From a press release issued by series organizers:

Picotte is champion

SHANNONVILLE, ON – Pascal Picotte of St-Cecile de Milton, QC won one of the most spectacular title battles in Canadian motor racing history with a sixth place finish in the final round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park Sunday.

The Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 rider came back from an early race fall to claim the Parts Canada crown by just five points over Steve Crevier, 308-303. Crevier, from Maple Ridge, BC placed second in Sunday’s race riding a Diablo Performance Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Francis Martin of Rock Forest, QC took third in the final standings with 299 points after winning the race on his Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000.

“This is pretty emotional,” the 33-year-old Picotte said of his first Canadian Superbike crown. “When I stopped in the infield and the marshal told me I won the championship there were some tears.”

Picotte came into the race with a 20-point lead on Crevier in the standings. But the complexion of the title battle changed completely when Picotte fell from second on lap 2 of the 14-lap race. He rejoined in 22nd spot and charged through the pack, setting the fastest lap of the race, a 1:45.194 on lap 8.

Crevier led the race from the start, which would have given him the Superbike title after Picotte’s fall. But Martin passed him on lap 7, putting Picotte back in control of the championship chase.

Martin could have also won the championship if Crevier had finished out of the top three and Picotte failed to climb higher than 12th after his crash.

“My start was not very good,” Martin admitted. “I was stuck behind [Tom] Kipp in third for a while but once I got past him I just put my head down and go.”

Crevier led a tight group of four riders across the line at the finish. Calgary’s Clint McBain took third on his Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 with Joliette, QC’s Jean-Francois Cyr fourth on the CyRacing/Michelin Yamaha YZF-R1 and Frank Trombino of Kleinburg, ON fifth riding his Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1.

In other action at Shannonville Jeremy Leduc of Keremeos, BC rode to a cautious 12th place finish on his Kelowna Yamaha-sponsored Yamaha YZF-R6 to clinch the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike title.

Leduc finished the season just 12 points, 233-221 ahead of Bill Card of Wellesley, ON, who won the race on his McBride Cycle Riders’ Club Honda CBR600RR. Derek Bowker of Nepean, ON, who came into the race with a shot at the title finished 11th on his Motor Sports World Yamaha YZF-R6 after a fall and dropped to third in the final standings.

Picotte, the newly-crowned Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike champion completed his 2003 season in style by winning the final round at Shannonville on his Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. He edged the Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R6 of Trombino by 0.910 secs. in the 12-lap race. McBain was third on the Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R600.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 1:00 p.m. and on the Outdoor Life Network on Sunday, Oct. 26, also at 1:00 p.m. Action from Shannonville will also be shown later this year on Quebec’s RDS.