Szoke ends Superbike season on top
He didn’t have a great weekend racing, but Jordan Szoke won his 13th Mopar Pro Superbike title during the season finale of the 2018 Canadian Superbike Championship at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
With the last two rounds of the national series held on the historic 2.459-mile road circuit, Szoke was a favourite to take both races, but the Lynden rider suffered mechanical woes, finishing third and fourth.
But it was enough for another title.
“Definitely one of the tougher championships I’ve won, that’s for sure,” Szoke said after the weekend. “But we battled through, and it was a tough race and a tough season. It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster year, so this one means a lot.”
Riding his Mopar Express Lane BMW Motorrad S1000RR, Szoke’s third-place on Saturday was the lowest posting he has had since 2011 until he placed fourth in Sunday’s 20-lap race.
Saturday’s race was won by Ben Young of Clarksburg, and Kenny Riedmann of Belfountain took Sunday’s race.
Now 39, Szoke has raced for decades, and was a little vague when asked about his return for 2019.
“I partnered with BMW about eight years ago, and we’ve now won seven championships and probably could have won eight,” he said. “I’ve had a really great run here with the team and the bike, and it’s been awesome.”
Another local rider did well in the CSBK Series this season, placing sixth in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class, no mean feat considering David MacKay was in his first full year of competition at this level.
Riding his Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, and with support from Hamilton’s Sturgess Cycle, MacKay took a podium finish in round one with a third, and placed sixth in Sunday’s race. The 20-year old Stoney Creek rider and McMaster University student won the Shannonville race in May and, with last weekend’s success, boosted his standings to sixth in points in his class.
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Two of the highest-payout races in Canada are just around the corner.
During the Labour Day weekend, Jukasa Motor Speedway will be holding several races with $200,000 in prize monies, and next weekend the Cayuga Dragway at Toronto Motorsports Park will host the third annual Canadian Stock/Super Stock Shootout with US$25,000 up for grabs.
The Jukasa oval (formerly Cayuga Speedway) will host the Canadian Short Track Nationals, and for Saturday, Sept. 1, there will be events for the APC Series Late Models and the Ontario Outlaw Super Late Models. On Sept. 2, a 50-lap Street Stock race with $5,000 to win will take place, but the big event will be the 200lap Pro Late Model race with $50,000 to win.
Starters for this race will get $2,000, and so far there have been over 60 entries from six provinces and five U.S. states. Two-time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin is expected to race.
Ticket prices vary depending on date, seating section and buyer age.
Camping is available. Go to www.jukasamotorspeedway.com for more.
Over on Kohler Road outside of Cayuga, John Scotti and the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame will once again present the Stock/Super Stock Shootout as part of the drag strip’s NHRA Northeast Division National Open series presented by pcrichard.com.
This major drag race will take place Aug. 24-26, with US$25,000 for the Shootout racers, split in half for the two main Stock/Super Stock events. For times and pricing, check out torontomotorsportspark.com.
Weekend winners: Latest round in the APC United Late Model Series went to Rick Spencer Walt of Oro Medonte. Taking fourth in the race, the AP Exhaust 100, was Grimsby’s Treyten Lapcevich . ... Mark Sammut of London placed second in the Ollie Silva Memorial 75 at Lee, N.H., the latest round of the ISMA Super Modifieds . ... Californian Brad Sweet edged out
Donny Schatz of North Dakota by 0.1 second to win the Knoxville Nationals World of Outlaws race in Iowa. It was the 58th running of the Nationals, and Sweet won US$150,000 for the win . ... Former IndyCar racer Alex Tagliani of Lachenaie, Que., won the latest event in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, a 50-lapper on the street circuit in Trois-Rivières.