Round 2 Report: Ben Young

Young Earns First National CSBK Superbike Podium

ST-EUSTACHE, Quebec – Pro MOPAR Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK) racer Ben Young of Collingwood, ON, aboard his Tim Hortons / Scot-Build BMW S1000RR earned not only his first national CSBK podium last Saturday he repeated the result in spectacular style on Sunday.

In the opening day of practice on Friday for the second round of the 2016 National CSBK tour at Autodrome St-Eustache, Quebec Young was fifth fastest in his first-ever journey to St-Eustache. To get accustomed to the track he turned numerous laps to learn potential lines and get the most out of his set up before qualifying.

“We got roughly thirty-eight laps in on the same soft Dunlop slick tire option so that was a real positive to build on.  This will be a demanding race as the heat will play a big factor all weekend.” said Young

Young was hungry to achieve first Dalton Timmis Insurance Top Qualifier Award. During Saturday’s SuperPole qualifying the class rookie set a time of 46.043 aboard his Tim Hortons / Scot-Build BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR, the third fastest of the session. Pro Superbike Qualifying Results (Top 3 Best Times) - Jordan Szoke 45.122, Kevin Lacombe 46.006, Ben Young 46.043.

Starting from third on the grid in the first of the two feature races of the weekend, Young felt his #86 BMW S1000RR was more than capable to battle upfront for the win.

Young got a solid start off the line in third with Kenny Riedmann leading  Jordan Szoke into the first turns. Series veteran Kevin Lacombe would soon join the fray but eventually Szoke, Riedmann and Young stretched out a few bike lengths from Lacombe and were now setting an impressive pace.

On the fourth lap Alex Coelho crashed bringing out the red flag. Fans and riders alike were happy to hear Coelho was released by the medical staff and was not seriously hurt in the incident.  Debris on the racetrack needed to be cleaned up so the riders were sequestered to their respective pit boxes trying to find relief in the peak heat of the day.

After a quick warm-up lap the riders took to the grid for the restart. This time Lacombe matched Young’s launch off the line but Young would soon pass him to retake third. Young then set his sights on the current number one plate holder Szoke however he had his sights set on Riedmann who Szoke would eventually pass to take the lead.  Szoke would stretch out his lead leaving Riedmann in a heated battle with Young for second place. After multiple attempts by Young to pass Riedmann for second the highly entertaining Pro Superbike race would see Szoke take the win, followed by Riedmann with Young earning his first-ever Superbike podium with a third place finish. Young’s finish moved him up to third in the Pro Superbike standings with 72 points. Pro Superbike Race 1 Results (Top 3 Best Times) - Jordan Szoke 45.791, Kenny Riedmann 46.150, Ben Young 45.962

“It’s tight to pass here so when I got caught up behind a lapper through turns one, two and three I lost the chance to stay with Jordan.” said Young. “What I learned today I can apply to tomorrow’s race.” 

The 23 year old Scottish-Canadian has always shown a knack for adapting to new tracks fairly quickly.  Young’s results at St-Eustache’s 1.93km (1.2-mile) 10-turn circuit seemed to illustrate this gift once more. 

Sunday’s weather reflected the previous day’s; sunny and very hot but this didn’t deter the fans from coming out for a great day of road racing.

Once again Young would start from the front row in Sunday’s feature race. The CSBK newcomer exploded off the line in possibly what was one of his best starts in his diverse road racing career.  Getting the holeshot he led Kevin Lacombe, Riedmann and Szoke into corner one and for three laps held them at bay. Riedmann moved up to second on the second lap and then took over the lead on lap four.  Szoke worked his way up into second spot after six laps. He made his move for the lead at the end of the backstraight under heaving braking shuffling Young back to third place. Intermittent handling issues developed as the race wore on but the Collingwood, Ont. racer managed to secure his second straight podium finish of the weekend.

“I had an absolute blast leading my first Superbike race in front of a passionate crowd of race fans - I really don’t know what I did different at the start this time around.” said Young  “As the race went on I couldn’t get the grip I wanted. My BMW S1000RR was brilliant all weekend so I think it was just the heat of the day that periodically affected its handling.”

Young’s second third place podium finish moved him up to 109 points -  third overall in the Pro Superbike standings. Pro Superbike Race 2 Results (Top 3 Best Times) - Jordan Szoke 45.333, Kenny Riedmann 45.782, Ben Young 45.851.

The Tim Hortons / Scot-Build BMW S1000RR pilot continues to lead the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year standings after this past weekend’s round at Autodrome St-Eustache.  The BCR Rookie of the Year Award is open to racers in their first year of competition in the MOPAR Pro Superbike class. They cannot have competed in more than four Pro Superbike races the previous season. 

Both of this weekend’s Superbike feature races will be shown on TSN1, presented by Dalton Timmis Insurance. Saturday’s race is due to premiere on July 11 at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday’s round slated for an August 2, 7:30 p.m. premiere. Check www.csbk.ca or local listings for any changes as well as rebroadcast dates and times.

The MOPAR Canadian Superbike Championship continues with a doubleheader weekend at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S. July 15-17. Information for the upcoming round is available online at www.atlanticmotorsportpark.com or www.procycleonline.com, or by calling Pro Cycle at (902) 468-2518.

Young’s partners for his 2016 CSBK season include; Tim Hortons (Sudbury), Scot-build Developments, BMW Motorrad Canada, AXO Racing, Arai Helmets, Hindle Exhaust, KarmaComa Studio, Woodcraft, Human 2.0, Core Power high protein milkshakes, K-Tech Suspension, Epic Racewear, Vortex Racing and K&N Filters.

He is also a proud "Laps for Muscular Dystrophy" (Laps4MD) rider who’s pledged to donate $1 for every lap he leads this season. These donations go to Muscular Dystrophy Canada to help make a difference in the lives of over 50,000 Canadians affected by a neuromuscular disorder.

To keep up-to-date on Ben Young throughout the year visit; www.BenYoungRacing.com, www.facebook.com/BenYoungRacing and on Twitter and Instagram: @benyoung_86.

From a press release

 

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