ATLANTIC MOTORSPORT PARK: A pair of local riders will test their skills against the top road racers on two wheels in Canada as the Bridgetstone Canadian Superbike Series hits Shubenacadie.
Baillie Ives of Milford on the #6, Fall River area’s Cory Canfield on the #132; and the no. 8 of John Fraser of Hammonds Plains are among the handful of known Society of Atlantic Roadracing League (sARL) regulars who will line up against some of the best over the three day event at Atlantic Motorsport Park in North Salem, which begins with practice on July 21.
Qualifying and then a full day of racing is scheduled for July 22 and July 23, all depending on the weather as well.
Ives will compete in the Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike division. He has competed in two national rounds this year, with finishes that saw him earn seven, five and six points for a total of 18. He had one DNF as well after a scary looking crash.
Fraser will take on riders in the GP Bikes Pro Superbike. In unofficial testing Thursday, his time was third best among the pro riders. He is 10th in the points standings.
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In a release, CSBK says that round three will be one for fans not to miss.
Dartmouth motorcycle dealership Pro Cycle will once again headline the sponsors for the event.
Pro Cycle, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, has been involved in sponsorship of most of the National Superbike events at Atlantic Motorsport Park over the years while also offering logistical and technical support for the CSBK series.
Additional sponsorship for the 2023 Atlantic round comes from Canadian Kawasaki.
Kawasaki is no stranger to Superbike racing in Canada, having won more National Superbike championships than any other brand.
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14-time Canadian champion Jordan Szoke leads the Kawasaki superbike team and returns to AMP for the first time since 2019 after being sidelined in 2022 due to a pre-season injury.
Joining Szoke on “Team Green” is rookie Trevor Dion, riding a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R alongside the series veteran.
“The Pro Cycle team is extremely proud to put our name on the Canadian Superbike event at Atlantic Motorsport Park while also celebrating our 40th year in business,” stated Rob O’Brien, General Manager of Pro Cycle.
“We’re also excited to be continuing our partnership with Canadian Kawasaki to help bring the CSBK Championship to the local racing fans.”
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The Atlantic race weekend is the first full doubleheader round of the 2023 season, meaning a full schedule of racing on both Saturday and Sunday for all classes. Practice and Qualifying sessions are slated for Friday.
The Beefy Weiner, an Elmsdale essential, will be the feature food vendor for the weekend and will be located in the paddock area throughout the CSBK event.
A Fast Bikes Show-n-Shine was held at Pro Cycle’s Dartmouth Crossing store on Thursday evening (July 20).
Other sARL racers expected to hit the track at AMP in variety of classes include: Gary McKinnon on the #9; Avery Hart on the #101; New Brunswick’s Courtney Lorraine on the no. 420; the no 33 of Eric Stanley; 134 of Matt Jollymore; Bill Watkins on the #94; the 113 of Fernando Bianco; PEI’s Corey Miller on the 419; the #3 of Randy Bennett from N.B.; Vincent Wilson from N.B. on #262; and the 80 of Blaise Fougere.
Tickets for the Atlantic CSBK round are available at Early Bird pricing in-store at Pro Cycle and online at CSBK.ca.
