Fresh from success at the final event of the SOAR (Southern Ontario Associates of Racing) Regional Series at Grand Bend in Western Ontario, Pro Superbike National front runner (2nd overall) David McKay attended the final event of the RACEMoto Eastern Ontario Regional Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park with one goal – earning the big cheque for success at the event, provided by Economy Lube plus Tire.
The weekend was presented as a reunion for competitors active during the fifty years of competition at the facility, originally called Nelson International Raceway, following a debut event on a barely finished seven turn course on Canadian Thanksgiving (Oct. 10), 1976.
Saturday night featured a cookout and live stream interview event, and classic machines and famous racers were on track both days.
A regular podium finisher on the Bridgestone CSKB National tour with his AYVA/Snow City Cycle Honda CBR1000RR-R Sp, McKay was running on the National series spec Bridgestone rubber in an event that allowed for open tire choice. His main opposition was Eli Daccache and th Pirelli backed Milwaukee Yamaha YZF-R1, already confirmed as the Eastern Regional Champ, his incredible tenth consecutive RACEMoto success.
Amazingly, both hit trouble early during Friday testing: McKay fell in turn one in the morning and his CBR vaulted a tire barrier but amazingly suffered little damage. In the afternoon, Daccache also crashed, but his incident did significant damage – a broken airbox allowed foreign material into the Yamaha’s engine, so a late night rebuilt with fellow racers, one from Yamaha Canada, ensued.
Also attracting attention and setting the early pace (1:08 second flat lap times) was Francis Martin, the three-time Canadian Superbike National Champ out of retirement (and about to enter the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame) to race a Coors Light livered first-generation Suzuki GSX-R1000, as raced at the same venue by the same rider 25 years ago.
Original builder Scott Miller of Fast Company fame bought the bike back recently, and only the addition of 17-inch wheels and current Bridgestone slicks differentiated the Gixxer from SMP’s grid in the fall of 2002, the last ever National for the old rules open SBKs. So – a true reunion of racer, team, builder and bike?
In Saturday’s Heat Race, McKay and Daccache battled early, before McKay pulled away for a four second victory, even though Daccache was aided by traffic. Martin was with the leaders early, showing prodigious speed on the long back straight, but gradually faded into the clutches of rookie racer Carter Matson (Suzuki) and Matt Van Der Horst (BMW). Martin wound up fourth.
In cool and very windy conditions for Sunday’s 14 lap Feature race, McKay got the best launch and soon pulled clear of the pack with Daccache is close company. But this time Daccache couldn’t keep up the pace, winding up seven seconds back for second place. Meanwhile, the fight for third was again a good one, with Matson holding off Martin’s historic entry; Matson wound up solidly in the money in 3rd, 26 second back, with Martin a close fourth. Van De Horst netted fifth, while the top Supersport entry was the Blackstock Suzuki of Matt Simpson in sixth.
“Fast Farmer” Ernest Berhard was seventh on his Farnham brewing Yamaha YZF-R1, pulling clear of Marco Sousa (Suz) and occasional racer Drew Weber (Yamaha) late in the race.
“It is really nice to finish things off this way,’ explained McKay on the Podium, holding his big cheque for $ 2,500 courtesy of Economy Lube plus Tire. “To win at Grand Bend last weekend and then dive into the unknown a little bit at Shannonville, well it’s always great when things go – sort of – according to plan!”
In terms of lap times on a cool track, victor McKay got down to an impressive 1:05.4 pace, Daccache also at the same zone – but earlier in the race. Matson and Martin were next up, in the low 1:07 range.
In support race action, Daccache ran away with the Sprint Cup, 22 seconds clear of Matson with Simpson third from the BMW of Chris Fehr. Pro 600 Supersport belonged to Yamaha mounted Drew Weber over the Honda of Eric Quintin, Martin Perreault third on a Kawasaki.
OPP Racing Pro Supersport National contender Matt Simpson continued his recent winning ways in Heavyweight on his Blackstock Suzuki GSX-R750, ahead of Marco Sousa’s similar machine and the Honda CBR600RR of Marissa Kasnya. The Middleweight round went to the modern Suzuki twin of Justin Marshall, all of .3 of a second ahead of runner up Hans Van Sleuwen on a classic Suzuki SV650 v-twin. Rising Mini star Stefan Tanasic, headed to Spain to race an Ohvale 190 for Team Canada in November, scored third on a Snow City Kawasaki.
The Lightweight division was well represented with a big field, and former MiniGP star Benjamin Hardwick made his second MotoRACE start of the year with continued success, again winning on his KTM Supermoto from Tanasic’s Ninja. Continuing a theme, Jager Stockill (three-time MiniGP World racer) was third on a Super Sonic Road Race School Yamaha R3.
In Amateur Superbike, J.S. Lefebvre (Kawasaki) won by inches from Glenn Brown, Parker Sabine-Craig third. Sarah Wilken got a good start in the Joe Rocket Amateur 600 Supersport final on a Honda CBR600RR and then held off the pack to win by two seconds from Julien Montpetit (Kawasaki) and Nolan Eadie (Yamaha). In the Novice class, Kyle Fenn (Hon) won from Jason Jones (Kawasaki) and Robert Graham (Yamaha).
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