mOpAr CANAdiAN SupErBikE ChAmpiONShip prEViEW
Canada and continue his association with ace tuner John Sharrard of Accelerated Technologies. The latter relationship goes back six years. No event of 2012 better exemplified
Christie’s potential than the dramatic Pro Superbike feature at Mont-Tremblant last summer, where Christie charged from near the back of the pack to a fourth place finish. The performance was noteworthy because Christie had made the bold decision to run with slick Pirelli tires on a track that was ini- tially quite damp, he had limited experience with the Honda CBR1000RR he was racing that day, and he had barely turned a lap of Mont-Tremblant in the dry. It all added up to an epic performance. Christie hasn’t been standing still in the
off season, and he made a particularly strong impression with his lightning laps around a California test track in front of American Honda brass last winter. And in the 2013 RACE opener at Shannonville, Christie spent most of the weekend on the pace with Szoke and Welsh. There are plenty of other racers who
could make life interesting in the Mopar Canadian Superbike feature class this sum- mer. Last year’s Amateur Superbike Rookie of the Year, Trevor Daley showed excellent pace on his One Speed Chop Shop / Moto- van Suzuki GSX-R1000 at the Shannonville RACE opener. The Mississauga, Ont. racer qualified on the front row and eventually scored a fifth place finish. Daley can be ex- pected to make a serious run at the new Sunoco/Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year Award. One of the most intriguing campaigns will
come from popular veteran Frank Trombino and Trombino Racing. After initially an- nouncing his retirement from the sport at the end of last season, the three-time Su- perbike national race winner has had a change of heart and will compete in the fea- ture class with an Aprilia RSV4. This will be the first appearance in Canada’s top series for the exotic Italian bike, and will add a great deal of interest to the Superbike class. The Trombino Racing program is designed to raise funds and awareness for testicular cancer — Trombino’s longtime tuner and former Amateur national ace James Collins was recently diagnosed with the disease. Additional technical support will come from Gianni Aceto of G-Suspension. Western Canadian riders have always
had an impact on the national tour going back to the days of Steve Dick, Gary Good- fellow, Tom Walther and a young man named Steve Crevier. The latest to emerge has been Warman, Sask.’s Bodhi Edie, who very quietly showed stunning consistency last summer in his first experience on a Su- perbike with the Edie Racing BMW S1000RR. Despite his lack of seasoning the diminutive Edie never finished lower than seventh and capped his campaign with a
Honda Canada’s Jodi Christie is looking for a Superbike championship to go with his two Sport Bike crowns.
Suzuki-mounted Alex Welsh has become a serious threat for the title. The Uxbridge, ON native got his first Pro Superbike win at the last race of 2012.
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