Bowmanville, Ontario – The momentum atop the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship turned dramatically on Friday, as Sam Guerin blitzed his way to a spectacular BS Battery Pole Position Award in qualifying at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

 

Guerin sat atop the provisional timesheets for majority of the final top-ten Q2 shootout, but by fine margins over Alex Dumas on a wet but drying track. Any doubt was erased in the last seconds of the session, however, as Guerin smashed his previous best with a time of 1:31.368 to earn his first career GP Bikes Pro Superbike pole position.

 

That would move the EFC Group BMW rider a whopping 1.655 seconds clear of Dumas, the largest recorded margin-of-pole in the modern CSBK era.

 

It would be especially crucial given where his title rival wound up, as points leader Ben Young crashed on his out lap and was unable to post a time in Q2, relegating him to ninth on the grid for the weekend’s doubleheader. 

 

The incident ended Young’s run of four consecutive pole positions, though it’s entirely possible he may not have been able to beat Guerin’s blistering time anyways, as the Quebec City native looked to be on another level in the damp conditions.

 

“It’s amazing, it feels incredible. I love riding on a wet track, and it’s easier when I have all this amazing support,” Guerin said. “The championship is far from over, and I’m going to fight until the very last day.”

 

The result is a pivotal one for the title battle for multiple reasons, as Guerin will take four points out of Young to cut his deficit to 36 points and will also start eight positions ahead of him on Saturday and Sunday.

 

A win is anything but certain, however, as Dumas continued to look strong aboard the Economy Lube Ducati on Friday. The 2021 champion was just 0.3 seconds behind Guerin until his late flyer, and was unofficially clocked as the rider to beat in dry running on Thursday – similar conditions to the clear weather on Saturday’s forecast.

 

Completing the front row will be Trevor Daley, who enjoyed an excellent day of qualifying after snatching a maiden pole of his own in Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike earlier in the day.

 

Daley put in a handful of late improvements aboard his OneSpeed Suzuki to leapfrog Jordan Szoke but couldn’t quite displace Dumas, though he will still have an excellent shot at a second career Superbike win from the end of row one this weekend.

 

Szoke would take fourth as he leads off row two for CKM Kawasaki, a strong effort but one that could have been far better after he reportedly ran out of fuel during his best flying lap late in the session.

 

Centering the second row will be David MacKay, who nearly missed out on Q2 before saving himself with a late improvement and ultimately carrying that momentum into the final session aboard his Snow City Cycle Honda.

 

The same was true for Tomas Casas in sixth, who needed a late flyer to lift himself out of Q1 but then turned in a strong Q2 performance to complete the second row, with the top six positions each representing a different manufacturer.

 

Torin Collins’ return to the series will see him start seventh, a solid result as he comes to grips with his new Economy Lube/CKM Kawasaki at an unfamiliar venue.

 

Former Amateur champion Julien Lafortune turned heads in his return to the paddock, earning a career best eighth on the grid for SpeedFactory67 Kawasaki in his first national action since CTMP one year ago.

 

Young will complete the third row for Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW by virtue of topping Q1, as Brian Worsdall also crashed on his out lap of Q2 which means both riders will revert to their Q1 times to determine who starts ninth and tenth.

 

Worsdall made the most of his final lap in Q1, though, jumping four spots as he took the chequered flag aboard his Mot’s Machining Honda to dislodge Connor Campbell.

 

Campbell will thus start eleventh for B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki, a disappointing result for the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year leader after he gambled that his time would hold up in the final minutes.

 

Notably absent from the front five rows will be wildcard Charles Aubrie, who qualified 16th out of 30 entries for Turcotte Performance Kawasaki. The European Moto2 rider didn’t look entirely comfortable in his first day at CTMP, but will hope dryer conditions on Saturday can help him climb the order in his CSBK debut.

 

Guerin’s qualifying success will also see him leapfrog Szoke for second in the season-long BS Battery Pole Position Award standings, though Young already clinched the award last time out at AMP.

