From a press release issued by the Parts Canada Superbike Championship:

PICOTTE WINS THRILLER

BOWMANVILLE, ON – Pascal Picotte scored his first Parts Canada Superbike Championship win of the season and took over the series points lead in a thrilling race at Mosport International Raceway on Saturday.

Riding the Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 the St-Cecile de Milton, QC rider came out on top of a three-way battle for the lead in the first race of the Miller Genuine Draft presents the Chevy Trucks Mosport Double Header.

Picotte finished just 0.428 secs. ahead of the Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Rock Forest, QC’s Francis Martin. Martin edged the Brooklin Yamaha YZF-R1 of Kleinburg, ON rider Frank Trombino in a near dead-heat for second at the line.

Picotte is the fourth different winner in the first four races of the Parts Canada Superbike season.

“It was a little bit of a struggle early in the year but now we’ve got some momentum going,” said Picotte, who is making his return to Canadian racing after a successful career in the U.S. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the top of the box. I think I deserve it, and the team definitely deserves it.”

Picotte spent most of the 16-lap race running third while Martin and Trombino traded the lead. He moved into the top spot on lap 14 and stayed there until the final lap. Martin dove under him at the end of the backstraight, but Picotte was able to repass him at the next corner.

Trombino got under Martin in the last corner and the two ran side-by-side to the checkered flag, with Martin just holding on for second place.

“I went wide in the last turn and hit a bump,” Martin said of the final dash for the line. “Frank got under me but I said, ‘no way, I’m not losing two positions in two corners.'”

With his win Picotte moved from third to first in the Parts Canada Superbike standings. He now has 150 points to the 140 of Martin.

Jean-Francois Cyr, the points leader coming to Mosport dropped to third in the standings with 138 points after finishing sixth Saturday on his Michelin Yamaha YZF-R1.

Steve Crevier of Maple Ridge, BC was fourth at Mosport on a Diablo Suzuki GSX-R1000 and slipped to fourth in the Superbike standings with 136 points.

The second Superbike race in the doubleheader weekend will run Sunday afternoon.

In other action at Mosport, Picotte shattered the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike lap record in qualifying for Sunday’s race. The class points leader took his Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 around in 1:23.146 to easily surpass the previous mark of 1:24.521 set last year by Craig Connell.

Championship leader Jeremy Leduc of Keremeos, BC claimed pole position for the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike feature with a lap time of 1:26.715 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. That race will also be part of Sunday’s program.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN in two parts. The first show will air on Saturday, Aug. 9 at 12:30 p.m. EDT with the second on Sunday, Aug. 10, also at 12:30 p.m. Mosport action will also be shown later this year on Quebec’s RDS and across Canada on the Outdoor Life Network.

Results Saturday from the fourth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Mosport International Raceway, showing finishing position, rider name, hometown and type of motorcycle:

1.Pascal Picotte, St-Cecile de Milton, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1; 2. Francis Martin, Rock Forest, QC, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 3. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1; 4. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, BC, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 5. Clint McBain, Calgary, AB, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 6. Jean-Francois Cyr, Joliette, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1; 7. Jeff Williams, Harrowsmith, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 8. Michael Taylor, Toronto, ON, Honda RC51; 9. Tom Kipp, Chardon, OH, Kawasaki ZX-7RR; 10. Darryn Wilbur, Maple, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1; 11. Benoit Pilon, St-Jerome, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1; 12. Michael Leon, Montreal, QC, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 13. Matthew McBride, Toronto, ON, Kawasaki ZX-6R; 14. Bruce McDonald, Mt. Albert, ON, Yamaha YZF-R6; 15. Andrew Nelson, Kars, ON, Honda CBR600RR; 16. John Brundl, Toronto, ON, Honda CBR954RR; 17. Larry Orde, Peterborough, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1; 18. Chris Murray-Audain, Scarborough, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1; 19. Barry French, Brampton, ON, Yamaha YZF-R6; 20. Darren Womack, Windsor, ON, Kawasaki ZX-6RR DNS. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, QC, Honda RC51; DNS. Chris Peris, Calgary, AB, Honda CBR600RR; DNS. Brian Nielsen, Edmonton, AB, Suzuki GSX-R600; DNS. Joel McDonald, North York, ON, Yamaha YZF-R6; DNS. Owen Weichel, Toronto, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1; DNS. Guy Tomlinson, Calgary, AB, Kawasaki ZX-6RR; DNS. Dan Durkovic, Ottawa, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1

Point standings for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship following Saturday’s fourth round at Mosport International Raceway, showing position, rider name and point total:

1. Pascal Picotte, 150; 2. Francis Martin, 140; 3. Jean-Francois Cyr, 138; 4. Steve Crevier, 136; 5. Clint McBain, 119; 6. Michael Taylor, 117; 7. Frank Trombino, 110; 8. Benoit Pilon, 82; 9. Tom Kipp, 82; 10. Jeff Williams, 79; 11. Robbie Baird, 62; 12. Michael Leon, 50; 13. Darryn Wilbur, 48; 14. Andrew Nelson, 48; 15. Kevin Lacombe, 45; 16. Bruce McDonald, 44; 17. Matthew McBride, 36; 18. Chris Peris, 29; 19. Brian Nielsen, 23; 20. Larry Orde, 16; 21. John Brundl, 8; 22. Dale Yamada, 8; 23. Steve Dufresne 8; 24. Brent Strong, 6; 25. Guy Tomlinson, 6; 26. Joel McDonald, 4; 27. Chris Murray-Audain, 4; 28. Barry French, 2; 29. Jim Proulx, 2; 30. Alan Schmidt, 2; 31. Shane LeGros, 1; 32. Brad Gavey, 1; 33. Darren Womack, 1