The goal for the first Calgary Motorcycle Roadracing Association weekend of the 2026 season was to continue dialing in the bike setup, find a good feeling, win some races and have fun. I think we achieved that and made some good steps forward.
On Friday, I was just working on finding my feeling on the Superbike around this track again, as I hadn’t ridden at Rocky Mountain Motorsports on the Superbike since July last year. I set a goal of getting into the 1:45s and achieved it, which gave me a good framework to build from for the rest of the weekend.
On Saturday, qualifying had mixed conditions due to the rain overnight and through much of the morning, but it dried just quickly enough to run on slicks. In the first session, there was still standing water in the chicane, which slowed the times significantly. In Q2, the track was almost completely dry, apart from some puddles on the apex of Turn 6, and I put my head down for a decent time of 1:44.5. That was still just under two tenths slower than I had gone at this track on the 600, so I knew there was more to be had in the race despite the less-than-ideal conditions and overcast weather throughout the day.
Race 1 and race 2 were back-to-back, which was a bit of a unique challenge. The rain teased us a little in the races before, briefly dampening the track, but it was dry by the time I headed out. The races were shortened and were pretty similar in outcome. I got a good launch, led into turn 1, and didn’t look back. I just focused on dialing in my markers, pace and feel on the rear end, which was gradually improving throughout the weekend.
The Superbike race at the end of the day was supposed to be 12 laps, but was shortened to six after a series of delays. I got a good start but made the mistake of looking behind me on the run into turn 2, and I got caught napping. The other rider ran in deep, though, and I passed him back on the cutback. I put my head down and dialed in a 1:43.8, which was a new personal best. After that, I had built a gap and dialed it back a bit to manage the race.
On Sunday, we decided not to run the first two races because of the wet conditions and some key events coming up. It was one of those bigger-picture decisions, making sure both myself and the bike were ready for what’s next.
For the last race of the day, we decided to go out, but I was going in with very little preparation for the conditions. I hadn’t had the chance to get a proper feel for the track in the rain or confirm that the bike setup was where it needed to be for the wet. We dialed the bike back, and looking back, maybe a little too much. I found a decent feeling in the wet during my first five laps of the track in those conditions, but it wasn’t quite enough to win the race. I finished P2.
Overall, it was a good weekend. We made improvements with the feeling on the bike, found more pace and there are huge positives to take forward into the next race round.
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