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Category: Motorcycle

Shannonville, Ontario – On a scorching hot July 9-10 weekend, over 70 riders came out to challenge Shannonville’s Nelson Circuit and brave the tough 1.8km layout which offers little room for mistake as the average lap time is under one minute. A circuit that has garnered notoriety for chewing up and spitting out even the best motorcycle racers in the country.

A notable change to the Super Series for round three was the absence of Sidecars as they took the weekend off, and in their place was the Ohvale Eurorace Minicup championship who hosted round three of their season on the Go-Kart track located within the Nelson itself. The series comprised of a variety of mini machines, serves as a launching point for many young and aspiring motorcycle racers; highlighting Shannonville’s reputation as the Birthplace of Champions.

Round three saw the return of Bruce Linn, Jack Newman and Kayla Hannaford, who made her first start since May after recovering from a broken collarbone and concussion sustained in a qualifying wreck on the Long track. Meanwhile in Novice, Yan Lavalée, Pedram Jajarmizadeh, François Boulais, Sergey Badekin and Kevin St-Germain made their Super Series debuts after graduating the race school earlier in the month.

Saturday’s races got off to an exciting start as 22 riders took to the track in Pro/Am Sportbike. Starting from the pole, Drew Weber had a rough outing as he went down on the second lap. The crash forced a red flag, opening the door for Alex Coelho to hold off Chris Fehr and Mike Raniowski to claim the victory. The Am Sportbike race was won by Jordan Decarie, claiming his fourth win of the season ahead of Eric Quintin and Adam Pearsall.

Jean-Pascal Schroeder picked up his first win of 2022 in Lightweight Sportsman, the victory was extra special as Schroeder had recovered from COVID-19 the week prior and wasn’t sure he was going to be able to race. Andrea Purdy logged her season best finish of second, with Dylan Leclair rounding out the podium.

In the Novice class, top two in points Ryan Dunwoodie and Alexis Beaudoin were locked in a spirited battle. Dunwoodie dominated the race until Beaudoin nipped him on the penultimate lap, earning the Quebec rider his first Super Series victory. Turning heads in his debut, Jajarmizadeh rounded out the podium finishers.

In Heavyweight Sportsman, Weber had another crack at taking a win on his backup bike. However, an off-track excursion allowed Raniowski to take the win with Pearsall and Barnes completing the podium. Elie Daccache took a dominant victory in Pro Superbike, gapping second place Coelho by a margin of over 30 seconds. Fehr completed the podium. In AM Superbike, Dunwoodie made up for his Novice defeat earlier in the day. Taking the class victory for a second time in a row ahead of Decarie and Matt Vanderhorst. Schroeder claimed the Lightweight Production win after outdueling his long-time friend Eric Quintin. Being locked in a tight battle, Quintin went for a pass but couldn’t make it stick and went off track in the grass. He still held on for second, while Purdy completed the podium for her second of the day.

Daccache once again dusted his competition in Sprint Cup, taking that Milwaukee Tools sponsored Yamaha to the top step of the podium ahead of Coelho and Fehr.

On day two, the racing was just as exciting as the first. Due to an injury sustained on day one, Martin Perreault was unable to complete the weekend while Weber was forced to sit out day two, following incidents in qualifying and Saturday’s races.

In Pro/Am Sportbike, the race was once again red flagged on the start. An incident involving Kana Matsumoto and Jose Azevedo, took both riders out of the race and, fortunately, they were both unhurt. Upon the restart, Coelho seemed destined for another win but due to a fuel issue it allowed Fehr to close in. The two fought hard, but in the end, Fehr got the better of Coelho in a tense battle. Raniowski finished the podium.

Decarie doubled up on his Am Sportbike win, making a case to possibly turn Pro in 2023. While the second and third remained unchanged from the previous day, Quintin in second and Pearsall in third.

