Canadian Superbike Riders In Exhibition Race At Montreal Champ Car Event This Weekend

Canadian Superbike Riders In Exhibition Race At Montreal Champ Car Event This Weekend

© 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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From a press release issued by Canadian Superbike series organizers:

RACE OF THE YEAR

MONTREAL, QC There may not be championship points on the line but there is no question this weekend’s Parts Canada Superbike invitational at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve will be the race of the year for series competitors.

Canada’s top motorcycle road racers will compete in a 12-lap race around the famous Montreal circuit on Sunday afternoon as part of the Molson Indy Montreal Champ Car weekend. The riders will be performing in front of their biggest crowd of the season. Three-day attendance for the event is expected to reach 150,000.

Series sponsor Parts Canada has put up a $12,000 purse for this event, which is due to receive same-day television coverage on Quebec’s French-language RDS. English language TV rights are still being negotiated.

Pascal Picotte comes to the event fresh from clinching his second straight Parts Canada Superbike Championship crown in Mont-Tremblant last weekend. The Granby, QC star leads the list of contenders on his Team Yamaha / Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1.

His challengers will include fellow Yamaha riders Kevin Lacombe (Lacombe Racing / Brooklin Cycle) and Frank Trombino (Brooklin Cycle). Lacombe, also from Granby is a race winner this year and currently sits third in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship standings, while Kleinburg, ON’s Trombino is fifth in national points.

St-Jerome, QC’s Benoit Pilon will swell the Yamaha ranks. A former series star Pilon has not competed in 2004. He has raced at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, however, running as an Amateur the last time motorcycles visited the track in 1987.

Among those also expected to battle for victory will be Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke, winner of last weekend’s race at Mont-Tremblant aboard the Honda Canada / Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR. A two-time Canadian Superbike champ, Szoke is second in series points behind Picotte.

Szoke is joined on Hondas by Fast Company teammate Andrew Nelson of Kars, ON and Laval, QC star Jean-Francois Cyr, who makes his return to competition this weekend aboard his CyRacing entry.

Canada’s winningest Superbike racer, Steve Crevier of Maple Ridge, BC will be in the field on his DXS Diablo Racing Team Suzuki GSX-R1000. The six-time Canadian Superbike champ raced at this track in 1987 as a Pro.

Crevier is joined on Suzukis by his DXS Diablo Racing teammate Jeff Williams of Harrowsmith, ON, who has a top finish of third this season, and Edmonton’s Brian Nielsen.

Canadian Kawasaki Motors has entered a pair of ZX-10Rs for 1999 Canadian Superbike champ Francis Martin of Rock Forest, QC and his young teammate Matthew McBride from Mississauga, ON.

The Parts Canada Superbike competitors will enjoy two practice sessions, one Friday afternoon and the other at lunchtime on Saturday. Current season point standings will be used to set the grid for Sunday’s race, putting Picotte on pole position ahead of Szoke and Lacombe.

For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com


Montreal Fast Facts

…This is the fourth time motorcycles have run at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Bikes were part of the support program for the Formula 1 World Championship car race in 1981 and ’82 and also raced as part of a car race schedule in 1987.

…The 1987 Superbike race was won by Michel Mercier of Thetford Mines, QC on a Suzuki. Mercier won three Canadian National Superbike titles before retiring after the 1990 season, following his third title. His teammate that year and protégé was Pascal Picotte.

…Steve Crevier is the winningest rider in Canadian national Superbike competition with 22 career victories. The most recent came at this year’s season opener in Shannonville, ON. Jordan Szoke is second on the wins list with 15 and Picotte, Mercier, Rueben McMurter and Don Munroe are all tied for third with 12 wins.

Parts Canada Superbike Championship Point Standings

1. Pascal Picotte, 328; 2. Jordan Szoke, 266; 3. Kevin Lacombe, 249; 4. Clint McBain, 211; 5. Frank Trombino, 175; 6. Steve Crevier, 171; 7. Andrew Nelson, 165; 7. Francis Martin, 165; 9. Craig Connell, 163; 10. Jeff Williams, 139; 11. Matthew McBride, 137; 12. Bill Card, 79; 13. Chris Peris, 56; 14. Matt Binns, 53; 15. Stuart Nodell, 51; 16. Dave Young, 43; 17. Yannick Morin, 42; 18. Hugo Brisson, 40; 19. Peter Holzinger, 25; 20. Zenon Nelson, 23; 21. Jean-Francois Cyr, 21; 21. Brian Nielsen, 21; 23. Larry Orde, 20; 24. Michael Leon, 18; 24. Chris Murray-Audain, 18; 26. Brent Strong, 15; 27. Darryn Wilbur, 14; 28. Tim Easton, 13; 28. Jeremy Burgess, 13; 28. Yanick Beauregard, 13; 31. Barry French, 12; 32. Fred Silver, 8; 33. Sebastien Michel, 7; 34. Corey Sherman, 6; 34. Philip Onisto, 6; 36. Mike Zottmann, 4; 36. Terry Steeves, 4; 36. Dan Henri, 4; 39. Elie Daccache, 3; 40. Andrew Murray, 2; 40. Jim Proulx, 2; 42. Bruce McDonald, 1; 43. Terry MacPhee, 1


Provisional Weekend Schedule

Friday August 27
4:30 p.m.-5:10 p.m. Practice

Saturday August 28
11:55 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Practice

Sunday August 29
12:20 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Race 12 laps

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