Matt McBride claimed pole position for this weekend's final two rounds of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, edging title contender Jodi Christie to the top spot. (Photo-Colin Fraser/CSBK).

Bowmanville, Ontario – Matt McBride of Etobicoke, Ont. qualified fastest for this weekend's final two rounds of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Friday, while Jodi Christie set the second best time and closed to within 10 points of series leader Jordan Szoke.

Aboard the Riders Choice / Dainese BMW S1000RR, McBride turned a lap at one minute, 21.960 seconds (173.807km/h) around the 3.9km (2.459-mile) 10-turn CTMP track during the Magneti Marelli SuperPole session to claim his first pole position of the season and earn four points toward the Pro Superbike championship.

"It's been a long week. We had some electrical gremlins with the motor and we've had to make our 'B' bike our 'A' bike," said McBride, whose only other national appearance this season was at the Shannonville Motorsport Park season opener, where he qualified third but dropped out of the race.

"We were hitting the rev limiter in a couple of spots so we're going to drop a tooth on the gearing but the bike is working really great. I think we've got something this weekend and it's about time I put this bike on top of the box."
Electrical problems of his own limited Christie's effort during SuperPole, but the Keene, Ont. racer was close behind on his Honda Canada / Accelerated Technologies Honda CBR1000RR with a lap at 1:22.099 to qualify second and pick up three points. That gives Christie 148 points, 10 behind series leader Szoke with a maximum of 52 points available in each of this weekend's two feature races.

"I really only got in one hot lap but it's our first time with this bike and these things can happen," Christie said. "We'll try to fix the problem tonight and in the worst case we have another bike available."

Nine-time and defending national Superbike champion Szoke has been sidelined for the weekend after suffering a serious injury to his right thumb while competing in an Observed Trials event last weekend. The Brantford, Ont. rider has been at the top of the point standings from the start of the season on the Mopar Express Lane Parts Canada BMW S1000RR.

"Despite the situation with Jordan I can only focus on myself and do my own thing," Christie added. "Right now my game plan is to put my head down and keep a good pace in the races."

In his first Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship appearance of the season, Marcel Irnie of Kelowna, B.C. qualified third fastest with a time of 1:23.587 on the MobiBuff / Irnie Racing / World's Best Motorcycles BMW S1000RR.

"My goal for the weekend was to be on the podium and this is a good start to it all," said Irnie, who last raced at CTMP in 2012. "We need to increase the front compression because the suspension's bottoming out in a couple of places, but considering we haven't had a lot of practice time things are going well."

The front row for this weekend's races is completed by Frank Trombino of Kleinburg, Ont. on the Royal Plumbing Aprilia RSV4.

"We're probably down about 30 horsepower and 30 lbs. overweight, so we're going to see if some taller gearing will help," said Trombino, who won Superbike nationals at CTMP in 2000 and 2001. "In the race staying in the draft will be important, so if I can get a good start and stay with the top guys we might be OK."

CTMP specialist Chris Murray-Audain of Scarborough, Ont. qualified fifth fastest with a time of 1:24.938 on his BMW S1000RR. He will be joined on the second row by Hamilton's Ross Millson, who recorded a fastest lap of 1:25.252 on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 during the Magneti Marelli SuperPole session, and Caledon, Ont.'s Kristopher Garvie, who set a time of 1:25.566 riding the Honda Canada / Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR.

The third row of the grid consists of Longueuil, Que.'s Sebastien Tremblay (MotoNation / Laval Moto / CrossFitLaval.com Kawasaki ZX-10R), Kenny Riedmann of Belfountain, Ont. (Castrol Triumph 675), Marco Sousa of Schomberg, Ont. (Z1 Cycletech BMW S1000RR) and St-Lazare, Que. Racer Franklyn Dominguez (OCM Motor Sports / egopay.com Kawasaki ZX-10R).

Sousa was the quickest of the Sunoco / Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year contenders. He comes into the race 10 points behind Rookie leader Will Hornblower of Sarnia, Ont., who will start this weekend's races 14th on the Blue Streak Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.

Mississauga, Ont.'s Trevor Daley, who comes into the weekend third in the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship standings with 102 points, missed qualifying after a crash earlier in the afternoon. The ProStar MotorSports / One Speed Honda CBR1000RR rider was taken to hospital with a suspected concussion and hand injuries, and is a doubtful starter for the remainder of the weekend.

In other action at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Christie closed to within two points of Hindle Pro Sport Bike Championship leader Riedmann by qualifying on pole for this weekend's pair of races. The Keene, Ont. racer turned a lap of 1:25.384 on his Honda CBR600RR to claim four points while Riedmann earned two points by setting the third best time of 1:26.806 on the Triumph 675. As a result, Riedmann goes into this weekend's races with 101 points to Christie's 99.

Joining Christie and Riedmann on the front row of the grid will be Hornblower, who qualified second with a time of 1:26.556 on his Yamaha YZF-R6, and Garvie, who placed fourth with a 1:26.948 on his Honda CBR600RR and is third in the standings with 89 points.

Tony Lanni of Brampton, Ont. set the quickest qualifying time for the Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike class with a 1:27.482 on the ProStar Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR. Peterborough, Ont.'s Tomas Casas recorded the second best time on the OCM Motor Sports / Peterborough Cycle Salvage Yamaha YZF-R6 and closed to within 16 points of class leader Pedro Sousa. The Mississauga, Ont. racer qualified third aboard his Honda CBR600RR and increased his point total to 118.

Stacey Nesbitt took over the lead of the Bell Helmets Amateur Sport Bike class by qualifying second on Friday aboard her OCM Motor Sports / FTR / Honda Canada Honda CBR600RR. The St-Lazare, Que. rider now has 140 points to the 138 of Casas, who had set the fastest time but was put to the pack of the field after his bike was unable to complete post-qualifying tech.

Casas' misfortune put Ariss, Ont.'s James Moore on pole with a time of 1:29.551 on his Triumph 675. Moore is third in the Amateur Sport Bike standings with 113 points.

Eric Quintin increased his lead to two points in the Honda CBR250R National Race Series by qualifying fastest for this weekend's races with a time of 1:49.708. The Notre Dame de l'Ile Perrot, Que. racer now has 274 points to the 272 of Falmouth, N.S. rider Jacob Shaw-O'Leary, who qualified second.

Feature races in all five national classes will run Saturday and Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
For ticket information call 1-800-866-1072 or (905) 983-9141, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.canadiantiremotorsportpark.com.

The official Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship website, www.csbk.ca, will have full race video coverage of both of this weekend's Mopar Pro Superbike races, as well as Sunday's Hindle Pro Sport Bike feature and the deciding round of the Honda CBR250R National Race Series.

Starting line-up for this weekend's fourth and fifth rounds of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, showing starting position, rider name, hometown, type of motorcycle and qualifying time: