From a press release issued by series organizers:

PICOTTE BACK ON TOP

SHUBENACADIE, NS – Pascal Picotte regained the Parts Canada Superbike Championship points lead and became the first repeat victor of the 2003 season in a dramatic race at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS Sunday.

Riding the Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R1, the St-Cecile de Milton, QC rider edged the Diablo Performance Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Maple Ridge, BC’s Steve Crevier by 0.495 secs. after a spectacular duel for the lead. Joliette, QC’s Jean-Francois Cyr completed the podium aboard the CyRacing/Michelin Yamaha YZF-R1.

“I had a crash yesterday and my guys had to totally rebuild the bike last night,” said Picotte, who now has an eight-point lead over Crevier in the Superbike standings with two races remaining. “I didn’t have the best bike out there so I just tried to get out front and keep the guys behind me.”

Picotte now has 231 points in the Parts Canada Superbike standings to the 223 of Crevier. Francis Martin of Rock Forest, QC, the points leader coming into this race, dropped to third with 220 points after a fifth place finish Sunday on his Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000.

The series continues next weekend at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Mont-Tremblant, QC before wrapping up at Shannonville Motorsport Park Aug. 29-31.

Picotte, Crevier and Frank Trombino all took turns leading the thrilling 22-lap race at AMP, and 10 motorcycles made up the lead train at half distance. But with four laps to go Picotte and Crevier pulled away from Trombino’s Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1 to settle the outcome themselves.

Despite battling a loose front fairing, Crevier surged past Picotte on the backstraight on lap 19, only to have the Yamaha rider muscle back in front for good in the last turn with two laps to go.

“It just wasn’t my day,” said Crevier, who battled back from fourth place on lap 10 to challenge Picotte. “The fairing bracket broke and I had to use up my tires to work back to the front.”

Despite suffering a broken gear shift lever in the early going, Cyr charged from 10th on lap 1 to finish on the podium. He passed Tom Kipp, Martin and Trombino on lap 20 to move from sixth to third.

Kleinburg, ON’s Trombino settled for fourth, right behind Cyr. Two seconds behind came Martin, who edged the Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-7RR of Chardon, OH’s Kipp for fifth.

In other action at AMP, Picotte moved a step closer to clinching the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike title with his second victory of the season. The Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 rider beat the Diablo Performance Suzuki GSX-R600 of Crevier by 2.884 secs. in the 16-lap race. Picotte’s closest challenger in the standings, Trombino placed third on a Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R6.

Greenwood, NS’s Fred Silver won the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike feature on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR. Mike MacCluskey of Terrence Bay, NS was second aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6 and Nepean, ON rider Derek Bowker took third on another Yamaha.

Jeremy Leduc of Keremeos, BC, the points leader coming into this race, crashed early on, allowing Bowker to close to within 11 points, 162-151 in the standings.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Saturday, Aug. 23 at 11:30 a.m. Action from AMP will also be shown later this year on Quebec’s RDS and on the Outdoor Life Network.

Results Sunday from the sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park, showing finishing position, rider name, hometown and type of motorcycle:

1.Pascal Picotte, St-Cecile de Milton, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1; 2. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, BC, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 3. Jean-Francois Cyr, Joliette, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1; 4.Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1; 5. Francis Martin, Rock Forest, QC, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 6. Tom Kipp, Chardon, OH, Kawasaki ZX-7RR; 7. Clint McBain, Calgary, AB, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 8. Jeff Williams, Harrowsmith, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 9. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, QC, Honda RC51; 10. Michael Taylor, Toronto, ON, Honda CBR954RR; 11. Benoit Pilon, St-Jerome, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1; 12. Andrew Nelson, Kars, ON, Honda CBR954RR; 13. Matthew McBride, Toronto, ON, Kawasaki ZX-6R; 14. Darryn Wilbur, Maple, ON, Yamaha YZF-R6; 15. Dan Durkovic, Ottawa, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1; 16. Barry French, Brampton, ON, Yamaha YZF-R6; NF. Michael Leon, Montreal, QC, Suzuki GSX-R600 NS. Robbie Baird, Queensland, Australia, Honda CBR600RR; NS. James Fraser, Hammonds Plains, NS, Honda CBR600RR; NS. Matt Binns, Uxbridge, ON, Yamaha YZF-R6; NS. Terry MacPhee, Upper Rawdon, NS, Honda CBR600F4i; NS. Denis Richard, Notre-Dame, NS, Honda CBR600RR

Fastest Lap: Steve Crevier, 1:09.480 on lap 2
Margin of Victory: 0.495 secs.

Point standings for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship following Sunday’s sixth round at Atlantic Motorsport Park, showing position, rider name and point total:

1.Pascal Picotte, 231; 2. Steve Crevier, 223; 3. Francis Martin, 220; 4. Jean-Francois Cyr, 202; 5. Clint McBain, 181; 6. Frank Trombino, 167; 7. Michael Taylor, 153; 8. Tom Kipp, 136; 9. Jeff Williams, 136; 10. Benoit Pilon, 118; 11. Andrew Nelson, 86; 12. Michael Leon, 67; 13. Kevin Lacombe, 66; 14. Robbie Baird, 62; 15. Darryn Wilbur, 60; 16. Matthew McBride, 49; 17. Bruce McDonald, 44; 18. Chris Peris, 29; 19. Joel McDonald, 29; 20. Brian Nielsen, 23; 21. Larry Orde, 16; 22. Barry French, 10; 23. Dan Durkovic, 10; 24. John Brundl, 8; 25. Dale Yamada, 8; 26. Steve Dufresne 8; 27. Brent Strong, 6; 28. Guy Tomlinson, 6; 29. Chris Murray-Audain, 4; 30. Jim Proulx, 2; 31. Alan Schmidt, 2; 32. Shane LeGros, 1; 33. Brad Gavey, 1; 34. Darren Womack, 1