Schroeder doubled up on his Lightweight Sportsman victories, beating out both François Boulais and Andrea Purdy. For Boulais, it would be his first ever Super Series podium. Dunwoodie seemed destined once again for another Novice win. However, after high-siding the bike coming into the esses, Dunwoodie logged his first DNF of 2022. This allowed Beaudoin to go two for two in Novice, with Jajarmizadeh and Adrian Mitchell completing the podium. David Gosselin was checked and cleared from the at track medical facility after suffering a scary accident coming to the checkered while fighting for third.

With the absence of Weber, Raniowski took his second straight Heavyweight Sportsman victory. With Wes Barnes having an amazing run for second, beating out his friendly rival Pearsall by a few seconds.

With his bike being in desperate need of repair and roughly 80 minutes to fix it, Dunwoodie needed a miracle to be able to compete in the Pro/Am Superbike feature. When the bike came back to the trailer, Dunwoodie’s wife Candace immediately jumped into action looking for tools and with help from a troupe of fellow riders including Coelho, Weber, Azevedo, Daccache, St-Germain, Real Grandmont and Scott Szollos, Dunwoodie fixed his Ducati and rallied for a P3 finish behind race winner Vanderhorst and second place Decarie. Daccache went on to win the Pro Superbike feature ahead of Coelho and Fehr.

Schroeder took the win in Lightweight Production ahead of Quintin and Purdy, however this win was much more convincing, controlling the race from flag to flag. To end the day, Daccache dominated Sprint Cup ahead of Coeho and Fehr.

With the drama unfolding over the weekend on the tight confines of Nelson, two changes had to be made to the points standings. Beaudoin became the new Novice class points leader, while Coelho took over the Pro Sportbike points lead.

As the dust settles, the Super Series will return to the Long Track for round four this August 20-21. This visit will be the second and final time the Super Series will use the configuration this season, before concluding in September on the Pro Track.

Quotables

Ryan Dunwoodie: “When we saw the 5-minute board Scott [Szollos} said got it and we finally got pressure in my clutch lever. As soon as we heard that I got ready and we all started putting panels on the bike. I was heading out for pre grid when I realized had no front brake, so I immediately turned around and Drew Weber twisted a few things by hand and then I had front brake back. So to finish third in the Am Superbike race after all we went through, it is definitely the best podium of my career so far.”

Jordan Decarie: “We made significant progress in bike setup this weekend. Each session we set attainable and measurable goals and were able to acquire invaluable data each time we were out on track. We were able to make an informed decision for the races and set the bike up to match the conditions. The technical layout of the historic Nelson track suits our Champion Cycle tuned GSXR 600 very well. We are thrilled to celebrate two Amateur Sport bike victories with our amazing partners and we look forward to returning to the long track in August.”

Kayla Hannaford: “I think it’s natural to be a little afraid at first, when you come back from a big accident. I gave my family a good scare and I definitely didn’t want to do that again, but once I got back out there all those feeling dissipated. I was fighting through a little bit of pain in the collar bone and in the muscles, but once I hit race mode the pain seemed to melt away because my brain was focused somewhere else.”

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Calabogie, Ontario – Alex Dumas’ epic run at Calabogie Motorsports Park continued on Saturday, as the defending CSBK Pro Superbike champion won race one of the round two doubleheader to keep his unbeaten streak at CMP alive and cut his championship deficit to just six points.

Dumas won all four contests at Calabogie last season and thus entered as the heavy favourite in his return, a case that was only bolstered when he captured the BS Battery pole position earlier on Saturday aboard his Liqui Moly/Fast School Suzuki.

That advantage was quickly erased, however, when rival Ben Young got a brilliant start off the line, leading the field into turn one and through the first few corners. His lead was just as short-lived, though, as Dumas instantly returned the favour in turn five and never looked back from there.

“I didn’t get the best start, but I got a better launch out of three and I was able to outbreak Ben into five,” Dumas said. “From there I just tried to put in a bunch of good laps, and rode a really good race to the end.”

