When the Mopar CSBK Pro Superbike class returns in 2019, it will look far different than the last time fans witnessed the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship in action just a few months ago. Despite the abundance of changes, there is a consensus amongst the top Pro riders from 2018; they’re all just eager to be back.
That return to racing won’t come officially until May 17-19 when the CSBK season opens at Shannonville Motorsport Park, though some big names are expected to compete at the upcoming RACE Superseries opener at the circuit.
At the forefront of the National campaign is four-time defending champion Jordan Szoke of Lynden, ON, who will be chasing his record 14th title overall this season. However, Szoke will be doing so aboard Kawasaki machinery after an eight-year partnership with BMW came to an end this offseason.
“It was a very busy winter, just getting everything together with the new bike and sponsorships,” said Szoke, who won four consecutive titles with Kawasaki from 2006 to 2009. “It’s exciting. There’s still a lot of work to do, but we’re really looking forward to it.”
Szoke will enter his 24th season as a Pro in unfamiliar territory, having lost consecutive races to close out the 2018 season and even failing to reach the podium in the final race for the first time in over a half-decade. Further complicating matters is that the reigning champ has gotten in very limited offseason testing aboard his new Kawasaki ZX-10R.
The first rider in line to try and take Szoke’s crown in 2019 will likely be Collingwood, ON’s Ben Young, who will be returning aboard his Scot-Build Barrie BMW S1000RR. Young capped off a career year last season with his first-ever Pro win in the penultimate race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and was the runner-up to Szoke’s title defence.
“We’re all just really excited to be back,” Young said. “We have a lot of the same program we had last season, but getting that first win was huge. I’m just really looking forward to being back.”
Another name routinely heard as a challenger to Szoke is St. Isidore, QC’s Samuel Trepanier, who has spent much of his offseason touring Europe. The Blysk Racing BMW rider nearly defeated Szoke at the finale weekend in 2017 and came close again in round four of 2018, but has yet to take the top step on the podium.
One of the most intriguing names to watch heading into the season is Mississauga, ON’s Trevor Daley, who finished fourth in the overall standings a year ago aboard a privateer Kawasaki outfit. Daley has since switched to Suzuki machinery where he will receive more factory support aboard a GSX-R1000, and could be a dark horse to win his first ever Pro Superbike race in 2019.
The fifth-place rider from a year ago, veteran Michael Leon, is another rider who could benefit from consistency this season. The Beaconsfield, QC native is continuing a long-standing partnership aboard his Royal Distributing BMW, and is a constant threat to challenge for podium finishes and perhaps even his first career victory.
“I’m tired of winter, and really tired of shovelling,” Leon joked. “But we’re all just really looking forward to getting back into it all and start racing again.”
Another dark horse in 2019 will be Parts Canada Yamaha rider Tomas Casas, who will be piloting a R1 superbike for the first time in his career. Aside from chasing his third-consecutive Pro Sport Bike championship, the Peterborough, ON native will be aiming for a career year in the premier class.
“We’re still focusing on [sport bike], but we’re really looking forward to Superbike as well, more than ever before,” said the 19-year old Casas. “It’s going to be really fun running the two classes at a high level this year.”
Despite all the changes within the grid, there are also changes to be made off the track entering 2019. The first round will come earlier than usual when the season opens at SMP in May, and round three at Autodrome St-Eustache will be the last CSBK event at the venue before the historic track closes permanently.
Fans and riders eager to start the season can get their first taste of racing from May 3-5 in Shannonville, when the RACE Superseries kicks off their season just two weeks before the CSBK opener. Newcastle, ON’s Elie Daccache will aim to defend his Pro Superbike title against a host of National talent, while Casas will return as the defending champion in the Pro 600 category.
It is believed a number of top Pro riders from the National circuit will join the regional ranks for round one, including Daley and Leon, with hopes that top-two finishers Szoke and Young will be in attendance, as well.
Information regarding the RACE Superseries opener can be found on their website at www.shannonville.com or on the official R.A.C.E. Superseries Facebook page.
