Supersport Preview: Collins headlines western challengers as title fight shifts to Edmonton.
The return to RAD Torque Raceway will come at the perfect time for the Pro Supersport class next weekend, as a talented group of western riders will look to carry their momentum into their home round in the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, July 4-6, presented by Canadian Kawasaki Motors and Argyll Motorsports.
The Edmonton venue will offer a first-ever tripleheader in the middleweight class, with two races on Saturday and a race on Sunday serving as the most crucial point of the season ahead of the season finale in CTMP next month.
With it comes a make-or-break trip for championship leader Torin Collins, this time only a short drive away from his hometown in Calgary, and one that the rising superstar will look forward to after his sensational CSBK debut at the circuit last season.
That time it was in the feature GP Bikes Pro Superbike class where Collins first dazzled the crowd at RAD Torque, finishing second in race one and winning race two to break numerous Superbike records – a trend the 19-year-old has carried with him into his first Supersport campaign north of the border.
Simply put, Collins has looked unbeatable for the better part of 2025, taking two pole positions and winning three-of-four races in dominant fashion aboard his Octagon Energy Services Suzuki (a new title sponsor for his home round), falling short only when he was taken out on lap one in AMP.
It’s hard to see that form slipping at the venue where he did so well in Superbike a year ago, and one that favours his ultra-aggressive riding style. However, it won’t be a straightforward task for Collins either, with no shortage of other “hometown” riders ready to put on a show in Alberta.
Amongst them is his main championship rival in 18-year-old Andrew Van Winkle, who scored the first victory of his Pro Supersport career at RAD Torque last season before adding another one last time out in Nova Scotia.
The Mountainview Motorsports Suzuki rider is still far from his true hometown of Chilliwack, British Columbia, but it won’t feel that way to Van Winkle as he carries as much momentum as anyone into round three, having taken 45 of a possible 50 points on the east coast.
The former Pro Twins champion will be at a slight disadvantage again aboard his GSX-R600 compared to the next-gen GSX-R750’s of many of his rivals, but that didn’t stop Van Winkle from winning race two a year ago aboard the same machine.
It’s been a much different tale in 2025 for the race one winner from last season, as John Laing enters a “get-right” spot at a much-needed time in what has been a difficult year aboard his new Vass Performance Suzuki.
The nearby Cochrane, Alberta native entered RAD Torque last year with big expectations and delivered with a runaway race one victory, but a third-place finish the next day has been his last taste of champagne since, missing the podium in ten consecutive races.
That’s not to say Laing has been off the pace entirely in that stretch, finishing in the top-five on five occasions, but a season-best finish of sixth won’t be what he hoped for after entering the season as a championship contender.
A return to at least the podium, if not the top step, could be all Laing needs to get his confidence back aboard his new machine, and there’s no better spot for him to do so than at his home circuit where he looked so strong a year ago.
Outside of the local stars, another rider needing a bounce-back weekend will be defending champion Sebastien Tremblay, who trails Collins by 20 points for the S.T. Motosport Suzuki team.
Some of that deficit is through no fault of his own, having been taken out along with Collins in race one at AMP, though Tremblay has also been farther off the pace than expected in 2025, finishing a distant third in each of the other three races.
His finishes of third and fourth at RAD Torque last season won’t scare Collins or Van Winkle either, though Tremblay was notably dealing with a shoulder injury during that weekend.
A dark horse to watch out west will be Elliot Vieira, who was a turn one crash away from a massive points haul in Edmonton last season after finishing second to Laing in race one and initially leading race two.
Vieira has been as consistent as anyone to begin 2025, finishing fourth or fifth in every race to put his GP Bikes Ducati fourth in the standings. Adding a pair of podiums or even a race win in round three would create a massive wrinkle in the championship mix, especially given Vieira’s strong resumé around CTMP.
As for round two star Alex Michel, the former top amateur was a solid but unspectacular eight and seventh in his two races at RAD Torque last season, but the SpeedFactory67 Kawasaki rider has looked far more confident and competitive this year as he tries to build upon his strong performances in AMP.
Expected to be absent from the top of the running order are frontrunners Phil DeGama-Blanchet and Trevor Daley, the former being another local star out of Calgary.
DeGama-Blanchet is rumoured to be focusing on his Superbike campaign after encountering a number of mechanical issues on his Supersport machine in round three, missing both races. The 17-year-old finished fourth and fifth at his home round a year ago, and could be a threat for at least a podium if he can get his Taylor Racing Ducati back on track next weekend.
As for Daley, the OneSpeed Suzuki rider was already expected to miss round three even prior to his injury in Nova Scotia, suffered in a lap one crash in race one before his incredible comeback to finish sixth.
More information 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.