From a press release issued by series organizers:

MCBAIN EYES DEBUT WIN

CALGARY, AB – Alberta’s most successful motorcycle road racer will be
Calgary’s Clint McBain comes to the second round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship as a strong favorite to score his first career national Superbike win on Sunday. The Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki rider sits third in the series point standings after a superb performance in the opening race last month, when he snatched third place from Pascal Picotte on the final lap.

The 30-year-old is building on a breakthrough year in 2002, when he won the 600 Sport Bike national support class and finished second in the Open Sport Bike division. He won both the 600 and Open events at Race City in his stellar campaign.

History is certainly on McBain’s side at his home track. Four riders have scored their first ever national Superbike wins in the last eight events at Race City.

But McBain also faces competition from the toughest Parts Canada Superbike field assembled in years. The entry includes three former champions and eight feature race winners.

Maple Ridge, BC’s Steve Crevier leads the standings after a victory in the opening round at Shannonville Motorsport Park last month on his Diablo Suzuki. Crevier has won more titles (six) and more races (21) than any other racer in Canadian Superbike history.

The Suzuki threat also includes Crevier’s teammate Jeff Williams of Harrowsmith, ON, who scored his only national win at Race City in 1999, and McBain’s teammate Francis Martin, the 1999 Canadian national champion who also has a Calgary win to his credit.

Picotte is also a serious contender for victory on his Picotte Racing Yamaha. The St-Cecile de Milton, QC rider is making a return to Canadian action in 2003, and won in Calgary in 1991 and ’93.

Fellow Yamaha riders Frank Trombino of Kleinburg, ON and Joliette, QC’s Jean-Francois Cyr could also challenge. Trombino, riding for Brooklin Yamaha, is the only racer to have won a Superbike national in each of the last three years while Cyr finished a strong fifth at Shannonville’s season opener.

The factory Orion Motorsport Honda team includes two-time Canadian Superbike champ Michael Taylor of Toronto, another former Race City winner and rising star Kevin Lacombe of Granby, QC, who claimed his first career national Superbike win at the end of last season.

The Orion line-up also features Canadian newcomer Robbie Baird, a star in his native Australia.

Kawasaki’s hopes lie with Ohio veteran Tom Kipp, who finished sixth at Shannonville in his debut in the Canadian series.

This weekend’s racing also includes the second round of the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Championship and the International Motorcycle
SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Championship.

Picotte leads the Pro 600 points after winning the first race, while Ottawa Yamaha rider Dan Henri was victorious in the first ever Amateur 600 Sport Bike national feature at Shannonville.

Official practice at Race City Motorsport Park opens Friday.

Qualifying for all three national classes will go Saturday afternoon and races are set to run on Sunday.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Sunday, July 6 at 12:30 p.m. EDT and later this year on Quebec’s RDS and across Canada on the Outdoor Life Network.

All Time Race City Superbike Wins

Jordan Szoke (Brantford, ON) 5
Steve Crevier (Maple Ridge, BC) 2
Pascal Picotte (St-Cecile de Milton, QC) 2
Michael Taylor (Toronto, ON) 2
Gary Goodfellow (Vancouver, BC) 1
Rueben McMurter (London, ON) 1
Michel Mercier (Thedford Mines, QC) 1
Don Munroe (Halifax, NS) 1
Francis Martin (Rock Forest, QC) 1
Jeff Williams (Harrowsmith, ON) 1
Owen Weichel (Toronto, ON) 1

Race City Fast Facts

…Jordan Szoke has won five of the last eight Superbike nationals at Race City Motorsport Park, including sweeping doubleheaders in 2000 and 2002. Szoke is not competing this weekend due to U.S. racing commitments

…Five racers have scored their first career national Superbike wins at Race City, including Pascal Picotte (1991), Jordan Szoke (1998), Francis Martin (1999), Jeff Williams (1999) and Owen Weichel (2001)

…On seven occasions a winner at Race City has gone on to claim the Canadian title in the same year, Michel Mercier (1990), Steve Crevier
(1992), Michael Taylor (1996), Don Munroe (1997), Jordan Szoke (1998 and 2002) and Francis Martin (1999)

2003 Point Standings

Parts Canada Superbike: 1. Steve Crevier (Suzuki) 56; 2. Francis Martin (Suzuki) 42; 3. Clint McBain (Suzuki) 38; 4. Pascal Picotte (Yamaha) 35; 5. Jean-Francois Cyr (Yamaha) 29

Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike: 1. Pascal Picotte (Yamaha) 54; 2. Andrew Nelson (Honda) 43; 3. Clint McBain (Suzuki) 39

International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike: 1. Dan Henri (Yamaha) 54; 2. Derek Bowker (Yamaha) 43; 3. Yanick Beauregard (Suzuki) 37

Provisional Weekend Schedule

Saturday June 7

12:55 p.m.- 1:20 p.m. Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Qualifying

2:00 p.m.- 2:55 p.m. International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Qualifying

3:35 p.m.- 4:20 p.m. Parts Canada Superbike Qualifying

Sunday June 8

1:00 p.m. Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Race – 12 laps

2:10 p.m. International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Race – 12 laps

3:30 p.m. Parts Canada Superbike Race – 16 laps