McCormick aims for more AMP magic

From Frontline CSBK

TORONTO, ON – Good things have happened to Brett McCormick at Atlantic Motorsport Park and the leader of the Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada will be hoping for more when the national motorcycle racing series visits the 2.56km (1.6-mile) track near Shubenacadie, N.S. this weekend.

The 19-year-old rider of the radX / BMW Motorrad Canada BMW S1000RR comes into the event with a perfect record of four wins from four starts in the 2011 campaign and is closing in on his first Canadian national title.

The Saskatoon racer claimed his first career Canadian Superbike pole position at AMP in 2008 and the following year claimed both the pole and the race win. His qualifying effort was nothing short of spectacular, as he set a new Superbike lap record of one minute, 6.031 seconds despite almost crashing in turn three.

Back in Canada after racing in the United States in 2010, McCormick has scored 219 of a possible 220 points so far. The only blemish on his record has come in qualifying for the previous round at Autodrome St-Eustache in early July, where he was beaten to pole by Jordan Szoke.

McCormick is three wins away from a perfect season, which would match Szoke’s feat of 2010, and the Brantford, Ont. racer should be highly motivated to put an end to McCormick’s winning ways. Riding the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team Kawasaki ZX-10R, the seven-time national Superbike champion has been getting closer to McCormick’s BMW with each round and finished second at St-Eustache.

Szoke is currently 46 points behind McCormick in the Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada standings with 173. With 50 points available for a race win, this weekend will be a critical time for Szoke to arrest McCormick’s win streak if he hopes to take a record sixth straight national title.

But the 31-year-old has won five times at AMP, second only to Steve Crevier, so there is every chance he could turn the tables on his young rival this weekend.

The tight and twisty AMP track always serves up close racing and there are a number of challengers who should be able to mix it up with McCormick and Szoke at the front of Sunday’s 22-lap Superbike race.

Andrew Nelson is currently third in the standings with 140 points and despite coming off his worst result of the year at St-Eustache, a fifth, the Kars, Ont. rider has always run well at AMP. The rider of the Nelson Racing / GymMax / Monette Sports BMW S1000RR placed second in both races last year.

McCormick’s radX / BMW Motorrad Canada teammate Michael Ferreira sits fourth in points with 128. The Mississauga, Ont. racer enjoyed the best Superbike results of his career at AMP last season, taking third in both races of the doubleheader weekend.

Coming up in the rankings in fifth is Uxbridge, Ont.’s Alex Welsh on the Z1 CycleTech / Kenwood Suzuki GSX-R1000 with 109 points. Welsh has placed third in the last two Superbike races and in 2010 scored a Pro Sport Bike win at AMP.

This weekend’s action will also include rounds for Pirelli Pro Sport Bike, the Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup, K&N Performance Filters Amateur Superbike, Inside Motorcycles Amateur Sport Bike and Honda CBR125R Challenge.

Riding the Jodi Christie Racing / Cameron Cycle / Blue Streak Racing Honda CBR600RR, Keene, Ont.’s Jodi Christie leads Welsh by 15 points in Pro Sport Bike, 183-168, although both will be keeping an eye out for Frank Trombino on the Suzuki Canada / Hindle / Sturgess Cycle Suzuki GSX-R600. The Kleinburg, Ont. racer is third in points with 136 but won the previous round at Autodrome St-Eustache.

Maple Ridge, B.C.’s Steve Crevier is riding a three race winning streak on his MotoPlus of Kingston entry to open up a 21-point lead over Cody Matechuk in the XR1200 Cup standings, 208-187. The six-time Canadian Superbike champion has seven feature class wins at AMP in his illustrious career, although Cochrane, Alta.’s Matechuk holds the track’s Amateur Sport Bike lap record.

Matechuk will also have a bit of a home track advantage, as he is backed by Halifax’s Privateers Harley-Davidson.

Samuel Proulx of Magog, Que. is third in points with 141 on his Sherbrooke Harley-Davidson-sponsored XR1200.

Despite not having won a race yet Burlington, Ont.’s Jody Greening enjoys a 24-point lead in the Amateur Superbike division on his BFE / ProStar / Sturgess Cycle Honda CBR600RR. St-Eustache winner Amzy Nawaz of Thornton, Ont. is next up on his Kawasaki ZX-6R, just two points clear of the Tracksport Technologies / Kahuna Powersports Kawasaki of Caledon, Ont.’s Kristopher Garvie.

The names are the same but the positions are reversed in Amateur Sport Bike, with Garvie leading following his St-Eustache win from Nawaz and Greening.

Falmouth, N.S.’s Austin Shaw-O’Leary comes into his home event with a 15-point lead in the Honda CBR125R Challenge standings. 

Action at AMP gets underway on Friday and on Saturday racers will battle for the Kawasaki S4-R Lubricants Pole Awards in four of the six national classes and, in the Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup the Tactical Products Canada Pole Award. Saturday will also see the first of two races this weekend for the Honda CBR125R Challenge. Races in all six national classes will go Sunday.

For ticket information call 902-499-3610 or go to www.atlanticroadracing.com.