From a press release issued by series organizers:

BOWMANVILLE, ON Rain or shine, Pascal Picotte is the man to beat in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship this season.

The Granby, QC rider scored his third straight victory of 2004 at Mosport International Raceway Saturday, leading every lap of the two-part race on his Team Yamaha / Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1.

The fourth round of the series, originally scheduled for 16 laps, started on a very wet track and Picotte mastered the conditions, opening up a lead of over 10 seconds before a crash brought out the red flag on lap 6.

By the time action resumed the track had dried completely. Picotte again jumped into the lead and after an early challenge from Craig Connell opened up an advantage of just over two seconds before another accident ended the race for good after 11 total laps.

Connell finished second on his Coors Light Racing / Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Granby, QC’s Kevin Lacombe completed the podium in third on the Lacombe Racing Yamaha YZF-R1.

The race was the first of two scheduled for this weekend at Mosport.

“I think everyone knew I was good in the wet,” said Picotte, the defending Parts Canada Superbike champion. “But I think I proved that I can win in the dry too.”

Connell ran second throughout the second part of the race but after his early challenge was unable to match Picotte’s pace.

“I tried in the first few laps but I made a few mistakes,” said the Tingalpa, Australia rider. “I had a five-second lead back to third place and it seemed silly to risk it.”

Lacombe finished just ahead of Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke on the Honda Canada / Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR and the DXS / Diablo Performance Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Maple Ridge, BC rider Steve Crevier.

The two racers who caused the red flags, Corey Sherman of Corbyville, ON and Harrowsmith, ON’s Jeff Williams both escaped serious injury in their incidents. Sherman suffered a leg injury while Williams walked away from a dramatic crash on the backstraight.

In other action at Mosport, Picotte extended his lead in the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike class by winning Saturday’s race on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Picotte edged the Suzuki GSX-R600 of Connell by just 0.403 secs. in the 14-lap event, while early race leader Szoke placed third on his Honda CBR600RR.

The Pro 600 Sport Bike competitors will also be in action again on Sunday.

Poor weather and schedule delays forced the cancellation of qualifying for Sunday’s International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike race at Mosport.

This weekend’s events will be televised on TSN on Aug. 7 and Sept. 11 at 11:30 a.m. EDT and on Quebec’s RDS on Sept. 12 at 12:00 p.m. and Sept. 25 at 11:30 a.m. The action will also appear in one-hour format later this summer on TORONTO1 and A-Channel stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton.