CSBK Confirm Completion of 2020 Season
Toronto, ON – September 9, 2020 – The Canadian Superbike Championship will not stage further National-level motorcycle road racing events in 2020. The 2020 CSBK season was seriously delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and as recently as June it was unlikely any events could take place given varied health and safety restrictions across Canada.
Eventually, CSBK organizers Professional Motorsports Productions joined with Pro 6 Cycle to stage two restructured events, one at Calabogie Motorsports Park, ON, July 25 and most recently the annual August Classic at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, ON, August 14-16.
Pro 6 Cycle is a successful organizer of Track Days at several venues in eastern Canada, most frequently at the popular Calabogie circuit south west of Ottawa, ON. As well, Pro 6 conduct an annual Track School and have a brick-and-mortar shop in downtown south western Toronto, ON.
Pro 6 also provide exclusive Dunlop motorcycle race tire service for the CSBK National Championship, as part of a “spec tire” agreement in place for the past seven years between Dunlop’s U.S. head office and CSBK.
“When we discussed the various options possible for the Superbike Championship in 2020, it gradually became clear that there were some unique opportunities that could possibly allow us to stage events,” explains former Pro racer and Pro 6 co-owner Sandy Noce.
“We spoke to our competitors, and there was solid support for us to try and run at least a few races this season,” continued Noce, who came out of retirement to make his Pro Superbike debut at the Calabogie CSBK opener, placing sixth.
“By combining an abbreviated CSBK race schedule with a version of our track day activity, we were able to create something workable. It wasn’t ideal, but the response was positive, especially from our Quebec-based competitors. We know our customers were happy, overall, with all of our combined efforts.
“Everyone at Pro 6 and CSBK wants to thank our tracks, their staff, and our sponsors, especially Williams Paving, for working together to allow us to conduct National-level events in 2020. There was a lot of work behind the scenes, things done in a new way and/or at the last minute! Our crew really performed above and beyond and worked together to get a wide range of activity on-track in a short period of time.”
CSBK’s Colin Fraser says that the shortened 2020 season couldn’t receive the full-National treatment, and the priority was to “offer enough Pro Superbike races so that the 2020 premier Championship was meaningful. That is how a number of motorsport series have decided to approach 2020.”
Jordan Szoke of Lynden, ON, won all four Pro Superbike races of 2020 and earned the CSBK Championship aboard his Canada General Warranty-backed Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja. Szoke now has taken the premier Championship 14 times.
Highlights of the 2020 campaign will be presented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and broadcast in per-race format on TSN next month, and later available on-line.
After much discussion, CSBK decided not to crown National Champions in other classes in 2020, and also skip 2020 for the special awards including the Canada Cup and Team of the Year. As well, the Brooklin Cycle Racing Rookie Pro award will be carried over into 2021 – racers who turned Pro in 2020 will be eligible for the award next race season.
An early contender for next year’s BCR Rookie Pro of the Year is Quebec City’s 24-year-old Pro Superbike standout Samuel Guerin, the surprise break-out star of 2020 aboard his EFC Group BMW S1000RR.
“It will be difficult to come up with a CSBK Schedule for 2021, given the unknowns with the ongoing Pandemic,” confirmed CSBK-founder Fraser. “However, with the help of Pro 6 and our competitor base, we have laid the groundwork this year to put together a viable plan for next season. Unfortunately, we still expect there will be some challenges and last-minute changes, but we are working toward a more-traditional plan for CSBK in 2021.
More, from a press release issued by Waznie Racing:
Szoke Claims 14th Canadian National Superbike Title
The Canadian Superbike Championship faced many challenges, along with the rest of the planet, attempting to salvage a season amongst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. As restrictions lifted at the provincial and federal levels CSBK organizers Professional Motorsports Productions aligned with Pro 6 to host two double header weekends, with four races, to crown a new 2020 Champion.
Szoke swept the premier championship by claiming all four victories aboard his Canada General Warranty-backed Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja.
The 2020 season was meaningful for the series as this would be the 40th season of superbike racing here in Canada. The very first Canadian National Champion, Canadian Motorcycle Hall of fame inductee George Morin, was awarded the Canada Cup after winning the two race Championship in 1980 abroad his Kawasaki KZ1000.
History appeared to repeat itself 40 years later as Szoke also won both weekends of racing, albeit double the races and points possibilities in 2020. Jordan was also aboard a green machine, and he too is a motorsports icon having been inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2015.
Disappointingly CSBK has decided NOT to award the Canada Cup for this season and only award the Champion of the premier class.
“I’m disheartened that CSBK has decided not to hand out the special awards we all work very hard for. Particularly during this season, the entire paddock (teams, tracks and organizers alike) had to commit during these uncertain times to make it happen. I can appreciate that this summer was rough on everyone, and huge kudos to Pro 6 and the series organizers for doing everything they could to salvage the season. All of the paddock’s sponsors, manufacturers and competitors worked together to conduct these National-level events to provide enough coverage for TV.” says Szoke. “Thank you to everyone involved, we all made this happen together.”
Highlights of the 2020 campaign will also be presented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and broadcast in per-race format on TSN next month, and later available on-line.
Spectators were not permitted in 2020 although you can catch the races also on Canadian Superbike Championship You Tube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/cdnsuperbike
This championship means that Szoke has won a championship in four decades of Superbike Racing starting in 1999, also in the 2000 year, 2010 and 2020 seasons alike.
“I’ve won 14 of the 40 possible championships here in Canada.” says Szoke. “I was perhaps planning on maybe stepping back after this season, but with the promise of a brighter future as motorcycle sales increase and more and more people are getting back on two-wheels, I feel that maybe my time isn’t quite done yet. And perhaps it is even more important to follow up with another season promoting the sport and showing our manufacturers here in Canada that racing is a huge marketing asset for them.”
As for what 2021 holds for the CSBK series founder Colin Fraser states “It will be difficult to come up with a CSBK Schedule for 2021, given the unknowns with the ongoing Pandemic, however, with the help of Pro 6 and our competitor base, we have laid the groundwork this year to put together a viable plan for next season. Unfortunately, we still expect there will be some challenges and last-minute changes, but we are working toward a more-traditional plan for CSBK in 2021.
