Grand Bend, Ontario – It was a long-awaited return to the top step of the podium for Trevor Daley on Sunday, as he won a thrilling Sport Bike race two in the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, presented by Southwest Marine & Powersports.

 

Daley returned to Grand Bend Motorplex after a round one absence and scored an impressive podium on Saturday, his first action in the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike class in nearly ten years, but he had even more up his sleeve in race two on Sunday.

 

The OneSpeed Suzuki rider immediately snatched the holeshot from second on the grid and led the field through lap one, threatening to break away as soon as lap two with pole-sitter Sebastien Tremblay busy defending from rookie Mavrick Cyr behind.

 

However, Daley seemingly gave up his race-winning hopes as he ran off-track in turn two, relinquishing the lead and rejoining outside the top ten. That would kick off an incredible five-rider battle for the lead over the next few laps, but one that only distracted the crowd from a hard-charging Daley behind.

 

The long-time Superbike frontrunner had joined the leaders once again by the halfway point of the 18-lap race, and wasted no time in carving his way through the pack to reach Tremblay with six laps to go. Daley made another slight mistake in turn one, but again rebounded with remarkable pace to put the pressure back on Tremblay on lap 14.

 

He would make the race-winning pass in the penultimate turn of that lap, slicing past Tremblay under brakes in the penultimate corner and continuing his strong pace to the end to secure the victory. Tremblay would run deep in turn one chasing Daley, though he recovered to hold onto a crucial second place finish.

While he admitted it was a bit of an adventurous race, it was a much-deserved win for Daley in his return to the paddock, having taken his last pro victory nearly ten years ago at Atlantic Motorsport Park in 2014.

 

“They don’t call me the Wild Child for nothing,” Daley joked. “I made a few mistakes, but our pace was also really good and I had a ton of confidence, so hats off to Suzuki and my team. It was a long time coming, it feels great.”

 

It was an incredible comeback after Daley was running outside the top-ten early on, and one that came against perhaps one of the strongest Sport Bike riders ever in Tremblay.

 

However, it was also a sensible ride for the championship leader, as he escaped with yet another podium to extend his title advantage to a whopping 45 points for the Turcotte Performance Suzuki rider.

 

“It was a hell of a race. One of my contact lenses actually fell out fairly early, so I was trying to manage that,” Tremblay admitted. “I was a bit lucky to finish second, but we were able to pick up more points for the championship which is always good.”

 

The result was boosted by another DNF for title rival Elliot Vieira, though one that wasn’t entirely his fault. The GP Bikes Ducati rider was defending from local star Zoltan Frast when the two made contact in turn one and Vieira crashed out, effectively ending his early championship hopes.

 

Frast avoided any discipline as it was deemed a racing incident, and continued on to hunt down the lead group as he chased his first career national victory. The Clare’s Cycle Kawasaki rider ultimately couldn’t hang with Daley in the final stint, but managed a repeat podium after putting plenty of late pressure on Tremblay for second.

 

“I’m super excited. I still gave myself some early work to do, but to get my first two national podiums this weekend is something you can never complain about,” Frast said.

 

The breakthrough weekend actually moves Frast to second in the championship order, while Daley climbs to third and just two points adrift of Frast despite only appearing in one round thus far.

It was an excellent day for the Bauer brothers, as Dylan Bauer claimed fourth after briefly running as high as second, while Jordon Bauer managed a career-best fifth.

 

Dylan’s potential podium run was ruined by a disastrous lap 12 where he slipped from second to fifth in just three corners, though he was able to salvage an excellent fourth for Economy Lube Ducati.

 

As for Jordon, the OneStop Goat Shop Yamaha rider gradually managed his way through the field, earning an impressive fifth behind his brother.

 

Settling for seventh was John Laing, who slides to fourth in the championship and into a tie with Daley (who owns the tiebreaker thanks to his race two victory). The Vass Performance Kawasaki rider will hope to improve upon his tough weekend when the series shifts to his home track in Edmonton for round three.

 

Absent from the final finishing order was Cyr, who encountered a clutch failure on the penultimate lap. The Rizzin Racing/Economy Lube Triumph rookie seemed on course for at least his first career podium if not a potential victory, but instead failed to see the chequered flag due to the late issue.

 

Daley’s victory will not only keep Suzuki’s perfect win streak alive but also help extend their lead in the Constructors standings, where they have opened up a 64-point advantage over Kawasaki through four races.

 

Full results from Sunday’s race can be found on the series’ official website.

 

For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca

 

Hamilton, Ontario – Three-time CSBK champion Ben Young will enter a star-studded field at this year’s prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours event, joining Team Taro Plus One BMW for the historic Endurance World Championship round.

 

Young, who currently leads the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship standings, will ride alongside former Grand Prix rider Taro Sekiguchi and Kyosuke Okuda (both of Japan) in the Team Taro Plus One garage for his World Endurance debut next month, July 19-21.

 

The renowned event – launched in 1978 – has grown into the premier race on the EWC calendar, attracting various stars from MotoGP and World Superbike, amongst other series.

 

Young most recently proved himself against reigning EWC champions YART Yamaha at the Daytona 200, where he finished ninth and just behind the duo of Karel Hanika (fifth) and Marvin Fritz (sixth).

 

The Collingwood, Ontario native recently completed a private test with Team Taro Plus One BMW at Suzuka, roughly five hours from Tokyo, and felt very comfortable aboard the M1000RR (a similar version to the Van Dolder’s Home Team machine he rides in Canada).

 

“The bike felt really good, and the team and everyone there is great to deal with,” Young said. “Already we’re about half a second from our target time, so hopefully we can put on a good show and get a strong result.”

 

The Team Taro Plus One BMW squad finished an impressive 16th out of 50 teams at last year’s Suzuka 8 Hours, achieving a best result of 14th in 2022.

 

Young’s trip to Suzuka will take place just days after the fourth round of the CSBK season in Nova Scotia, as he chases his fourth Canada Cup and third in a row in 2024.

 

The 31-year-old has been no stranger to racing in various series and paddocks, having competed in MotoAmerica, British Superbike, and as a wildcard in the 125cc World Championship during his illustrious career.

 

Only a handful of Canadians have ever competed in the Suzuka 8 Hours through its history, an exclusive list that includes Ruben McMurter, Steve Crevier, and most recently Jordan Szoke, amongst others.

 

In the meantime, Young will try to extend his lead atop the Canadian Superbike Championship in round two action this weekend, June 7-9, at the Grand Bend Motorplex.

 

More information can be found on the series’ official website at CSBK.ca.

For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca

Grand Bend, Ontario – The long wait for Sam Guerin’s maiden national victory is over, as he escaped a chaotic race one at Grand Bend Motorplex with a first career win in the second round of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, presented by Southwest Marine & Powersports.

 

Despite championship leader Ben Young entering the weekend as the overwhelming favourite, it was a nail-biting race from the drop of the lights as he held off a group of five that included Steven Nickerson, Sam Guerin, Jordan Szoke, and David MacKay.

 

Young would pace majority of the contest, but never managed to break fully clear of Nickerson in particular, as the local wildcard pressed hard for his first career GP Bikes Pro Superbike victory with Guerin in tow and Szoke fading to a lonely fourth, while MacKay ran off on lap two.

 

The lead trio would run in unison with eight laps to go when disaster struck for Young, as he found himself on the wrong side of lapped traffic. The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider dove around the outside of Ernest Bernhard while Nickerson and Guerin stuck to the inside line, causing Bernhard to sit up in an effort to avoid the leaders and unintentionally forcing Young wide.

 

The three-time Canada Cup champion would keep it upright but rejoin in a distant third, as Nickerson and Guerin continued for the lead. Guerin attempted to capitalize on the opportunity just two laps later, but the two briefly made contact as Nickerson defended hard for the top spot.

That gave a slight cushion to Nickerson, but he failed to manage it as Guerin quickly rebounded right to the back of the DeWildt Honda rider, putting all sorts of pressure on the home track favourite as they both chased a maiden Superbike win. 