 

The feature class is expected to kick off their doubleheader on Saturday at roughly 3 pm ET, just an hour east of Toronto at CTMP.

 

Full results 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 Canadian Superbike champion Ben Young turned in an excellent performance in his FIM World Endurance debut on Sunday, helping Team Taro Plus One BMW finish 13th overall at the famed Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan.

 

Young joined Japanese riders Taro Sekiguchi and Kyosuke Okuda in the Team Taro program, qualifying 23rd out of 46 entries with an average time of 2:08.944. 

 

Initially slated to ride third in the rotation, Young’s long-run pace and consistency led the team to promote him to second on race day, taking over from Sekiguchi in 28th position and helping them climb to 19th by the end of his first stint.

 

After the team slipped back to 20th by the midway point, Young regained three positions in his second stint and exited in 17th. His third and final rotation would be the most crucial, climbing to 15th and stretching his stint long enough to avoid an extra stop in the final hour, something many teams ahead of them couldn’t avoid.

 

Sekiguchi would take over in the final hour and gain two more positions, finishing 13th overall and 12th in the feature WEC Superbike class, the best result in team history at Suzuka.

 

Johann Zarco, Takumi Takahashi, and Teppei Nagoe would win the Suzuka 8 Hours for Team HRC with Japan Post, Honda’s record-extending 30th victory at the circuit.

 

A full hour-by-hour recap, including more information on Young and Team Taro BMW’s efforts, can be found below.

 

Markus Reiterberger would grab the holeshot for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, but his lightning start was quickly negated by pole-sitters YART Yamaha and Niccolo Canepa.

 

A hard-charging Ryo Mizuno would put Ducati Team Kagayama into the lead on lap five, before Mizuno, Canepa, and Takumi Takahashi traded blows over the next handful of laps in an epic early battle. Takahashi would ultimately take the lead for good on lap 13 and began to stretch his advantage for Team HRC.

 

A difficult start saw Taro Sekiguchi drop from 23rd on the grid to as low as 30th for Team Taro Plus One BMW, though he was able to stabilize his pace and reclaim two positions by the time Ben Young took over roughly 50 minutes into the race.

 

Sekiguchi’s stop would set Young up to undercut some of the riders ahead, climbing to 22nd by the end of the first hour. 

 

MotoGP star Johann Zarco would take over for Team HRC, extending their lead further to over 25 seconds through the first 90 minutes of the race. YART remained second, while SDG Team Honda climbed to third ahead of Ducati Kagayama and Yoshimura SERT Suzuki.

 

Young continued to charge his way up the field, climbing to 19th by the 90-minute mark and lapping better than the three riders ahead of him. He would hand things over to Kyosuke Okuda roughly an hour and 45 minutes into the race, with Okuda holding steady in 20th for the remainder of his stint.

 

With track temperatures exceeding 60ºC, Team HRC managed to extend their gap over YART to nearly 35 seconds, with Josh Waters and Ducati Kagayama moving up to third.

 

Sekiguchi would take over for Okuda and manage the Team Taro machine back to 18th, benefitting from a string of issues for former WEC champions F.C.C. Honda. 

 

Young would then begin his second stint just before the halfway point, making up another position to 17th.

 

Yoshimura SERT Suzuki continued to charge up the leaderboards, with Dan Linfoot moving them past Ducati Kagayama for third. Moto2 star and former Moto3 champion Albert Arenas, who missed practice and qualifying with passport issues, took over for Linfoot despite his lack of track time with SERT Suzuki.

 

Young would end his second rotation in 17th place, putting in 24 laps across nearly a full hour, with Sekiguchi quickly making up a pair of positions to climb to 15th. 

 

Team HRC continues their dominant showing, with Zarco helping lap up to fifth place on the grid. YART trails by over 40 seconds, with a pit stop ranging between 40 and 45 seconds for the top teams, nearly giving HRC a “free” stop.