It was a mixed bag in second for Young, who will be disappointed with the seven-point swing in Dumas’ favour but still looked strong as he debuted his brand new Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW M1000RR.

“It was our first weekend on the ‘M’, and there’s still a few things to sort out, but I felt good and I’m happy to still be here on the podium,” Young said. “We knew it would be a bit tough here, but we’re going to work through the night and come back stronger tomorrow to put it on the top of the box.”

It looked like a foregone conclusion that Dumas and Young would be joined by Trevor Daley on the podium, with Daley overcoming a slow start to latch onto the back of Young in third aboard his OneSpeed Suzuki.

However, Daley had a huge crash exiting turn eight with just four laps to go, handing the final podium spot to Sebastien Tremblay. It was a long-awaited return to the podium for Tremblay, who hadn’t stepped on the Superbike rostrum since 2015.

“It’s unfortunate for Trevor, but I’ll take it. It feels really good to be back up here,” Tremblay said. “I’ve been tired all weekend and didn’t really know where I could end up, so I’m very happy with this result.”

The podium will propel Tremblay to fourth in the overall standings and move Kawasaki to third in the Constructors behind BMW and Suzuki, though Daley limited the damage for Suzuki after re-mounting to finish eighth.

Samuel Guerin charged to fourth after a rollercoaster race, climbing as high as third on lap one and falling as low as seventh before eventually stealing fourth again on the final lap aboard his EFC Group BMW.

Guerin ultimately stole that spot from Michael Leon, though the strong fifth-place finish will still propel the Royal Distributing BMW rider back into the top ten overall as he recovers from a tough-luck opening round.

Pro Superbike Feature (Race 1 of 2) – Top 10

1. Alex Dumas, Suzuki
2. Ben Young, BMW
3. Sebastien Tremblay, Kawasaki
4. Samuel Guerin, BMW
5. Michael Leon, BMW
6. Ivan Babic, BMW
7. Anthony Bergeron, BMW (Rookie)
8. Trevor Daley, Suzuki
9. Ryan Taylor, Ducati (Rookie)
10. Vivian Matthews, Yamaha

Another new name was added to the list of Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike winners on Saturday, as Elliot Vieira properly entered the title fight with his first ever Pro national victory over pole-sitter Trevor Dion.

Dion was the man out front for almost the entirety of the race, but was hounded by Vieira and David MacKay behind, with Vieira launching multiple unsuccessful pass attempts into turn eight alone. This eventually led to Dion stretching out a modest gap, but Vieira somehow managed to reel it all back in on the final lap and make the decisive move in turn six.

“It feels so amazing, I don’t know what to say,” said an emotional Vieira. “I decided to just follow Trevor and see how he would do, and at the end his pace started to fade so I just threw another move in there and it stuck!”

The win propels Vieira to just nine points behind Dion, as the Snow City Yamaha rider will look to carry his momentum into Sunday and erase that deficit completely. As for Dion, it was a disappointing finish in what was an otherwise shocking day, as he exceeded all expectations to bag pole position and a solid second-place finish for the LDS Consultants Kawasaki team.

The podium will preserve a slim title lead for Dion, but his biggest prize may be that he increased his gap over MacKay in third, who ran with the lead duo early on but was never able to make a proper overtake. The Fast Company Kawasaki rider will now fall to 20 points behind Dion, but with an opportunity to make up for it on Sunday.

The compressed Saturday schedule will lead to a pair of events moving to Sunday morning, including AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike qualifying and race one of the Super Sonic Race School Lightweight class, though there was still action in the Amateur Sport Bike and Lightweight Pro/Am categories.

Bobby Desjardins will start from pole position in Sunday’s Amateur Sport Bike race after crushing the field for Suzuki, with Yamaha riders Frederic Barnabe and Martin Richard joining him on the front row.

As for the Pro/Am, it was Jared Walker who took another overall race victory to extend his lead in the Pro ranks, holding off a strong challenge from Ryan Vanderputten who finished second on-track but will win the Amateur division.

