From a press release issued by series organizers:

SZOKE RULES THE WET

SHUBENACADIE, NS Jordan Szoke made a late surge in the final session to set the quickest time in practice Friday for this weekend’s sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park.

After his Honda Canada / Fast Company team made a set-up change to his Honda CBR1000RR the Brantford, ON rider went out in the final two minutes of the session and recorded a time of 1:15.712 around the 1.6-mile circuit.

Szoke’s effort knocked local ace Fred Silver out of the top position. The Greenwood, NS rider settled for second on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR with a time of 1:15.978.

Frank Trombino of Kleinburg, ON was third fastest at 1:16.008 on the Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1.

Rain plagued action throughout the day and the final Superbike practice was run on a wet track.

“I had this crazy idea to lower the triple clamps way down and I went back out and the bike felt 40 per cent better,” said Szoke of the changes made to his motorcycle. “I don’t mind riding in the rain. I would rather race in the dry but we haven’t had any dry set-up on the Superbike.”

Silver won last year’s Amateur 600 Sport Bike event at AMP and was thrilled with his effort on home turf on Friday.

“I’m like a kid in a candy store right now,” he said. “This is like a dream come true for a regional racer, to be out here with the top riders in Canada and to be able to run with them. It is the rain and it’s not their track, but this is still just too much fun to say.”

Calgary’s Clint McBain was fastest in the morning Superbike practice and his time of 1:16.549 on the Coors Light Racing / Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 stood up for fourth best overall.

Parts Canada Superbike Championship points leader Pascal Picotte did not post a time on Friday. The Team Yamaha / Picotte Performance Yamaha rider from Granby, QC comes to AMP with an 89-point lead over Szoke in the standings. There is a total of 56 points available from this weekend’s race.

In other action Friday, Trombino set the fastest time in practice for the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike competitors, recording a 1:11.742 on his Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R6 on a drying track.

Rock Forest, QC’s Francis Martin was second at 1:13.551 riding the Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-6RR and Silver placed third at 1:13.774 on another Kawasaki.

Nauwgewauk, NB racer Rick Langille paced International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike practice on his Yamaha YZF-R6, setting a lap time of 1:14.206. Dominic Lavoie of Levis, QC was second with a 1:14.343 on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR and Guelph, ON’s Tyler Kennedy was third quickest at 1:15.212 on his Honda CBR600RR.

Qualifying for all three national classes will take place Saturday afternoon with races on Sunday.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Oct. 2 at 3:30 p.m. EDT and on Quebec’s RDS on Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m EDT. The action will also appear in one-hour format this fall on TORONTO1 and A-Channel stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton.