McCormick shines at Mirabel

BILL PETRO FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Brett McCormick hangs way off his Suzuki GSX-R 600 on his way to a win in the Parts Canada national series last weekend near Montreal.

Larry Tate

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Kawasaki's Jordan Szoke may have started the year with his usual flash, but it's his former teammate, 17-year-old Brett McCormick on a Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000, who controlled the Parts Canada racing last weekend in Montreal.

Szoke won both the Superbike and Pro Sport Bike contests in the national racing series at Calabogie last month, but on the runways of the ill-fated Mirabel airport facility near Montreal, McCormick took pole, led the most laps, and took both wins.

It's the first time the tour has used this circuit that is featureless and intimidating, thanks to concrete and Armco barriers. Plus, several riders reported that the surface was rough and unpredictable – Yamaha lead rider Kevin Lacombe was caught out by a tar-sealed crack that caused him to crash.

The difficulty was also shown by the time spreads in most races; finishing positions were mostly measured seconds apart, rather than the tenths that most tracks provide in this series.

Still, it's a race in Quebec, and that's important to the organizers of this national series and to the many Quebec riders who are part of it.

As hot as McCormick is, he has to already be looking over his shoulder at an even younger competitor who is already in the Pro ranks. Royce McLean from Coaldale, Alta., is only 14, but has been drafted into the Yamaha Canada squad.

Riding a 600 cc YZF-R6 instead of an all-out superbike, the youngster managed a stellar seventh place in both the Superbike and Pro Sport bike classes, in both of which he's comfortably in the top 10 in his first season of national competition.

The Armour Bodies Amateur 600 contest got a good shaking up at the new track as well. Top contenders Efram Ellenbogen and teammate Bill Shields both crashed, Ellenbogen trying to make up for a fluffed start and Shields while charging in third place.

"Two DNFs certainly earns us underdog status in our bid for the championship," Shields said. "Look for elements of utter desperation from here on in. We sorta have to play the win-it-or-bin-it card now to have a shot at this thing."

Cody Matechuk, another teen from Alberta, now leads the Amateur 600 series after a win at Calabogie and a second behind Sebastien Tremblay at Mirabel.

Third in the standings is Vicki Schouten (say scootin). Her goal for this season is to be promoted to the Pro ranks to join fellow distaff racers Marie-Josée Boucher and Genevieve Lesieur in 2010.

The only class that repeated from Calabogie was the SV Cup contest, where Brantford's Rob Busby took his second win and a commanding series lead, over yet another teen, Raphael Archambault of St-Columban, Que. Archambault got his start last year in the Honda CBR125 Cup that Wheels profiled June 6.

The Parts Canada Superbike Championship resumes for Round 3 of the title chase June 25-28 in Calgary at Race City Motorsport Park.

Electric motorcycle race hot one.

Larry Tate reports on motorcycle racing for Wheels. He can be reached at larryt@primus.ca

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