park mid-month, and “Shubie” is O’Leary’s home venue.
In Quebec’s Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike race, Flat Track Canada Champ Doug Lawrence, 30 years of age, won his first career CSBK National class start aboard a Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja. Fourth early in the race, Lawrence didn’t get to the lead until the final of 14 laps, edging Ernest Bernhard’s Yamaha R1.
BMW-mounted Jean-Marc Bilger, the SMP victor and Series points leader, ran wide on the last lap while trying for the lead and wound up third just ahead of the Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Mathieu Tremblay (second at round one). The top 600 was Brent’s Honda in fifth.
The points chase for the Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike 2016 crown is the closest in the Nationals, with Bilger ahead with a total of 84 points with Bernhard second at 81 points, Tremblay right there with 78. Fourth placed Brent is in striking distance with 71 points, and the next two races on the east coast will not penalize the middleweight class 600cc rider much, if at all. Stay tuned.
