Matechuk on XR1200 pole

By John Hopkins

MIRABEL, QC -- Cody Matechuk of Cochrane, AB took the Tactical Products Canada Pole Award in the Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup class of the Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada at Circuit ICAR on Saturday.

The former Amateur National Champion and 2010 Pro Rookie of the Year turned a time of 1:30.433 around the 2.8km track on his Privateers Harley-Davidson-supported entry. Matechuk will receive a Luminox timepiece with an MSRP of over $400.

North Vancouver’s Darren James qualified second at 1:30.701 on the Ruthless Racing XR1200 and Maple Ridge, B.C. racer Steve Crevier was third at 1:32.270 on the MotoSport Plus of Kingston-backed machine.

Matechuk steadily lowered his times during the 20-minute session, which was held on a dry track after rain throughout Friday and on Saturday morning had limited running.

"With about six minutes left we made a change and got in a couple more quick laps," Matechuk said. "We wanted to get it over the bumps better in the rear, it was feeling a little mushy. We stiffened it up and settled it back down.

"We got eight or 10 laps in on a dry track on Thursday and that helped. I got an idea of the track."

Samuel Proulx of Magog, QC completes the front row for Sunday's race after turning a 1:33.366 on his Sherbrooke Harley-Davidson entry.

In other action on Saturday, Eric Green of Richmond, ON was the first race winner of the 2011 Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada season, taking a comfortable 3.851-sec. victory in the 10-lap Honda CBR125R Challenge race.

Austin Shaw-O’Leary of Falmouth, NS finished second and Cedric Martineau of Ste-Catherine, QC completed the podium.

Green started on the front row and led all 10 laps of the race, stretching his lead to as much as five seconds at half distance.

Shaw-O'Leary made a superb start from seventh on the grid to run third behind Green and Martineau after the first lap, finally passing the Quebec rider for second on lap six.

Scott Lingelbach of Wellesley, ON finished fourth and St-Lazare, QC's Stacey Nesbitt completed the top five.

The Honda CBR125R Challenge competitors will do battle again on Sunday morning.