By John Hopkins / Photo by Bob Szoke
SHUBENACADIE, NS – Jodi Christie of Keene, ON extended his lead in the Pirelli Pro Sport Bike Championship standings by scoring his second win of the year at Atlantic Motorsport Park on Sunday. The Jodi Christie Racing / Cameron Cycle / Blue Streak Racing Honda CBR600RR rider (20) passed the Z1 CycleTech / Kenwood Suzuki GSX-R600 of Alex Welsh (7) in turn two on lap nine of the 18-lap race and went on to score a 4.027-sec. victory over the Uxbridge, ON rider.
Rookie Pro Bodhi Edie (151) of Warman, SK finished a superb third on the Edie Racing / Acceleration Racing / Honda Canada Honda CBR600RR.
Christie now leads Welsh by 24 points in the standings, 237-213, heading into the season-ending doubleheader at Mosport International Raceway in two weeks.
"It was a lot of fun," said Christie. "I knew we'd be up for a battle. It was really hot and greasy out there and that made it a challenge. You had to be smooth on the throttle and not push too hard into the corners."
Pole qualifier Frank Trombino grabbed the lead on the opening lap but the rider of the Suzuki Canada / Hindle / Sturgess Cycle Suzuki GSX-R600 lowsided in the final turn at the end of lap seven, handing the top spot to Welsh. Edie took advantage of the confusion to briefly grab second from Christie before his fellow Honda rider went to work, passing Edie and Welsh on consecutive laps.
"I was waiting for the race to come to me," Christie said. "Eighteen laps around here is long and tiring. Once I got the lead I just tried to slowly pick up the pace every lap."
Christie set his fastest lap of the race, a 1:08.536 on lap 11.
Welsh found himself unable to match Christie's pace once the Honda got by and was forced to settle for a safe second place.
"I didn't have the drive grip and eventually I just couldn't keep pace with Jodi," Welsh said. "After he passed me I thought I would wait and see where I could pass him back, but in hindsight I probably should have tried to get right back ahead and blocked him."
Welsh and the Z1 team were receiving technical help this weekend from Willie Vass.
Edie was the star of the weekend after qualifying on the front row and running with the leaders through the first 12 laps of the race.
"They [Christie and Welsh] slowly got a gap on me and I would have had to push hard to keep up with them," he admitted. "I knew I had a big gap behind me and I had a podium finish. It's pretty sweet being up here on the box -- better than being down there."
Edie closed to within two points of Trombino for third place in the Pro Sport Bike standings heading to Mosport. After his fall Trombino remounted to salvage seventh place.
Raphael Archambault of Terrebonne, QC finished fourth on the Archambault Suzuki / Parts Canada Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 and a third rookie Pro, Sylvain Dery of St-Colomban, QC completed the top five aboard the Alary Yamaha / DL Performance Yamaha YZF-R6.
Race Results
1. Jodi Christie, Keene, ON (Honda CBR600RR) 18 laps in 20:39.168
2. Alex Welsh, Uxbridge, ON (Suzuki GSX-R600) +4.027
3. Bodhi Edie, Warman, SK (Honda CBR600RR) +10.174
4. Raphael Archambault, Terrebonne, QC (Suzuki GSX-R600) +29.267
5. Sylvain Dery, St-Colomban, QC (Yamaha YZF-R6) +55.660
6. Ron Munroe, Beaver Bank, NS (Kawasaki ZX-6R) +1:02.657
7. Frank Trombino, Woodbridge, ON (Suzuki GSX-R600) +4 Laps
Did Not Start
Marie-Josee Boucher, Montreal, QC (Honda CBR600RR)
Fastest Lap: 1:08.497 by Frank Trombino on lap 4
Point Standings
1. Jodi Christie, 237
2. Alex Welsh, 213
3. Frank Trombino, 165
4. Bodhi Edie, 163
5. Raphael Archambault, 155
6. Sylvain Dery, 136
7. Marie-Josee Boucher, 105
8. Jeremie Hade Precourt, 101
9. Sean Huffman, 90
10. Andrew Nelson, 76
11. Joey McRae, 40
11. Darren James, 40
11. Martin Grande, 40
14. Vicki Schouten, 36
15. Jean Francois Cyr, 34
16. Kenny Riedmann, 32
17. Ron Munroe, 27
