From a press release issued by Honda Canada/Fast Company Racing:

HONDA CANADA/FAST COMPANY RACING

A pair of podiums

BOWMANVILLE, ON The Honda Canada/Fast Company racing team enjoyed its best outing of the 2004 Parts Canada Superbike Championship season as Jordan Szoke scored a pair of podium finishes at Mosport International Raceway last weekend.

The Brantford, ON rider took his Honda CBR1000RR to a second place finish in Sunday’s second Superbike race of the doubleheader weekend, while a day earlier he scored a third in the first of two Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike races.

Szoke had a fourth in the opening Superbike race at Mosport and ended the weekend second in the Parts Canada Superbike standings after five of eight events.

“I consider Mosport one of my favourite tracks,” said Szoke. “We were so close today. It’s sad we didn’t get it [the win].”

Szoke was race winner Pascal Picotte’s closest challenger on the CBR1000RR and was in front when a red flag halted action after seven of a scheduled 16 laps.

He didn’t get as strong a start when action resumed but fought his way up from fourth at the end of the opening lap to move into second two laps from the end.

Szoke is 89 points behind Picotte, 259-170 with three races remaining in the Parts Canada Superbike season but the CBR1000RR, which debuted this year is starting to show its abundant potential.

Teammate Andrew Nelson of Kars, ON had a ninth and a sixth in the two Superbike races on his Honda CBR1000RR. In the second race he took advantage of an excellent start after the red flag to run fifth after one lap, but was in a fierce five-way battle for the spot. He is now seventh in the Parts Canada Superbike standings with 121 points.

Szoke also challenged for the lead in the first Pro 600 Sport Bike race at Mosport and ran at the front for five of the 14 laps on his Honda CBR600RR before settling for third. Nelson, who had qualified second was forced out after only two laps with a rare mechanical problem.

On Sunday, Szoke and Nelson set the early pace in the wet conditions on the CBR600RR’s, with Nelson leading the first five laps. But as the track dried their rain tires started to wear and they slipped to sixth and seventh at the finish, Nelson ahead of Szoke.

Szoke is now fifth in the Pro 600 Sport Bike standings, just 15 points out of second, while Nelson is sixth.

The Honda Canada/Fast Company team will be back in action at Nova Scotia’s Atlantic Motorsport Park Aug. 6-8.



More, from a press release issued by Team Shoulder Check:

Team Shoulder Check’s Suzuki SV650 rider Rich Peillard rode to a gritty third place here in soggy Mosport, Ontario in Saturday’s Diablo SV Cup. Although the race ended with some controversy, nothing can take away from the brave wet weather riding which placed the #46 bike on the podium for the first time. Rich collected a total of 41 points this weekend which makes it his largest single weekend points total ever.

Sunday’s Amateur 600 National race also saw its fair share of rain. After the initial red flag stopping the race, excellent progress from a determined Pat Boyd, qualified 19th, put him as high as 9th midway into the race with conditions drying. A predominately dry track caused the #48 machine slip to 13th place but Boyd battled back in the last corner to capture 12th after a mistake by #40 Marco Sousa. Alan Burns (DNF) had to drop out of the race on lap 5 because the wet conditions proved too much for his DOT Michelin rubber. David Fong (DNQ) experienced a difficult weekend and did not race in the final.

Pat Boy (AM #48 Yamaha R6), twelfth
“After my 12th place finish at Mosport I’m finally coming to grips with the R6 and I’m expecting some great things at Mont Tremblant.”

Alan Burns (AM #113 Honda F3), DNF
“It was a tough weekend for me but I was confident after the Friday afternoon practice that I could put in some good times in qualifying. Unfortunately qualifying was cancelled and the organizers used the Saturday morning times. I was fast enough to make the field but I was going to be starting in the 9th row. On Sunday morning I worked on some passing lines and Drafting techniques in preparation for the race. I found some good lines that I could use for passing and I was looking forward to a good race on a dry track. When the skies opened up right before the start I knew it was going to be tough to keep up on the DOT tires. I was having a good race with the rider on the number 34 bike who was the only other person on DOTs. We were battling for 26th place when the rain tire equipped leaders came by. We decided it would be best to stay out of the way so we both pulled off. I’m looking for a better result this weekend at the RACE 25th anniversary round at Shannonville.”

David Fong (AM #28 Yamaha R6), DNQ
“We seemed to change everything through the weekend and I still didn’t feel comfortable. Even though I was riding better the set-up was still not quite right. What a shame. We’ve been having problems all through the weekend but we were hoping to have a strong qualifying. The rain delays cancelled qualifying so there was nothing left to do. We’ve just got to move on now to Tremblant.”

Rich Peillard (AM #46 Suzuki SV650), third & 18th
“I was lucky to make the correct tire decision prior to the start of the first race. This was one of the most fun races I have been part of. It was not until I came into the pits after the red flag that my team informed me of my position. The second race was difficult, I got a good start, but the inside line into turn 1 did not allow me to move up. I had some good battles with the riders that were around me. After making an error in turn 9 and 10, I lost one position as the last lap flag was displayed. I was able to regain that position in turn 5 and hold on for an 18th place finish. Thanks to everyone that helped me make this weekend a success.”