Shubenacadie, NS – Round two of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, presented by Pro Cycle and Canadian Kawasaki, is fully underway at Atlantic Motorsport Park.
The GP Bikes Pro Superbike class featured the race of the day as Ben Young and Jordan Szoke battled from the lead to the final laps. Both riders were on the pace right away, quickly setting times in the 1:08s around the 2.57-KM circuit near Halifax, NS, and then cutting that down to a 1:07 shortly after. Szoke would get the better launch and force Young to play catch-up, with the Van Dolder’s Home Team Honda sandwiched between Szoke’s AIM Insurance Kawasaki and the Octagon Energy Services Yamaha of Torin Collins for the opening laps.
Young was able to get past and into the lead, but Szoke was more than content, stating, “I started noticing Ben making little mistakes here and there, so I kept the pace up and tried to line up a move.” Young was vigilant and defensive but Szoke was not discouraged, and was able to retake the lead on lap 14 of the 20-lap race one.
Young still had the pace, as he caught Szoke napping in turn seven, retaking the lead again. The dogfight between them would be tight until the last lap, when Szoke tried to make another move into turn one and made contact with Young at the exit, resulting in Szoke running off and being forced to rejoin in second place. “I’m happy that both of us got out after the slight contact,” said Young ecstatically. “it’s been so long since we had a battle like this, so I’m glad we can come out of this smiling about it.” With this nailbiter of a win, Young ties for second in the all-time win list with Steve Crevier, with 26 wins each.
Collins, who was only able to stay close to the lead pair for a couple of laps, explained, “I lost my knee slider early, and I was making too many mistakes, so I settled with third instead of, well, crashing out.”
The Honda-mounted pair of Andrew Van Winkle and David MacKay rounded out the top five, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.
In the OPP Racing Pro Supersport class, Cole Alexander had a bullet-like start, with reigning champion Collins noting that he was surprised at how quick Alexander was able to pull away from him after taking the lead from fourth on the grid. The French Glass Co. Suzuki rider was able to pull at least a bike’s length at the exit of turn one, but Collins was quick on the charge, overtaking Alexander and speeding off for a dominant first place finish with a 17-second margin.
The podium was decided by a wonderful switchback overtake on turn ten by Sebastian Tremblay, as the Deux-Montagne, QC rider cut to the inside of turn eleven to pass Alexander to finish second after he studied Alexander until the closing laps. Matt Simpson would finish fourth off the back of the podium battle. Mackenzie Weil had a feisty race with Moncton, NB’s Vincent Wilson, neither rider giving an inch as Weil would slip into fifth in turn nine at lap sixteen.
AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike saw a dramatic race with two retirees, as Brookfield, NS rider Baillie Ives would gun for the lead but over-cook the exit of turn one, wiping out as his bike went out for a gymnastics lesson in the grass. Andy Hutchinson had a good shot at the lead, but a second attempt at an overtake proved costly as the bike slid out at turn four and his chance at a victory went with it. The win went to Alexis Beaudoin from St Maurice, QC.
Julia Krans would rejoice, as the two DNFs propelled her to P3, a sleek pass through the inside of turn nine was a move that Krans was waiting to set up after the Caledon East Suzuki rider studied Jeremy Lazure for a couple of laps. “I was watching him and he was quite sluggish out of the back straight, so I knew I had a chance to put my bike right up the inside, especially when my front wheel was right at his rear wheel,” said Krans, who finished second as Lazure rounded out the podium.
Race one for EBC Brakes Amateur Supersport was action from the jump, with Ives diving down the inside of turn nine on Beaudoin and promptly speeding off, finishing almost five seconds ahead. Beaudoin had a tough time once again with Andy Hutchinson, who was not willing to go down without a fight, with the pair finishing P2 and P3 respectively.
In the Importations Thibault Twins Cup, JP Tache had his toughest opponent yet, as local Gary McKinnon from Debert, NS was able to tail Tache for more than half of the race. Tache noted, “McKinnon was the only one that I knew would be close to me, so I knew it would be a great race.” But Tache was able to unlock another gear in his Aprilia, and he rocketed off to a 20-second gap as McKinnon settled into second. Suzuki rider Justin Marshall completed the podium in third.
The Scorpion EXO Ninja ZX-4R Cup saw Jared Walker break the lap record for the class as he produced a 1:15:157 to solidify his lead at the top of the class. He was ecstatic, declaring, “Even with a false start and staying at the start line longer than I needed to, I was able to move back to the front and even challenge one of the Twins (Sebastian Silva), so I am pretty proud that I was able to work with the quirks of the bike and set the time that I did, at a track that I like riding at.”
The Super Sonic Road Race School Lightweight Sportbike race saw local experience beat out young, up-and-coming talent, as Cory Canfield passed Lachlan Alexander for the lead at turn 5, a beauty of a move to cement the home hero’s well deserved first place, a first national series podium for the Halifax local.
Round two action continues on Sunday at Atlantic Motorsport Park.
