Newly crowned Mopar CSBK overall Canadian National motorcycle roadracing Champion Jordan Szoke made his debut at New Jersey Motorsport Park today, in opening practice for the deciding event in the 2015 MotoAmerica Series.
This outing marked the first appearance for Szoke in a U.S. National since the ten time Canadian Pro CSBK Champ raced the Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR south of the border back in 2010, coincidentally also the previous time that Szoke earned a season sweep of his home CSBK series.
Szoke was a U.S. series regular for several teams, including Harley-Davidson and Corona Suzuki, early in the last decade.
In New Jersey Szoke was aboard his regular Express Lane/Joe Rocket/BMW Motorrad 2015 model S1000RR, but sporting the number 110 on a red background rather than his typical number 1 or 101. Szoke was 15th quickest in Practice two for the featured Superbike/Superstock 1000cc division. In his first outing on the track Friday morning, Szoke was 18th best around the “Thunderbolt” version’s 12 turn, 2.25 mile long layout.
Szoke’s afternoon efforts put him 9th best in the 19 rider strong Superstock class-within-a-class, the category closest to rules used for the Canadian National tour during the past decade. 27 riders set times during the hour long second session.
“Fifteenth isn’t my goal, but around two seconds off the top factory Superbike isn’t too bad,” smiled Szoke after practice in New Jersey. Szoke lapped at 1:23.56, while quickest overall belonged to the works Monster Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike of series points leader Cameron Beaubier, with a lap at 1:21 flat. Beaubier’s team-mate and title rival Josh Hayes, the current Champ, was second quickest with a lap at 1:21.69.
“Early on I was by myself learning the track, went over a bump, got spit right off the bike, my whole leg was draggin’, but somehow I managed to hang on! But overall the BMW feels really food, and I’m having fun out there with my bike.”
“So far, this track is really physically demanding. I did a bunch of consistent laps, 26 on one tire, more than the race, so I feel like we already know a lot about what the race will require. My set-up allows me to ride the bike consistently, and I just have to work on my lap times.”
“At one point, I got hooked up with Josh Day on the Westby Yamaha, he’s in the same class with us, and we rode together for a few laps, and that was good. Then I ran a little with Jake Lewis (Yoshimura Suzuki Superbike) near the end, and I could run with him.” So far Lewis is tenth overall, while Day put in the 13th best time of the afternoon’s combined Superbike/Superstock session.
“Still, it’s only Friday, and I’ve never been here, so I have to set realistic goals. I was a little sluggish in the morning, but the afternoon session was solid. My goal is to be the first BMW, and we will see how it goes tomorrow, where we can go from there.”
Szoke is scheduled to take part in two SuperPole sessions on Saturday, at 2:10 and 2:35 in the afternoon, to establish the grid for Sunday’s pair of 25 lap races.
In the opening session of SuperSport qualifying, Joe Roberts set the pace (1:22.16) aboard his Wheels in Motion Yamaha YZF-R6, while Canadian young gun Ben Young was 12th quickest with a 1:24.7 on his RoadRace Factory Yamaha.
Bazzaz Superstock 600 Qualifying was headed by Bryce Prince on the Tuned Racing Yamaha at 1:24.54. In her second career start in the U.S., recently crowned co-BCR Rookie Pro of the Year in CSBK, Stacey Nesbitt, placed 34th aboard the Statoni Racing Honda CBR600RR.
