Shubenacadie, NS – The momentum shifted drastically atop the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship on Saturday, as Sam Guerin exited race one with a thrilling victory in the feature GP Bikes Pro Superbike class at Atlantic Motorsport Park.

The race was instantly set up to be one of the most dramatic in recent memory, as a lead group of six riders escaped out front and ran virtually nose-to-tail with championship leader Alex Dumas at the front.

Dumas benefitted from another poor start by pole-sitter Ben Young, with Jordan Szoke slotting into second and Guerin third while Young fended off David MacKay and – incredibly – Torin Collins aboard his Supersport machine in the lead pack.

The group would run in that order for a pair of laps before Szoke took the lead with a great move into turn one, putting the BMW-mates of Dumas and Guerin together while Young tried to fend off a hard charging Collins in fourth.

Szoke began slowly inching his way clear of the sinking Dumas, while Collins continued to rocket up the order with a hard move on Young on lap five, lapping as the fastest rider on track despite his horsepower disadvantage.

A big moment for Dumas into turn two just a lap later would be the end of his fight for the win, as the Economy Lube/Fast Company BMW star allowed the trio of Guerin, Collins, and Young all to get past him as he bizarrely struggled for pace on Saturday.

Young and Collins would go side-by-side on a number of occasions, though Young eventually shook off the 19-year-old as both he and Guerin began to hunt down Szoke for the victory.

Szoke would begin to fade himself around the midway point, allowing Guerin into the lead while Young made a beautiful pass into turn nine moments later, setting up a battle between Szoke and Collins for the final podium spot.

Guerin would stretch his lead to just over a second before Young began to reel him in with five laps to go, closing right up to the back of the EFC Group BMW rider by the last lap.

That was all the warning Guerin needed, however, as he responded with the fastest lap of the race on the final lap to deny Young a debut victory for Honda and earn his first win of the season.

It was perhaps the most impressive of Guerin’s three career wins, as he charged his way to the front from fourth on the grid and held off the fast charging Young, a well-deserved victory after his disastrous opening round in Shannonville.

“This was a surprise, honestly. I didn’t see it coming. I could tell with the way we were all riding that I had to get to the front, or I was going to be fourth or fifth,” Guerin said. “I was able to put some good laps together and not make many mistakes. It feels great, especially after round one, and I’m glad we could put on a show for the fans.”

While a first win for the Van Dolder’s Home Team Honda squad still eludes Young, the runner-up finish will cut his championship deficit to just five points, a strong comeback result after his lap one woes continued on Saturday.

“It wasn’t the spot we wanted, but you can’t take anything away from Sam. Nothing presented itself at the end, so I just brought home the safe option in second,” Young said. “I had a clutch issue at the start which was giving me problems all race, but we’re still learning. The CBR1000RR-R is such a great package, I know we’re going to get there.”

As for the final podium place, the former teammates of Collins and Szoke left nothing on-track, trading places five times across the final three laps in one of the most spirited battles of the season.

Collins would wind up third at the line, an incredible performance aboard his Supersport-spec Novalda Suzuki GSX-R600. The feat puts him in rare company, becoming the first middleweight machine on a Superbike podium since Jodi Christie finished second at ICAR in 2010.

“I didn’t know if I’d even race after getting taken out in Supersport earlier. I had to clear my head and get over it, but I even surprised myself. I’m not sure what I’m doing up here!” said the 19-year-old phenom.

While the narrow, twisty nature of AMP has benefitted Supersport machines in the past, the stunning performance of Collins was perhaps the story of the day, as Guerin admitted at the podium that he could not believe the Calgary native was alongside him.

Szoke would settle for a disappointing fourth despite leading for a handful of laps, with the 14-time champion still looking for his return to the top of the podium for the Canadian Kawasaki Motors team.

Dumas would salvage only fifth, struggling aboard his secondary “B-bike” after a morning crash forced him off their primary M1000RR. Still, Dumas will head into Sunday’s race with a slim championship lead and an opportunity to improve their setup for race two.

MacKay would finish sixth after running in the lead group early on, a crucial result aboard his ODH Snow City Cycle Honda as it keeps him fourth in the championship and limits the damage to BMW in the Constructors Championship, keeping Honda within eleven points of the Motorrad company.

The feature GP Bikes Pro Superbike class will now enter a pivotal race two on Sunday at Atlantic Motorsport Park, currently scheduled for roughly 3 pm AT, before their round three tripleheader next month.

Full results can be found on the series’ official website.

For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca or email info@csbk.ca.