YOUNG TAKES TRIPLE WIN AT CTMP
Ben Young put on a masterclass of superbike racing this weekend. Typically home to close and dramatic racing, Young dominated at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, winning all three races handily and once again being crowned “King of Mosport”. He has shrunk his point deficit in the championship, now only tailing by 3 points going into the final round.
With some mixed weather on Friday, qualifying positions were determined by the mornings practice session. No points were awarded, though Young would keep up his streak of pole positions for every race this 2023 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship season.
All three races played out very similarly. From the off, Young got right to business aboard his Van Dolder’s BMW M1000RR, putting in consistent lap times and gaining a strong lead quickly. In both of Sunday’s races, his best lap time was half way through the race, proving the strength of the new Bridgestone tires. Young crossed the line in first position with a healthy lead of 6.5 seconds in race one, 5.2 seconds in race two and over 7 seconds in the last race – a feat which is unheard of at “Mosport”.
Of the weekend, Young had this to say: “The weekend couldn’t have went any better for is. Leading every lap of every race is really comforting for us, truly showing the potential of the M1000RR and our team. We’re really looking forward to the final round of the year”.
With the successful weekend, Young is now the second most-winningest rider in CSBK history. In addition, thanks to Young’s triple wins and a trio of second-place finishes by fellow BMW rider Sam Guerin, BMW now lead in the constructors championship.
The season will conclude with a return to Shannonville Motorsports Park, ON, September 15-17th.
Young’s partners for his 2022 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship season include; BMW Motorrad Canada, Van Dolder’s Home Team, Scot-build Developments Inc, Parts Canada, HJC Helmets, Alpinestars, Hindle Exhaust, Clearlite, Primitive Patterns, DP Brakes, alphaRacing, Vass Performance Cycle, Cartier Racing and Bickle Racing.
To keep up-to-date on Ben Young throughout the year visit; www.BenYoungRacing.com, www.facebook.com/BenYoungRacing and on Twitter and Instagram: @benyoung_86.
More, from a press release issued by Hindle:
Three for the Sweep for Ben Young
August 23, 2023 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – The fourth round of the 2023 Canadian Superbike Series, took place this past weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.
Since Round 3 at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia was unfortunately canceled due to extreme flooding and the province declaring an emergency, the makeup Pro Sport Bike Race from this round would take place on the Friday during Round 4.
In what seems like a reoccurring trend this year, Friday’s afternoon qualifying was canceled due to an extreme weather system moving across CTMP. For timing and scheduling purposes, CSBK made the decision to use the times from Friday morning’s practice as qualifying for the weekend. Ben Young, on the Van Dolder Home/Hindle/BMW M1000RR, turned the fastest lap during practice, which awarded him Pole Position for all 3 Pro Superbike races for the weekend.
Coming a mere 0.366 seconds behind Young was Alex Dumas, on the Purple Skull Brewing/Liqui Moly/Hindle/Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the 2nd position on the grid. Jordan Szoke, on the LDS Consultants/Hindle/Kawasaki ZX-10R took the 3rd position, and Samuel Guerin, on the EFC Group/BMW S1000RR rounded up the front row in 4th position.
During Friday afternoon’s Pro Sport Bike Race (makeup race from AMP in Shubenacadie, NS), the conditions were up and down, creating some messy racing.
Pro Sport Bike points leader David MacKay, on the ODH Snow City Cycle/Hindle/Kawasaki ZX-6R initially grabbed the holeshot, but was passed quickly in Corner 2 by John Laing, on the Vass Performance/Hindle/Kawasaki ZX-6R. Laing held the lead until a serious crash caused a red flag and a restart.
With the restart, MacKay grabbed the holeshot yet again and was able to hold it for the first lap around the famed circuit. From that point on, things started to get a little hectic; Sebastien Tremblay, on the Turcotte Performance/Hindle/Suzuki GSX-R600 went down first, followed by Matt Simpson, on the Blackstock Motorsports/Hindle/Yamaha YZF-R6. Unfortunately, MacKay ended up crashing at the exact same spot only a few laps later.
With many of the frontrunners now out, Connor Campbell, on the Hindle-powered Kawasaki ZX-6R charged into second place, with Laing now leading with a very small gap behind.
Laing crossed the finish line in 1st place, followed by Campbell with a 0.030 second gap behind in 2nd place, and Alex Michel, on the Hindle-powered Kawasaki ZX-6R in 3rd place.
In the GP Bikes Pro Superbike Race 1, Alex Dumas grabbed the holeshot but that quickly changed as Ben Young passed in turn 1 and never looked back, leading the entire rest of the 20-lap feature race. As Young held onto the lead, there was a dramatic three rider show taking place right behind, between top contenders Dumas, Guerin (BMW S1000RR) and Casas, on the Hindle-powered Yamaha YZF-R1. Guerin and Dumas exchanged places for 2nd multiple times, with Guerin making a pass on Dumas with only 3 laps left to go. Casas held onto 4th place, although he was keeping a fast pace with the front runners.
