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Superbike Series Returns to Quebec

In SBK

13 dicembre 2008

The Parts Canada Superbike Championship brings a new venue onto its 2009 schedule as the national road racing series makes a return to Quebec soil following a one-year absence.

The event at Montreal’s ICAR Mirabel facility on June 11-14 will be the second round of the seven-race championship tour. Last August a number of the top Parts Canada Superbike Championship racers enjoyed a successful test at the venue, which has hosted regional car and kart racing events since opening in the fall of 2007.

“Returning to Quebec was always the focus of our efforts for the 2009 season,” said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions (PMP), which organizes the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. “We have had an ongoing dialogue with the ICAR Mirabel people for over a year and we were pleased with our test last August, where our riders were able to sample the tarmac in both wet and dry conditions.”

The 2009 Parts Canada Superbike Championship once again opens at Calabogie Motorsports Park in Calabogie, ON, near Ottawa, and concludes at Shannonville Motorsport Park in Shannonville, ON over the Sept. 3-6 Labour Day Weekend.

The Calabogie race, which debuted last season, will be run on the 5.05km (3.05-mile) Long Track rather than the 2.81km (1.38-mile) ‘Stadium Track’ that was used last year. The Shannonville event will once again be staged on the 2.45km (1.53-mile) ‘Pro Track.’

Following the debut event at ICAR Mirabel, the Parts Canada Superbike Championship will move west for a round at Calgary’s 3.2km (2.0-mile) Race City Motorsports Park on June 25-28.

Mosport International Raceway, near Bowmanville, ON, will stage its traditional doubleheader July 16-19 on its world famous 3.9km (2.459-mile) circuit.

The series then heads to the Maritimes for its penultimate round on Aug. 6-9 at the 2.56km (1.6-mile) Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS before concluding at Shannonville. AMP will be hosting its 25th Canadian Superbike national.

“Once again our season will feature four classic Canadian road racing venues, each of which offers a different type of challenge to our racers and our teams,” said Parts Canada Superbike Championship race director Craig Johnson. “Calabogie was a popular addition to the schedule last year and we look forward to going back there. The layout we will be using will be the longest on the Canadian tour and it will add an exciting new dimension to the series.

“Everyone involved in the championship thinks both Calabogie and ICAR Mirabel have the potential to become traditional stops on the Canadian tour for a long time, just like Race City, Mosport, AMP and Shannonville.”

In addition to playing host to the Parts Canada Superbike feature class, each national round will stage races for the Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike, Armour Bodies Amateur 600 Sport Bike, Canadian Thunder, Canadian Sport Twins, Suzuki SV650 National Cup and Honda CBR125R Challenge national support divisions.

The series will also make its traditional visit to the Jennings GP circuit in Florida for the Official Pirelli Tire Test April 28-29. For the first time this test will be open to competitors in all classes of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship, after previously being restricted to factory Pro teams.

The 2009 season will mark the 30th year of professional Superbike racing in Canada, and represents the start of a new three-year title sponsorship arrangement with Parts Canada, a relationship that dates back to 1997.

“The Parts Canada name, along with Parts Unlimited and the new Parts Europe division, has become synonymous with racing worldwide,” Fraser said. “Our long association with Parts Canada has given our series a stability and security that is rare in motorsport. In these challenging economic times it is hard to overstate the significance of their contribution.”

Additionally, earlier this year Pirelli renewed its deal to be spec tire supplier to the Parts Canada Superbike Championship for another three years. The 2008 season marked the successful debut of SuperPole qualifying, backed by Pirelli and Inside Motorcycles magazine.

“Pirelli has made a tremendous impact since becoming our spec tire supplier in 2006,” said Peter Hooegeveen, technical director for the series. “They have consistently improved the quality of their product each season while providing a level playing field for our racers. Their on-site tech support, provided by staff directly from Italy, shows Pirelli’s commitment to the Parts Canada Superbike Championship.”

Canadian Kawasaki Motors factory rider Jordan Szoke of Brantford, ON will head into the 2009 Parts Canada Superbike Championship season trying to become the first racer to win four consecutive national Superbike titles, and aiming to equal Steve Crevier’s all-time leading total of six Canadian number one plates.

2009 Parts Canada Superbike Championship Schedule

April 28-29,   Test Jennings GP    Jennings, FL
May 21–24, Round 1 Calabogie Motorsport Park     Calabogie, ON
June 11–14, Round 2 ICAR Mirabel          Montreal, QC
June 25–28, Round 3 Race City Motorsports Park     Calgary, AB
July 16–19, Rounds 4-5   Mosport International Raceway   Mosport, ON
Aug. 6–9, Round 6      Atlantic Motorsport Park      Shubenacadie, NS
Sept. 3–6, Round 7     Shannonville Motorsport Park (Pro) Shannonville, ON

For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com