SpECiAL FEATurE: mEmOrABLE mOmENTS
Cycle-prepped Yamaha YZF-R1. Relegated to second place, an incredulous Crevier fa- mously exclaimed, “Holy Frank Trombino!” on the podium. The BC rider would go on to win the title for Honda, while Trombino duplicated his Mosport success the following season.
race city motorsPort Park, 2003
taylor’s last win Few racers have shown the resiliency of
Michael Taylor. The two-time Canadian Super- bike champ has had his career seemingly at an end, either through injury or age, countless times yet continues to bounce back. Heading into the 2003 season the Toronto
veteran hadn’t won a Superbike race since the last round of the 1999 season at Shan- nonville, the end of the Kawasaki era of su- premacy. And there was little to suggest that great success beckoned in 2003, when Taylor joined Honda to ride the CBR954RR. But this was the first year of the new horsepower-re- stricted Superbike rules and at Race City it all came good one more time for the popular Taylor. On a wet track that dried as the race went on he took the lead from Tom Kipp’s Kawasaki five laps from the finish. He claimed the 954’s only win in national competition and found his way into the Superbike winner’s circle one more time. The race was also memorable for a brave ride from Taylor’s Aus-
tralian teammate Robbie Baird, who finished third on a Honda CBR600RR despite losing his visor in the early laps.
shannonville motorsPort Park, 2003 a dramatic Finale
It was without a doubt the most spectacular finish to a Canadian
Superbike title battle in history. Pascal Picotte came into the season finale at Shannonville with a healthy points lead over Steve Crevier. But a fall on Lap 2 of the race changed everything, and Picotte was left trying to claw his way back into contention. Teams and series of- ficials frantically did the math as the points situation changed through the race. Picotte eventually got back up to sixth, which was enough to
give the 33-year-old Yamaha rider his first Canadian Superbike crown by five points over Crevier, who finished second in the race. Crevier had been leading early on, which would have given him the championship, but he was passed by fellow Suzuki rider Francis Martin, who went on to win the race and finished third in the championship, just four points behind Crevier.
motorsPort Park, 2009 mccormick’s last ditch win It was the best finish in the greatest season of head-to-head
Canadian Superbike competition. Brett McCormick made a seem- ingly-impossible pass inside of Jordan Szoke two turns from the fin- ish to win the third round of the series at Race City. Szoke had led all the way on his Kawasaki with McCormick’s Suzuki lurking be- hind. It looked like the Saskatoon teenager was out of options as they entered the Keyhole for the final time but he managed to force his way through and win the race to the flag. The result left Szoke sour but he rebounded to win his fourth
straight title by five points over McCormick after an epic title fight. McCormick, meanwhile, would have to wait until 2011 before he fi- nally claimed the Canadian crown.
10 race city
Michael Taylor leads a visorless Robbie Baird, Kevin Lacombe and Steve Crevier on the way to his final national Superbike win in Calgary in 2003.
Pascal Picotte (c) savours his first national Superbike title after an improb- able finish at Shannonville. Race Winner Francis Martin (above Picotte) and teammate Clint McBain (r) take in the scene.
PHOTOS BY COLIN FRASER
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