The season opens with the 54th National roadracing event at Shannonville Motorsport Park, just East of Belleville, ON, May 25-27. The S.M.P. venue has hosted National rounds on three separate versions of the multi-use circuit originally called Nelson International when the facility opened in the fall of 1976.
Mopar CSBK will once again use the perimeter “Pro Circuit” layout, with ten turns over 2.47 kilometers in length. In 12 of the past 15 years, the Pro racer who has won the CSBK opening race has gone on to win the overall Canadian number one plate.
Jordan Szoke of Lynden, ON will be aiming for his 13th career overall National Championship in 2018, and his fourth title in a row aboard his S1000RR. The 38-year-old Szoke has achieved three perfect Superbike National seasons by winning each and every race in 2010, 2015 and 2016, the only racer to ever do so.
Szoke’s only 2017 loss occurred at Grand Bend Motorplex near Lake Huron, ON, the location for the second National in 2018, June 8-10. Bodhi Edie of Warman, SK earned his second career Feature race victory at Grand Bend last year aboard his YZF-R1. Grand Bend joined the tour last year, and their round will again take place on the 11 turn, 2.2 km long “Technical Track.”
Round three is slated for Autodrome St-Eustache just North West of Montreal, QC, June 29-July 1. The multi-use venue, also a host to NASCAR oval auto events, is a tight and demanding ten turns and 1.93 kms that usually yields very close, hard-fought racing.
The CSBK tour next heads east for the penultimate event at Atlantic Motorsport Park, North of Halifax, Nova Scotia, July 19-22. The 2.56 km in length, 11 turn facility, built in 1974, is home to the world famous back straight “roller coaster,” one of many unique features of the hilly coaster venue.
The Pro Cycle-backed Atlantic weekend will feature a Double Header fro the two Professional-level categories, Mopar CSBK and Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike (middleweight) offering National races on both Saturday and Sunday. This means that the Dalton Timmis Insurance SuperPole sessions will take place on Friday afternoon, July 20, determining the Feature race grid one-day sooner than usual.
The traditional grand finale for the Canadian Superbike season once again takes place on August 10-12 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the former Mosport International, one-hour North East of Toronto, ON. This event is a double header for all five of the classes on the CSBK tour, adding Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike and Shoei Premium Helmets AM Sport Bike to the two-race per-weekend plan.
Recently announced new category for 2018, Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike, will run Doubleheader races during every Mopar CSBK weekend.
This event at C.T.M.P. marks the 40th Anniversary of Superbike competition in Canada, and special events are planned to support and celebrate the production-based race class history next summer around the high speed design of the 3.9 km, ten turn “old Mosport.”
Mopar CSBK sponsors and organizers continue to look at ways to expand the National Series, and are considering possible options in western Canada in 2019. All classes in CSBK will compete on Dunlop racing tires, provided by distributor Pro6 in Toronto, for the fifth straight season.
For more information on the Mopar CSBK Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca or email info@csbk.ca.