 

Sekiguchi caps off his stellar third run in 16th, with Okuda staying in the same position throughout the rest of hour five. Eleven of the top 12 teams are running Bridgestone tires, as are Team Taro BMW.

 

YART has responded slightly, cutting their deficit to just under 40 seconds and erasing a “free stop” for Team HRC. Ducati Kagayama moves back past Yoshimure SERT Suzuki for third, while BMW Motorrad hunts down SDG Team Honda for fifth.

 

SERT Suzuki is given a ride-through penalty for a fuel cap infringement, which came as Arenas exited the pits for his first stint. This pushes them nearly a minute behind Ducati Kagayama in the battle for the final podium spot.

 

Young takes over for Okuda once again at 6:17 local time, joining in 16th and quickly chasing down Team Beringer Honda for 15th. Young claims 15th on lap 171, extending a large cushion between himself and the group behind Team Taro. Sekiguchi takes over once again just before the seven-hour mark, with the sun beginning to set.

 

Team HRC has restored their 45-second advantage, securing a “free” stop as teams juggle their strategy over the final two hours. Ducati Kagayama makes an early stop, forcing them to make two more over the final 90 minutes.

 

SDG Team Honda drops down the order after late mechanical issues, slipping from fifth to tenth and promoting BMW Motorrad into the top-five.

 

Young take over for Sekiguchi early in the hour and puts in a long stint, completing 25 laps and crucially allowing Team Taro to require only one stop in the final hour. Other teams will not have enough fuel to do so, needing a “splash and dash” scenario in their final rotation. 

 

Now fully dark, Zarco extends Team HRC’s lead to over 50 seconds, with Ducati Kagayama slipping behind SERT Suzuki after they are forced to make an extra stop for fuel. Hafizh Syahrin tries to fend off Cocoro Atsumi for Ducati, but it is unsuccessful as Atsumi seizes third place.

 

Young pits for the final time with 45 minutes to go, allowing Sekiguchi to take over in 15th with no extra stops required. Sekiguchi quickly passes Koki Suzuki and Team ATJ for 14th, before a late crash from Anthony West promotes Team Taro to 13th. 

 

Team HRC is handed a 40-second penalty for a pit lane infringement, but Takumi Takahashi manages the gap enough to win his record sixth Suzuka 8 Hours and hold off YART Yamaha by just over seven seconds.

 

Despite the loss, YART Yamaha extend their lead in the WEC standings over Yoshimura SERT Suzuki with only one round remaining. SERT Suzuki holds onto the final podium spot, with Ducati Kagayama settling for fourth.

 

MotoGP star Zarco becomes the first premier class winner to take a victory at Suzuka since Valentino Rossi in 2001, and the first Frenchman to win the event since 1989.

 

Sekiguchi crosses the line 13th overall for Team Taro Plus One BMW, finishing 12th in the feature WEC Superbike class, their best result in team history. Young earns the best result for a Canadian in the modern Superbike era of the Suzuka 8 Hours, and the best finish in any classification for a CSBK rider since Jordan Szoke was 13th in 2002.

 

Hamilton, Ontario – After an extremely brief mid-season break, the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship will get back underway with round four action this weekend, returning to the east coast and Atlantic Motorsport Park, July 12-14, presented by Pro Cycle and Canadian Kawasaki.

 

The trip back to Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia will be a welcome one for GP Bikes Pro Superbike championship leader Ben Young, who is preparing for a whirlwind week ahead of him on the verge of a debut Suzuka 8 Hours appearance.

 

Young will depart AMP and head almost straight to Japan for the historic World Endurance event next weekend, set for July 21, but not before a crucial fourth round of the feature class at one of his favourite circuits.

 

The narrow, twisty, and physically demanding layout of “Shubie” has played a key part in some of Young’s greatest performances, including his spectacular 2019 comeback from ninth and his momentum-swinging victory over Alex Dumas in 2022.

