FAST Riding School offering Hard Charger award again at SMP finale

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Category: CSBK News

Published on Friday, August 30, 2024 08:30 EDT

Written by Cam Bickle

The FAST Riding School will again be providing one of the most popular awards in the paddock at the Bridgestone CSBK finale this weekend, with the Hard Charger Award set to return to the GP Bikes Pro Superbike Class at Shannonville Motorsport Park.

Handed out following each of the two Superbike races, the Hard Charger prize goes to the rider “deemed to have produced the best effort in the context of the race, as chosen by Bridgestone CSBK staff and FAST Riding School owner Martin Hamel.”

In most instances, this has either gone to a rider that has gained a number of positions during the race and/or one that has overcome exceptional circumstances to finish. One rider cannot win twice in one weekend, producing separate winners at each event.

The award is typically on offer exclusively at Shannonville, the home of the FAST Riding School, and was last featured during the 2024 season opener on SMP’s “Pro Track” back in May.

Ben Young would claim the award in race one after overcoming a slow start to fight back through the field and win, while Trevor Dion was the Hard Charger in race two after switching from his Ducati to a BMW at the last-minute and powering his way to fourth.

Founded in 1987 by Alan Labrosse, the FAST Riding School operated for many years under the guidance of former CSBK champion Michel Mercier. Now owned by another former top pro in Martin Hamel, the school has been an integral part of developing racers at all levels in Canada.

The Hard Charger Award was first offered in 2021 and has been handed out 12 times overall, with nine different riders claiming the prize. Only Young, Jordan Szoke, and Tomas Casas have taken the award on multiple occasions, while other winners include Dion, Sam Guerin, Trevor Daley, Connor Campbell, Rennie Scaysbrook, and Ryan Taylor.