Harvey Renaud and Gary McKinnon completed the podium in the Pro ranks by finishing third and fifth overall, while newcomer Andrew Cooney finished fourth on-track to take second in the Amateur division ahead of Bryce DeBoer in seventh across the line.

The full results from Sunday’s action can be found on the series official website at csbk.ca.

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

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Category: Motorcycle

Calabogie, Ontario – The gap atop the Canadian Superbike Championship all but evaporated on Sunday, as Alex Dumas continued his perfect run at Calabogie Motorsports Park to pull within a single point of rival Ben Young in the feature Pro Superbike class.

Dumas entered with a five-race unbeaten streak on the line around Calabogie, though he was immediately met with his biggest challenge yet as Young grabbed the holeshot for the second day in a row. Unlike Saturday, though, Young maintained that lead for the first half of the race, denying a handful of pass attempts as he threatened to end Dumas’ perfect run around his home track.

The defending champion had other plans on lap seven, however, finally getting a move to stick in turn five and eventually peeling away, as the Liqui Moly/Fast School Suzuki rider will head to round three within a single point of the title lead.

“I tried the pass a few times, but Ben just kept slamming the door. It was really fun battling out there, but I’m happy to pick up another win for the championship,” Dumas said. “I’ve never been to Shubenacadie, so I’m looking forward to battling again at round three there in two weeks.”

Despite another runner-up finish to his championship rival, Young will likely be pleased with his weekend overall, as he maintains his championship lead exiting the first four races – albeit in the finest of margins.

“I had another great launch like yesterday – the new ‘M’ BMW gets off the line really well – but Alex was a demon off the line as well which allowed him to stay with me,” said the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider. “I knew it would be tough to win here, but we’re really looking forward to round three where we can hopefully build the gap back up in the championship.”

Joining the duo on the podium was Trevor Daley, who made up for a massive Saturday crash to run a comfortable race in third. The OneSpeed Suzuki rider remained slightly off the pace of the front two but continued to close the gap, while also climbing back into third in the overall championship.

“It was a bit of a lonely ride out there, but I was hoping I could just stay with them and pick up the pieces if they beat each other up a bit,” Daley said. “I still think we’re a lot closer than the gap will show, and it’s another good step forward so now we just turn our focus to round three in AMP.”

The double-podium for Suzuki will help trim their deficit to BMW to just six points in the Constructors Championship, but the German manufacturer will retain their lead thanks to a strong fifth-place charge from Samuel Guerin aboard his EFC Group machine.

Guerin was unable to get the better of Sebastien Tremblay, however, as the Turcotte Performance Kawasaki rider held on to fourth in the race and jumps to fourth in the overall standings in the process, while helping Kawasaki to third in the Constructors table.

Pro Superbike Feature Race 2 of 2 – Top Ten

1. Alex Dumas, Suzuki
2. Ben Young, BMW
3. Trevor Daley, Suzuki
4. Sebastien Tremblay, Kawasaki
5. Samuel Guerin, BMW
6. Michael Leon, BMW
7. Anthony Bergeron, BMW (Rookie)
8. Ernest Bernhard, Yamaha
9. Christian Allard, Ducati (Rookie)
10. Vivian Matthews, Yamaha

David MacKay reversed his championship fortunes after a difficult race one, winning on Sunday after a dramatic three-way battle with rivals Trevor Dion and Elliot Vieira.

All three riders swapped places multiple times throughout, with Dion leading across the line onto the final lap before MacKay launched a thrilling overtake in the final corners to seal his second victory of the season.

“These doubleheaders are working well for me,” MacKay joked, referencing his race two win in Grand Bend after a race one crash. “Yesterday wasn’t the best day for us, but we were able to learn so much which helped us today, and this one is huge for the championship."