 

Overall, the three-time Canada Cup champion has racked up three victories and ten podiums at AMP, never missing out on a top three finish since he made his full-time CSBK Superbike debut in 2016.

 

It’s a trend he will surely continue this weekend barring any major issues, but where he fits onto that podium isn’t necessarily a guarantee. The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider has settled for just one win in his last four races after sweeping the Shannonville opener, and with Suzuka on the horizon he may be looking to avoid any significant risk in the lead battle, which will feature yet another new wildcard name.

 

This one – unlike most recent winner Torin Collins – won’t be as unfamiliar to CSBK fans, as 2023 top rookie John Fraser is expected to return to the series at his home track.

 

Fraser looked to be on course for at least a maiden podium last season as he qualified third on the grid and within a half-second of Alex Dumas, but he never got the chance to show off his local knowledge as historic flooding cancelled the rest of the weekend.

 

The 19-year-old is now back for a second try with some upgraded firepower, bringing one of Dumas’ former Suzuki GSX-R1000’s under the RLS Contracting Suzuki tent for his 2024 debut after missing the first three rounds.

 

The Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia native has dominated all three sARL regional races he has entered this season, winning by an average of almost 14 seconds, and will hope to keep that 100% record going and become the latest surprise winner of 2024.

 

Not to be discounted will be the previous owner of his machines, however, as Dumas also looks to settle his own personal score with Atlantic Motorsport Park.

 

It hasn’t been a circuit Dumas will have fond memories of, having derailed his 2022 title bid with a race one crash and losing out to Young in a bizarre mixed-weather race two that same weekend, but the newly minted Economy Lube Ducati rider is still a threat to win at virtually every track on the calendar.

 

While Dumas sorted through some slight mechanical gremlins in his Ducati debut at Edmonton, his V4R Panigale should be better suited to AMP than it was out west and will now have a weekend of data under its belt to work from.  

 

It will be perhaps the most critical weekend of the season for current championship runner-up Sam Guerin, who saw his title hopes suffer a massive blow in round three.

 

The EFC Group BMW rider never seemed fully comfortable at RAD Torque, salvaging a pair of fifth place finishes after four consecutive podiums to begin 2024, and his track record at AMP shows another track that isn’t clearly his favourite.

 

Guerin qualified fifth a year ago before the cancellation and was no better in 2022, qualifying sixth and finishing fourth and fifth in races one and two respectively. That won’t be good enough to keep his title hopes alive this time around, though he is certainly talented enough to change his fortunes in his third trip to the east coast.

 

A rider who has built up the opposite resumé in Nova Scotia is Jordan Szoke, who racked up 14 victories at the venue between 1999 and 2019.

 

It’s now been almost five years since the 14-time champion last won at AMP, and his continued recovery from 2022 injuries won’t help around the punishing eleven-turn, 2.5 km “rollercoaster,” but Szoke has consistently been there to pick up the pieces in 2024 if things go wrong and will try to do the same this weekend for CKM Kawasaki.

 

He may have to deal with his unofficial teammate to do so, however, as Connor Campbell looks forward to a return east for B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki.

 

It’s surprising to hear Campbell confess his love for AMP after a scary crash in 2022 ended his Sport Bike season, but the rookie has always felt fast around the venue and is now fully recovered from a rib injury that limited him in the first three rounds.

 

Feeling a much different way about Shubenacadie is David MacKay, who didn’t always enjoy his trips to Nova Scotia whilst in the Pro Sport Bike class.

 

The reigning middleweight champion scored just two of his 19 career podiums at the venue (both second place finishes in 2022) and cracked the top-five only three times in eight career races at AMP before switching to Superbike in 2024.

 

His adaptation to the CBR1000RR-R has been quicker than expected, however, and he may change his tune on the circuit if he can fight for a first career podium in the feature class this weekend.

 

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