Young finished first across the finish line, followed by Guerin in 2nd and Dumas in 3rd place. Casas finished a close 4th place, with Szoke rounding off the top 5.
In Race 2 of the GP Bikes Pro Superbike Class, Ben Young took home yet another win, inching closer to a triple sweep.
Initially the race started similarly to Race 1, with Dumas grabbing the holeshot and Young coming in for the lead after the first few corners. Guerin was in a close second with Dumas right on his tail.
Young was able to keep the lead right across the finish line, while some last-minute drama was unfolding right behind him. Dumas completed a daring pass right into the last corner on Guerin, but Guerin was able to grab 2nd place right back and hold it across the finish line. Dumas came in a very close 3rd place. Szoke finished in 4th place followed by Casas in 5th place.
“These guys pushed me right to the end, but our Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW continued to work great again today, and these Bridgestone tires held up really well for all 18 laps,” Young explained. “It’s been a trying year, but the highs are always really good and the lows are a bit tough, so we’re trying to put a smile on through it all.”
In the GP Bikes Pro Superbike Race 3, the podium looked oddly similar to the first two races with Young officially taking the 3-race sweep with the win, followed by Guerin in 2nd place and Dumas in 3rd place. Young took home this victory with an astonishing 7 second lead.
Guerin, Dumas, Szoke and Casas were part of a 4-rider battle for most of the race. Guerin held second place for the entire race, with Dumas attempting to pass but Guerin kept closing the door. Szoke and Casas put the pressure on Dumas, but ultimately Guerin crossed the line in 2nd place, followed by Dumas in 3rd. Casas came in a close 4th position, followed by Szoke in 5th place.
In the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike Race 1, Elliott Vieira (Ducati Panigale V2) was all smiles on top of the podium, taking the prized #1 spot. For the majority of the race, an 6-rider battle was taking place behind Vieira vying for a spot on the podium. Part of the pack was retired racer Francis Martin, aboard a Hindle-powered Suzuki GSX-R600. Unfortunately, Martin had to bow out of the race due to mechanical issues.
Matt Simpson, on the Blackstock Motorsports/Hindle/Yamaha YZF-R6, and David MacKay, on the ODH Snow City/Hindle/Kawasaki ZX-6R, battled for 2nd place. MacKay attempted to make a last corner last lap pass, but Simpson was able to hold him off, crossing the finish line in 2nd place. At only 0.026 seconds behind, MacKay came in 3rd place.
In the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike Race 2, Sebastien Tremblay brought home the win on his Turcotte Performance/Hindle/Suzuki GSX-R600. The 2021 Champion crashed out during the make up race on Friday and was unable to participate in Race 2 on the Saturday, but that all changed by bringing home an amazing win on Sunday.
“I knew Elliott had a bit more top speed, so I tried really hard to push into turn five every time and build a gap,” Tremblay explained. “Our weekend started really badly – we actually had to rebuild the bike on Friday – but this is a much better result.”
Vieira came in a close second aboard his GP Bikes Ducati Panigale V2, with MacKay rounding off the podium in 3rd place.
In Amateur racing news, Andrew Cooney, on the Fast Company/Hindle/HondaCBR600RR shook up the ranks in the AIM Amateur Superbike Race 1, bringing home the win. Tyler Brewer (Yamaha YZF-R1) finished in 2nd place followed by Matt Vanderhorst (BMW S1000RR) in 3rd place.
In the AIM Amateur Superbike Race 2, Vanderhorst came in 1st place, followed by Brewer in 2nd and Jason Thoms (BMW S1000RR) in 3rd place.
Cooney topped the box one more time, this time in the Scorpion EXO Amateur Sport Bike Race 1. Mack Weil, on the MWR/Hindle/Kawasaki ZX-6R came in a close 2nd place, followed by Mavrick Cyr, on the Rizzin Racing/Hindle/Triumph 675R in 3rd place.
In the Scorpion EXO Amateur Sport Bike Race 2, Cyr took the top spot on the podium, followed by Weil in 2nd place, and Serge Boyer on a Hindle-powered Kawasaki ZX-6R in 3rd place.
In the Lightweight classes, Cameron Walker, on the Hindle-powered Kawasaki Ninja 400R, took home back-to-back wins in the EBC Brakes Pro/Am Lightweight Race 1 and Race 2, followed by Vincent Wilson, also on a Hindle-powered 400R, taking home double 2nd places. Vincent Lalande, on a Hindle-powered Ninja 400R, came in 3rd place in Race 1, and Gary McKinnon, also on a Hindle-powered Ninja 400R, came in 3rd in Race 2.
In the Supersonic Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike class, Wilson took home back-to-back wins in both Race 1 and Race 2, followed by Lalande in 2nd during Race 1 and 3rd in Race 2. Jack Beaudry, on a Hindle-powered Kawasaki Ninja 400R came in 3rd place in Race 1 and 2nd place in Race 2.
The battle for the Championship wraps up during the final round of the 2023 Canadian Superbike Series, September 15-17, 2023, at Shannonville Motorsport Park in Shannonville, Ontario.
For more news, including rider bios and full race results, visit www.csbk.ca.
