Crevier hangs on for win

By John Hopkins

MONT-TREMBLANT, Que. – Steve Crevier kept his perfect win record in the 2012 Deeley Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup intact at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant on Sunday, although he had to work hard to do it.

The Maple Ridge, B.C. rider was hounded by Darren James throughout the red flag shortened, six-lap contest, and James managed to snatch the lead late on the final lap only to have MotoSport Plus / Dominion Lending-backed Crevier immediately pass back and win the drag race to the line by 0.199 secs.

In an equally good fight, James’ Ruthless Racing / Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada teammate John Ross MacRae edged out Harley-Davidson de l’Outaouais team rider Elie Daccache for the final spot on the podium.

“Darren made an awesome pass, it was textbook,” said Crevier of James’ late braking move underneath him into the Namerow hairpin. “I was expecting it but I didn’t think he could stick it. He had no choice but to roll out, but I was lucky to get the win.”

Crevier now takes a 57-point lead, 223-166 over James into the season-ending doubleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in two weeks.

Michael Taylor is third with 124 points, but unfortunately he crashed in the Sunday morning warm-up and is very likely through for the season. The Toronto rider suffered a highside on his out-lap – a problem with a tire warmer was reportedly the culprit – and he sustained a broken left femur. The Mackie Harley-Davidson team rider was taken to hospital in nearby St-Jerome and expected to undergo surgery on Monday.

The race was originally scheduled for 12 laps but the skies were threatening when the bikes were launched and sure enough the heavens opened on lap four, bringing out the red flag. At almost the instant the red came out poor Donald Taylor crashed his Clare’s Cycle of Niagara entry and the seven-time national flat track champion was ruled out of the restart, further thinning the field.

James had got the holeshot on the first start but Crevier nailed it the second time and he and James quickly pulled away from the MacRae / Daccache duel. James bided his time until the final lap, when he tried to go up the inside of Crevier entering the Namerow hairpin. The move work but James’s momentum took him to the outside and Crevier was able to get back underneath the Deep Cove, B.C. rider.

“It was a rookie mistake,” James admitted. “I just got in there too hot. I gave it everything I had. I was plotting a few different moves because I was faster than him in a few spots. Hopefully we can give him a bit more at Mosport. I know he’s thinking about it.”

James set the fastest lap of the race, a 1:50.009 on the final tour.

The fight was equally entertaining behind, as MacRae and Daccache traded third place. Daccache tried to go up the inside of MacRae into Namerow on the last lap, but the Calgary rider held his ground to take the last spot on the podium.

Blaise Fougere was fifth with the Atlantic Harley-Davidson Retailers presented by Privateers Harley-Davidson entry and Gump Harrison took sixth for the Rocky’s / Kitchener Harley-Davidson team.

Race Results

Point Standings