The Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship reaches a critical point at this weekend’s doubleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Just 16 points separate championship leader Jordan Szoke (pictured above) from challenger Jodi Christie and with two points paying races on the table this weekend, the fourth and fifth rounds of the six-race series, one of these two racers could take a decisive step toward clinching the national number one plate.
Szoke is trying to lock up his ninth Superbike title, and opened the year in style by winning the first two rounds at Shannonville Motorsport Park and Autodrome St-Eustache on his Waznie Racing / BMW Motorrad Canada / Parts Canada BMW S1000RR.
The Brantford, Ont. veteran also boasts a tremendous track record at CTMP, having won eight of the last 14 Canadian Superbike rounds on the legendary 3.9km (2.459-mile) track near Bowmanville, Ont.
Christie (pictured left), however, is enjoying a tremendous surge in momentum following his dramatic win over Szoke in round three of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park two weeks ago. The up-and-comer from nearby Keene, Ont. had led both of the opening two rounds on his Jodi Christie Racing / Honda Canada / Accelerated Technologies Honda CBR1000RR before picking up his breakthrough debut national Superbike triumph at AMP.
While much of this weekend’s attention will focus on Szoke and Christie, there are a number of other potential challengers who could get into the mix.
Chief among these is Alex Welsh, who is third in the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship standings, 41 points behind Szoke’s leading total of 159. The Uxbridge, Ont. racer has finished third in each of the first three races of the season, and led the AMP round before a problem with his quick-shifter slowed him.
The rider of the AW7R / Kenwood Electronics Canada / Parts Canada Suzuki GSX-R1000 scored his first career national Superbike win at CTMP last year, and with 50 points available for a race victory, a couple of triumphs for Welsh could set up a dramatic climax to the title battle at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant August 23-25.
After missing the AMP round, Frank Trombino will be back this weekend with his Trombino Racing / Royal Plumbing / FDS Racing Aprilia RSV4 Factory. The Kleinburg, Ont. ace won back-to-back Superbike nationals at CTMP in 2000 and 2001.
This weekend’s event also sees the return to national competition of Warman, Sask.’s Bodhi Edie. The 2011 Pro Rookie of the Year will be aboard his Ffun Motorsports / Motovan / JDS Decals BMW S1000RR.
Photography by Ramesh Bayney