 

It all came to a head when Nickerson crashed out of the lead in turn eight with just over two laps to go, paving the way for Guerin to manage a roughly 1.5 second gap over Young and escape with an emotional debut CSBK win for the EFC Group BMW team.

 

“That was a crazy race! Lots of unfortunate events, but I kept it close to the front and had a feeling something might happen if we could just stay there. Then Steven crashed in eight, which is where I crashed last year, so it’s a bit of redemption,” Guerin said. “I never thought I’d be standing here between champions, but I’m so excited. There’s been so much work and training and wrenching behind the scenes, so it feels awesome to finally win one.”

 

It was a mildly historic victory for Guerin, as he captures BMW’s 62nd Superbike victory to move them into a tie with Suzuki for the second-most all-time – a tie they will try to break on Sunday.

 

The win was also a popular one in the paddock for the fan-favourite out of Quebec City, as even Young shared mixed emotions on the podium as he recovered to salvage second.

 

“You never ever want to lose, but if I was going to lose to anybody, I’m happy it’s Sam. Congrats to him and the team, it’s been a long time coming and it keeps the BMW streak alive,” Young said. “I was running at about 90% pace for the first bit, just trying to manage a few things. The end result is unfortunate, but I’m happy we finished.”

 

The outcome will also have huge implications on the championship, as Guerin trims his title deficit to just seven points entering a crucial race two on Sunday.

 

It was an unfortunate end to a spectacular effort for Nickerson, who crashed out of the lead and remains without a podium in his Superbike career, though he certainly put the likes of Young and Guerin on notice if he can rebuild his DeWildt Honda for race two. 

 

His misfortunate proved to be a blessing for Szoke, who was riding in a lonely but calculated fourth prior to the crash. The CKM Kawasaki veteran made a strong early charge before fading back on his own, though it was an intelligent ride from the 14-time champion as he continued his streak of podiums.

 

“I wanted to get MacKay and Daley behind me right away because I knew they would be fast early on. From there I hung on as long as I could, but it just wasn’t enough to stick at the front,” Szoke said. “I’ve been in enough of these races though to know that anything can always happen, so I worked hard to keep it where I needed to and think about the bigger picture in the championship.”

 

It was a whirlwind race for MacKay, who briefly ran with the leaders before botching turn one and falling to a distant fifth. However, the ODH Snow City Cycle Honda star would recover to earn a career-best fourth in just his third Superbike race, setting the table for a potential podium charge on Sunday.

 

Rounding out the top five was Trevor Daley, who continued his excellent return with a strong showing for OneSpeed Suzuki. The perennial frontrunner was absent in race one but immediately reinserted himself at the front, beginning his campaign with a fifth-place finish and much-needed points for Suzuki.

A pair of other local wildcards exited Saturday with great performances, as Chris Pletsch and Dylan Bauer managed to finish sixth and seventh, respectively.

 

It was a quieter effort for Pletsch after his stunning podium a year ago, but the Stratford Cycle Centre Honda rider managed a smart ride to put three Honda’s near the front prior to Nickerson’s crash. 

 

Bauer, meanwhile, would charge through the field to take seventh for Economy Lube Yamaha, coming out on top of a hectic battle with Connor Campbell, Paul Macdonell, and Sebastien Tremblay for the final places in the top-ten.

 

As for the Constructors table, another one-two finish for BMW – albeit in reverse order from Shannonville – will continue their perfect run atop the championship, extending a 62-point advantage over Kawasaki. 

 

Young will now attempt to rebound on Sunday in a pivotal race two at Grand Bend, while Guerin will instead aim to apply more pressure in the title fight with the gap back down to single digits through three races.

 

Full results from Saturday’s action can be found on the series’ official website at CSBK.ca.

 

For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca

 

Hamilton, Ontario – The long wait for the 2024 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship season is finally over, as the national series will return to historic Shannonville Motorsport Park for the opening round this weekend, presented by the Fallen Riders Support Team sponsored by Pace Law.

 

It was just over five months ago that Shannonville hosted the 2023 season finale, a chaotic weekend in the feature GP Bikes Pro Superbike class as Ben Young clinched his third Canada Cup and second in a row. 