Dion will ultimately see a win slip through his hands on the final lap for a second day in a row, but the LDS Consultants Kawasaki rider still held on for another runner-up finish and thus will retain a 13-point advantage over Vieira with MacKay a further two points back.

The trio will entrench themselves as the three championship contenders at the halfway point of the season, though MacKay will have experience on his side when the Fast Company Kawasaki rider returns to Shubenacadie in two weeks.

Julien Lafortune extended a sizeable advantage atop the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike standings, winning for a second time after leading every lap on Sunday.

The Kawasaki rider will open up a 23-point lead over John Fraser, who finished second for Yamaha, a gap Lafortune will need as they head to Fraser’s stomping ground in round three on the east coast.

Paul Etienne Courtois will take over the championship lead in the Amateur Sport Bike class, as the first-year Amateur runner won his first national Sport Bike race after a close battle with hometown rider Guillaume Lavallee.

Courtois will carry a five-point lead over round one winner Sebastian Hothaza, who could only manage ninth in his second national appearance.

National debutant Andrew Cooney capped off a stellar weekend with a pair of victories in the Super Sonic Race School Lightweight class, winning both contests in dramatic fashion in just his third ever race weekend at any level.

Despite the double-victory, it was a successful weekend for championship leader Evan Moriarity, who exits with a 30-point lead atop the standings over Cooney in second.

Jared Walker continued his perfect run in the Pro division of the Pro/Am class, winning for a fourth consecutive time to extend his title grasp. Cooney would wind up the winner on both occasions in the Amateur ranks, with Bryce DeBoer grabbing a pair of second-place finishes to enter a tie for the championship lead.

The full results from Sunday’s racing can be found on the series’ official website at csbk.ca.

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

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Category: Motorcycle

Calabogie, Ontario – Reigning Pro Superbike champion Alex Dumas found his way back to the front of the grid on Saturday, taking his second career BS Battery Pole Position ahead of this weekend’s CSBK doubleheader at Calabogie Motorsports Park.

Dumas had plenty of pace throughout the day, setting lap-record pace in morning practice, but it was Suzuki-mate Trevor Daley who led the majority of the qualifying session as he chased his first career Superbike pole.

The usual suspects returned in the late stages, though, as Dumas and rival Ben Young traded fast laps in the dying moments, with the reigning champion ultimately getting the last laugh as he posted a time of 2:00.949.

“It feels good to be back up here at the front of the grid, it’s where we really wanted to be for this afternoon and tomorrow,” Dumas said. “The plan is to get to the front and try to hold these guys off, and pole position is hopefully going to help that.”

Dumas remains undefeated at Calabogie after four wins here last season, and will look to keep that streak alive in race one on Saturday evening. The Liqui Moly/Fast School Suzuki rider will have more important matters to focus on, however, as he looks to erase his championship deficit to rival Ben Young.

Young will get some consolation in his second-place grid spot, as it promotes him to the overall lead in the season-long BS Battery Pole Award battle, two points clear of Alex Dumas after coming up just short on Saturday.

The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider is debuting his brand new 2022 M1000RR this weekend, and has come to grips with the machine early as he prepares to battle it out with Dumas on two occasions this weekend.

Completing the front row will be Daley, who lost out again on a dream pole position charge but will still be in a good position to challenge for his maiden victory later on this afternoon aboard his OneSpeed Suzuki machine.

BS Battery Pro Superbike Qualifying – Top 5:

1. Alex Dumas 2:00.949
2. Ben Young 2:01.309
3. Trevor Daley 2:01.870
4. Sebastien Tremblay 2:03.585
5. Michael Leon 2:04.132

Trevor Dion will start on pole position for the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class after another sensational qualifying effort, crushing the field by over a half-second as he set a new qualifying lap record.

Dion was far from the betting favourite entering Calabogie, having never appeared here as a Pro before, but the LDS Consultants Kawasaki rider proved himself once again as he looks to stretch his championship lead later on Saturday.

The full qualifying order can be found on the series’ official website at csbk.ca.

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