A wonderful day at the races
Enjoying a national superbike championship in our own backyard
Every year, for the past 17, a national sporting event has taken place in rural Nova Scotia that most people probably don’t even know happens. This sporting event is called the Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK) and takes place at the Atlantic Motorsport Park (AMP) in Hants County usually the second weekend in July. This year, the championship was held from July 19 to
22.
The Atlantic Motorsport Park track is hidden in the rolling farm hills of eastern Hants County for many reasons. In most parts of North America, small race tracks have fallen victim to urban sprawl and suburban communities that have spread out from city centres over the last 30 years. The chances of a subdivision popping up out here are extremely remote. Take a ride up to the Shubenacadie Exit 10 on Highway 102 out of Halifax and do a double back to the Indian Road, then right onto the North Salem Road. This turns to dirt about three kilometres along its route. Follow the signs down Creighton Road to the track. From the west, the ride is a little more bike oriented as Highway 14 from Windsor branches out to the Indian Road at the interestingly-named Cheese Factory Corner just past Upper Rawdon. This part of the roller coaster ride puts you in line for one of the steepest drop-offs on our highways. It’s a brave soul that can handle the sudden plunge at the posted speed. Twenty minutes later and you are at the track.
The track was formed in the early ’70s by a group of volunteers that paved and curved a 2.4-kilometre strip of a road course that still retains a lot of the original character from that period. Amenities are scarce and a little crude as most of the available funds are spent on track maintenance and upgrades. The car parking lot is a bit dusty as the area used is basically a freshlymowed hayfield. Motorcycles have it a little better as the abandoned road course and go-kart track is used for the majority of bikes that show up here. Spectator stands are scattered throughout the property but most true aficionados will migrate to the standing areas by the hairpin at corner two. Weather conditions will determine if you have to slog through mud or just endure the dust a little more while hiking to this vantage spot. Rough camping is available to those interested in staying for the whole weekend, but bring lots of supplies as it is a gruelling one- to two-hour round trip against the traffic to restock if necessary. Don’t count on hitting the hay too early as activities last until the wee hours, especially at the campsite inside.
What about the racing? Practice and qualifying takes place over the full weekend starting on Friday. The actual races start Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Classes range from amateur to seasoned professionals and encompass engine sizes from 300cc’s to 1000cc’s. This is serious stuff as the pros, identified by their black number plates, are racing for their careers and livelihoods. Many of these racers have been at this for decades and have endured injuries and equipment failures that would crush most people’s spirits long ago. Still, they carry on with the distant hope that a factory contract might be offered, or a chance to ride in the European Series could materialize. It is possible, as the Quebecbased Duhamel family has done just that with father and son riding fully-sponsored rides alongside one another on the same tracks with such legends as Carl Fogarty and Max Biaggi. CSBK alumni Bert Mccormick even placed a respectable fifth, in the rain, during the Superbike World Championship race at Portimao, Portugal in 2012.
The mainstay of this sport is the rank of amateurs that made up the bulk of entries this year. For them, it is a hobby with all the costs and heartbreaks of the professionals and none of the outside funding. This is true dedication to a cause because you are a rider, mechanic, pit crew and van driver all in one. Even higher on the tolerance scale are the spouses that endure the full spectrum of emotions that an underfunded rider faces. Walk through the dirt floor pits and garage areas and see these true enthusiasts slumped down in broken lawn chairs with their leathers opened to get some relief from the heat without the luxury of air conditioned motor homes as they wait for the call to the grid and their next try to tame the twisty track of AMP.
Next year, when the series returns to Nova Scotia, check the CSBK website for dates and times and come out for the great racing and see this event in person. Ride your bike up or come for the weekend with your camping gear and friends. You will be surprised at how much entertainment you can get for the low admission fee. I’ll be there on my bike so don’t forget to wave!
Tom Vaughan has been riding all manner of motorcycles for over 50 years. He currently resides in a semi-retired state on the shores of the river in East Lahave.