 

A lot has happened in those months since, however, and the dynamic of the Superbike grid has shifted dramatically from the one fans would remember in September. Absent will be 2021 champion Alex Dumas, the main rival to Young and a three-time winner at SMP, along with frontrunners Trevor Daley and Tomas Casas. 

 

Losing Dumas – the usual thorn in Young’s side – will be music to the ears of the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW squad, as the two rivals had combined to win every race in the last two seasons and 24 of the last 26 races overall (12 victories each). 

 

Betting on Young to potentially sweep the 2024 season would be a popular choice, having won at five of the six venues on the calendar and riding at the highest level of his career with five consecutive victories to snatch the 2023 crown. 

 

But one rider’s absence is another rider’s opportunity, and you don’t have to look any farther than round one a year ago to see that Young is completely bulletproof. The Collingwood, ON native finished a distant second in race one before a bodywork issue relegated him to sixth in race two, undoubtedly his worst weekend of the season.

 

Young also won’t forget who was leading that opening race, as the eventual victory was handed to Dumas after a crash out of the lead by Sam Guerin – perhaps Young’s biggest rival entering the 2024 campaign. 

 

Guerin has yet to taste victory in the pro ranks but proved he is more than capable a year ago, finishing third in the championship and at times looking like the only rider who could match the duo at the front.  

 

The EFC Group BMW star would like nothing better than to finish what he started a year ago, winning the opening race at Shannonville and ending Young’s quest for a “perfect season” before it even begins, but he is hardly the only one with those ambitions.

Trevor Dion will also be chasing his first career Superbike victory in 2024, and he may not have to wait long for it after his breakthrough performances to end 2023. After starting the year with Kawasaki and only cracking the top-five on one occasion, Dion joined Economy Lube Ducati for the final round and promptly rattled off three podium finishes in a row to finish as the Pro Rookie of the Year.

 

The 22-year-old never got the chance to race around Shannonville’s round one “pro track” layout last season, missing the opener with an injury, but his performances at the “long track” finale were enough to put the entire field on notice.

 

The final name of the “big four” to watch will be one much more familiar to Young, however, as he is sure to renew his rivalry with 14-time champion Jordan Szoke at some point this season.

 

Now the healthiest he’s been since the 2021 season, Szoke has seemed revitalized in his quest for another title and is never one to doubt on at any track, including Shannonville where he has totalled an impressive seven career victories. The Canadian Kawasaki rider scored two podiums at the venue last season and will be hoping to add to that total this weekend from the top step of the box.

 

While the names above seem the most likely to pressure Young at the season opener, they are hardly the only riders capable of turning heads at Shannonville. 

 

David MacKay will be an especially intriguing rider to watch as the reigning Pro Sport Bike champion adjusts to a bigger Snow City Cycle Honda machine, piloting a Superbike for the first time in his national career.

 

Joining him in the midfield will be teenage sensation John Fraser, who narrowly missed out on top rookie honours a year ago with six top-eight finishes on the season, including a career best fifth at the Shannonville pro track aboard his RLS Contracting Suzuki. 

 

Fighting alongside him will be the favourite for this year’s Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year award in Connor Campbell, who made the jump to Superbike in the final round last season and will continue with B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki for the full campaign in 2024.

 

Other dark horses to keep an eye out for at Shannonville will be Paul Macdonell and Guillaume Fortin, both of whom will be racing new machines this season. Macdonell has switched to Vass Performance BMW and will look to build upon his best finish of seventh at SMP last year, while Fortin returns to the series aboard a Turcotte Performance Ducati after just one appearance last season.

 

The fourth year of the Constructors Championship will also get underway at Shannonville, where two-time reigning champions BMW hope to kickstart their title defence with Young and Guerin at the front.

 

Inaugural champs and 2023 runners-up Suzuki will need to rely mostly on Fraser in round one at SMP, opening the door for the likes of Kawasaki and Ducati to join the title fight for the first time after the award was introduced in 2021.

 

The full weekend schedule for the GP Bikes Pro Superbike class – and the rest of the seven Bridgestone CSBK categories – can be found on the series’ official website at CSBK.ca.

 

For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca