Canadian Superbike Championship

The Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK) is the national motorcycle road racing superbike championship in Canada. The series is managed and organized by Professional Motor Sports Productions Inc. (PMP) of Hamilton, Ontario, and owner Ross Millson.

Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship
CategorySuperbike racing
CountryCanada
Inaugural season1980
Riders' championCanadaScotland Ben Young
Makes' championGermany BMW
Official websiteCSBK Canadian Superbike Championship

The series features national championships for seven classes, open to professional and amateur motorcycle riders. The headline Pro Superbike category features the best riders from across Canada, with the champion winning the Canada Cup every season.

Bridgestone became the official sponsor and tire supplier of the series in 2023, and will remain in that role through at least the 2026 season.

History

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Early years (1980–1993)

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The Canadian Superbike Championship was established in 1980, the first season to feature a multiple-event schedule. This came on the heels of the inaugural national event at Edmonton in 1979, won by George Morin. The 1980 season saw two events in Edmonton and Shannonville, with Morin earning the first-ever national championship and #1 plate in Canada.

A lone event at Edmonton in 1981 meant no official national championship would take place, but a return in 1982 saw Steve Dick claim the second-ever title following races at Shannonville and Atlantic Motorsport Park. The national series would then take a backseat to regional racing for the next three years, as no official national champions were crowned in 1983, 1984, or 1985.

The demand for a national championship re-emerged in 1986, and the RACE Series (then a regional organization) took over management duties. The first full campaign featured five rounds in five different provinces, as Michel Mercier claimed the national championship with a win at the final round in Shannonville.

The next two seasons saw eight different riders win races across 13 events, with Mercier defending his title in 1987 before Rueben McMurter took the championship in 1988. However, the 1988 season brought the debut of Miguel Duhamel and Steve Crevier, who would become the biggest names in Canadian racing over the next two decades.

Both Crevier and Duhamel would trade wins in 1989 with Crevier winning the championship, leaving to race in the United States the following year. That left Duhamel as the favourite for the 1990 title, but Mercier would win four races to secure his third and final crown. Crevier would return to Canada in 1991 and entered a period of dominance for Kawasaki, winning championships in 1991, 1992, and 1993.

Start of modern era (1994–2005)

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The mid-1990's brought more success for Kawasaki but with multiple riders, as Michael Taylor and Don Munroe traded championships for the Japanese brand. Taylor would win in 1994 and 1996, while Munroe was victorious in 1995 and 1997. The duo was beat in 1998 by fellow Kawasaki rider Jordan Szoke, the first rookie champion in CSBK history and at the time the youngest winner at only 19 years old.

Despite being the overwhelming favourite in 1999, Jordan Szoke switched to Honda and struggled in the opening rounds, eventually losing the championship to Francis Martin. The 2000 season saw the return once again of Crevier to CSBK, who would win his fifth career title despite an improved year from Szoke. Crevier would defend his title in 2001, becoming a six-time national champion.

A switch to Suzuki in 2002 would prove to be a wise decision for Szoke, who won five races and secured his second national title, four years after winning as a teenager. That would lead him to the United States in 2003, with Pascal Picotte returning to Canada to replace him on a lucrative deal for Suzuki. Picotte would dominate the next two years of CSBK, winning championships in 2003 and 2004. Injuries would limit him in 2005, however, while Szoke only raced select events north of the border, leaving Francis Martin to claim his second national crown that season.

Szoke dominance (2006–2018)

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Jordan Szoke would return to Kawasaki in 2006 after winning his first title with the brand in 1998. He would quickly become the feature name of the series, winning the first six races of the season in 2006 to capture the overall title. Crevier's latest return to CSBK nearly resulted in a seventh championship, but Szoke would hang on to defend his crown in 2007 and 2008.

The 2009 season featured the start of one of the most iconic rivalries in series history as teenager Brett McCormick won four races for Suzuki, but a crash at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was enough to hand Szoke his fourth consecutive championship and tie Crevier with six all-time. Szoke would run a privateer Honda effort in 2010, winning every race to record the perfect season and win his seventh crown.

The 2011 season saw Szoke return to Kawasaki while McCormick piloted an all-new BMW Motorrad program. It proved to be an excellent match for McCormick and the S1000RR, as he won the first six races of the year to end Szoke's run of five consecutive championships. However, McCormick would move to World Superbike the following year, allowing Szoke to move to BMW in his place and repeat as champion in 2012 and 2013.

It appeared as though Szoke would add a tenth championship in 2014, but a mid-season injury handed the title to Jodi Christie and Honda. Szoke would add perfect seasons in 2015 and 2016, and won all but one race in 2017 to become a 12-time national champion. The 2018 season began the same way with five consecutive victories, enough to help secure Szoke a 13th championship, but rival Ben Young would end his win streak at the final round.

Modern era (2019–present)

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The end of 2018 forced Jordan Szoke to return to Kawasaki after eight years away from the brand, while Ben Young took over as the lead rider for BMW Motorrad. The switch worked well for both Young and BMW, winning the opening two races and adding a historic comeback victory at Atlantic Motorsport Park to win his first national championship.

The COVID-19 pandemic meant only an abbreviated two-round schedule could take place in 2020, as Young decided not to defend his crown. That left Szoke to another perfect campaign, winning his 14th and most recent championship. Young would return in 2021 but lost to series debutant Alex Dumas, who became the first rookie champion since Szoke while also winning the title at just 19 years old for Suzuki.

Young would steal the championship back in 2022, narrowly defeating Dumas in one of the closest championship battles in series history. In 2023, the series partnered with Bridgestone to become the official sponsor and spec tire of the series through at least 2026. Young would add a third championship in the first year under Bridgestone, completing the title comeback after Dumas led for majority of the season.

Prior to the 2023 season, PMP founder and longtime CSBK president Colin Fraser sold the organization and series to former pro racer Ross Millson.

2024 CSBK Schedule

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Track City Province Length Turns Debut Year
Shannonville Motorsport Park Shannonville Ontario 2.47 km (Pro Track) 9 (Pro) 1980
Grand Bend Motorplex Grand Bend Ontario 2.2 km 11 2017
RAD Torque Raceway Edmonton Alberta 2.7 km 14 2015
Atlantic Motorsport Park Shubenacadie Nova Scotia 2.56 km 11 1982
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Bowmanville Ontario 3.957 km 10 1985
Shannonville Motorsport Park Shannonville Ontario 4.03 km (Long Track) 15 (Long) 1980

[1]

CSBK Former Tracks

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Track City Province Length Turns Years
Alma street circuit Alma Quebec 1993–1995
Autodrome St. Eustache Saint-Eustache Quebec 1.78 km 15 2002–2003, 2011–2019
Calabogie Motorsports Park Greater Madawaska Ontario 5.05 km 20 2008–2009, 2015, 2020–2022
Castrol Raceway Edmonton Alberta 2.7  km 14 2015
Circuit ICAR Mirabel Quebec 2.8  km 10 2009–2011
Circuit Mont-Tremblant Mont-Tremblant Quebec 4.26 km 17 2003–2004, 2006–2007, 2012–2013
Circuit Sanair Saint-Pie Quebec 2.0 km
Edmonton International Speedway Edmonton Alberta 4.067 km 14
Gimli Motorsports Park Gimli Manitoba 2.092 km 9 1985–1988
Namao Airport Edmonton Alberta 2001
Race City Motorsport Park Calgary Alberta 3.2 km 11 1987–2010
Westwood Motorsport Park Coquitlam British Columbia 2.9 km 8 1985–1990

CSBK Superbike Champions

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Canadian Superbike (CSBK) Riders' Champions
Season Class Rider Bike
1980 Pro Superbike   George Morin[2]   Kawasaki KZ1000
1981 Pro Superbike   Lang Hindle[3]   Kawasaki KZ1000
1982 Pro Superbike   Miles Baldwin   Yamaha TZ750
1983 Pro Superbike   Art Robbins   Suzuki GS1000
1984 Pro Superbike   Paul MacMillan   Suzuki Katana 1100
1985 Pro Superbike   Art Robbins   Yamaha TZ750
1986 Pro Superbike   Michel Mercier   Suzuki GSX-R750
Pro Sport Bike   Mario Duhamel   Suzuki RG500
1987 Pro Superbike   Michel Mercier   Suzuki GSX-R750
Pro Sport Bike   Mario Duhamel   Honda 600
1988 Pro Superbike   Rueben McMurter   Honda VFR750
Pro Sport Bike   Gary Goodfellow   Honda 600
1989 Pro Superbike   Steve Crevier   Yamaha OWO1
Pro Sport Bike   Steve Crevier   Yamaha YZF-R6
1990 Pro Superbike   Michel Mercier   Yamaha OWO1
Pro Sport Bike   Denis Royer   Yamaha YZR600
1991 Pro Superbike   Steve Crevier   Kawasaki ZX-7R
Pro Sport Bike   Linnley Clarke   Yamaha YZR600
1992 Pro Superbike   Steve Crevier   Kawasaki ZX-7R
Pro Sport Bike   Linnley Clarke   Yamaha YZR600
1993 Pro Superbike   Steve Crevier   Kawasaki ZX-7R
Pro Sport Bike   Steve Crevier   Kawasaki ZX-6R
1994 Pro Superbike   Michael Taylor   Kawasaki ZX-7R
Pro Sport Bike   Don Munroe   Kawasaki ZX-6R
1995 Pro Superbike   Don Munroe   Kawasaki ZX-7R
Pro Sport Bike   Don Munroe   Kawasaki ZX-6R
1996 Pro Superbike   Michael Taylor   Kawasaki ZX-7RR
Pro Sport Bike   Don Munroe   Kawasaki ZX-6R
1997 Pro Superbike   Don Munroe   Kawasaki ZX-7RR
Pro Sport Bike   Don Munroe   Kawasaki ZX-6R
1998 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke   Kawasaki ZX-7RR
Pro Rookie   Frank Trombino
Pro Sport Bike   Don Munroe   Kawasaki ZX-6R
1999 Pro Superbike   Francis Martin   Kawasaki ZX-7RR
Pro Sport Bike   Linnley Clarke   Yamaha YZF-R6
2000 Pro Superbike   Steve Crevier   Honda RC51
Pro Sport Bike   Owen Weichel   Kawasaki ZX-6R
2001 Pro Superbike   Steve Crevier   Honda RC51
Pro Rookie   Andrew Nelson
Open Sport Bike   Frank Trombino   Yamaha YZF-R1
Pro Sport Bike   Steve Crevier   Honda CBR600F4i
2002 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke   Suzuki GSX-R1000
Pro Rookie   Chris Peris   Honda CBR600F4i
Open Sport Bike   Francis Martin   Suzuki GSX-R1000
Pro Sport Bike   Clint McBain   Suzuki GSX-R600
2003 Pro Superbike   Pascal Picotte   Yamaha YZF-R1
Pro Rookie   Matt Binns   Yamaha YZF-R6
Pro Sport Bike   Pascal Picotte   Yamaha YZF-R6
AM Sport Bike   Jeremy Leduc   Yamaha YZF-R6
2004 Pro Superbike   Pascal Picotte   Yamaha YZF-R1
Pro Rookie   Hugo Brisson   Kawasaki ZX-10R/ ZX-6R
Pro Sport Bike   Pascal Picotte   Yamaha YZF-R6
AM Sport Bike   Dominic Lavoie   Kawasaki ZX-6R
2005 Pro Superbike   Francis Martin   Suzuki GSX-R1000
Pro Rookie   Erik Beausejour   Honda CBR600RR
Pro Sport Bike   Steve Crevier   Honda CBR600RR
AM Sport Bike   Mark Douglas   Yamaha R6
Thunder   Darren James   Buell XB9R
Suzuki SV650   Karl Daigle   Suzuki SV650
2006 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke   Kawasaki ZX-10R
Pro Rookie   Stephane Chabot   Yamaha YZF-R6
Pro Sport Bike   Jordan Szoke   Kawasaki ZX-6R
AM Sport Bike   Karl Daigle   Honda CBR600RR
Thunder   Darren James   Buell XB9R
Suzuki SV650   Dave Bagshaw   Suzuki SV650
2007 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke[4]   Kawasaki ZX-10R
Pro Rookie   Brett McCormick   Kawasaki ZX-10R/ ZX-6R
Pro Sport Bike   Jordan Szoke   Kawasaki ZX-6R
AM Sport Bike   Paul Glenn   Suzuki GSX-R600
Thunder   Michael Taylor   BMW R1200S
Suzuki SV650   Martin Grande   Suzuki SV650
2008 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke[5]   Kawasaki ZX-10R
Pro Rookie   Alex Welsh   Triumph Daytona 675
Pro Sport Bike   Jordan Szoke   Kawasaki ZX-6R
AM Sport Bike   Jodi Christie   Yamaha R6
Thunder   Valter Bartolini   Ducati 848
Sport Twins   Jim Proulx   Buell XB12R
Suzuki SV650   Cody Matechuk   Suzuki SV650
Honda CBR125R   Raphael Archambault   Honda CBR125R
2009 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke[6]   Kawasaki ZX-10R
Pro Rookie   Jodi Christie   Honda CBR600RR
Pro Sport Bike   Jordan Szoke   Kawasaki ZX-6R
AM Sport Bike   Cody Matechuk   Suzuki GSX-R600
Suzuki SV650   Raphael Archambault   Suzuki SV650
Honda CBR125R   Steven Nickerson   Honda CBR125R
2010 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke[7]   Honda CBR1000RR
Pro Rookie   Cody Matechuk   Suzuki GSX-R600
Pro Sport Bike   Jordan Szoke   Honda CBR600RR
AM Sport Bike   Raphael Archambault   Honda CBR600RR
Sport Twins   Robert Busby   Buell XB12R
Honda CBR125R   Ryan Appenrodt   Honda CBR125R
2011 Pro Superbike   Brett McCormick[8]   BMW S1000RR
Pro Rookie   Bodhi Edie   Honda CBR600RR
Pro Sport Bike   Jodi Christie   Honda CBR600RR
AM Superbike   Jody Greening   Honda CBR1000RR / Yamaha YZF-R1
AM Sport Bike   Kristopher Garvie   Kawasaki ZX-6R
H-D XR1200   Steve Crevier   Harley-Davidson XR1200
Honda CBR125R       Stacey Nesbitt   Honda CBR125R
2012 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke[9]   BMW S1000RR
Pro Rookie   Sebastien Tremblay   BMW S1000RR
Pro Sport Bike   Jodi Christie   Honda CBR600RR
AM Superbike   Trevor Daley   Suzuki GSX-R1000 / Honda CBR600RR
AM Sport Bike   Philippe Masse   Kawasaki ZX-6R
H-D XR1200   Steve Crevier   Harley-Davidson XR1200
Honda CBR250R       Stacey Nesbitt   Honda CBR250R
2013 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke[10]   BMW S1000RR
Pro Rookie   Kristopher Garvie   Honda CBR1000RR
Pro Sport Bike   Jodi Christie   Honda CBR600RR
AM Superbike   Mitch Card   Honda CBR600RR/Honda CBR1000RR
AM Sport Bike   Mitch Card   Honda CBR600RR
H-D XR1200   Steve Crevier   Harley-Davidson XR1200
Honda CBR250R   Tomas Casas   Honda CBR250R
2014 Pro Superbike   Jodi Christie[11]   Honda CBR1000RR
Pro Rookie   Marco Sousa   BMW S1000RR
Pro Sport Bike   Kenny Riedmann   Triumph Daytona 675
AM Superbike   Pedro Sousa   Honda CBR1000RR
AM Sport Bike   Tomas Casas   Yamaha R6
Honda CBR250R   Jacob Shaw-O'Leary   Honda CBR250R
2015 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke   BMW S1000RR
Pro Rookie (tied)       Stacey Nesbitt /   Tomas Casas   Honda CBR600RR / Yamaha R6
Pro Sport Bike   Kenny Riedmann   Triumph Daytona 675
AM Superbike   Derrick Whyte   Kawasaki ZX-10R
AM Sport Bike   Alex Coelho   Kawasaki ZX-6R
2016 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke   BMW S1000RR
Pro Rookie     Ben Young   BMW S1000RR
Pro Sport Bike   Kenny Riedmann   Kawasaki ZX-6R
AM Superbike   Jean-Marc Bilger   BMW S1000RR
AM Sport Bike   Chris Brent   Honda CBR600RR
Kawasaki Ninja 300   Brandon Pemberton   Kawasaki Ninja 300
2017 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke   BMW S1000RR
Pro Rookie   Jean-Marc Bilger   Kawasaki ZX-10R
Pro Sport Bike   Tomas Casas   Yamaha R6
AM Superbike   Samuel Desmarais   Kawasaki ZX-6R
AM Sport Bike   Jean-Francois Aubin   Suzuki GSX-R600
Kawasaki Ninja 300   Xavier Paradis   Kawasaki Ninja 300
2018 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke   BMW S1000RR
Pro Rookie   Samuel Desmarais   Kawasaki ZX-6R
Pro Sport Bike   Tomas Casas   Yamaha R6
AM Superbike   Luc Labranche   BMW S1000RR
AM Sport Bike   Luc Labranche   Yamaha YZF-R6
Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike   Cameron Walker   Kawasaki Ninja 400
2019 Pro Superbike     Ben Young   BMW S1000RR
Pro Rookie   Nicolas Meunier   Kawasaki ZX-6R
Pro Sport Bike   Will Hornblower   Yamaha R6
AM Superbike   Guillaume Fortin   Kawasaki ZX-10R
AM Sport Bike   Christian Allard   Kawasaki ZX-6R
Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike   Ben LeClair   Yamaha YZF-R3
2020 Pro Superbike   Jordan Szoke   Kawasaki ZX-10R
2021 Pro Superbike   Alex Dumas   Suzuki GSX-R1000
Pro Rookie   Alex Dumas   Suzuki GSX-R1000
Pro Sport Bike   Sebastien Tremblay   Kawasaki ZX-6R
Amateur Superbike   Anthony Bergeron   BMW S1000RR
Amateur Sport Bike   Brad MacRae   Yamaha YZF-R6
Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike   Harvey Renaud   Kawasaki Ninja 400
2022 Pro Superbike     Ben Young   BMW S1000RR
Pro Rookie   Anthony Bergeron   BMW S1000RR
Pro Sport Bike   Trevor Dion   Kawasaki ZX-6R
Amateur Superbike   Julien Lafortune   Kawasaki ZX-10R
Amateur Sport Bike   Paul-Etienne Courtois   Kawasaki ZX-6R
Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike   Bryce DeBoer   Kawasaki Ninja 400
Pro-Am Lightweight   Jared Walker (Pro)

  Bryce DeBoer (Amateur)

  Kawasaki Ninja 400
2023 Pro Superbike     Ben Young   BMW S1000RR
Pro Rookie   Trevor Dion   Kawasaki ZX-10   Ducati V4
Pro Sport Bike   David McKay   Kawasaki ZX-6R
Pro Twins   Andrew Van Winkle   Suzuki SV650
Amateur Superbike   Maverick Cyr   Triumph Daytona 675   Kawasaki ZX-10
Amateur Sport Bike   Maverick Cyr   Triumph Daytona 675
Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike   Vincent Lalande   Kawasaki Ninja 400
Pro-Am Lightweight       Stacey Nesbitt (Pro)

  Vincent Wilson (Amateur)

  Kawasaki Ninja 400

[12][13]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "CSBK - 2024 Schedule". www.csbk.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  2. ^ "Mopar Secures Title Sponsor of CSBK". Sport Rider Magazine. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  3. ^ "Hindle posts over $23,000 in Canadian Contingency". CSBK.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  4. ^ "Superbike: Szoke clinches season title". TSN. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  5. ^ "Superbike: McCormick Wins; Szoke Takes Title". TSN. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  6. ^ "Jordan Szoke Takes Fourth Straight Superbike Title". Demotix.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-03. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  7. ^ "CSBK: Szoke Wins 7th Title with Perfect Season". Cycle Canada Web. Archived from the original on 2015-04-18. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  8. ^ "Canadian Superbike: Szoke wins - McCormick takes title". moto123.com. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  9. ^ "Szoke locks up eighth Superbike title". Inside Motorcycles. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  10. ^ "Szoke clinches Superbike title with win at Mont-Tremblant". Flagworld.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-18. Retrieved 2013-08-26.
  11. ^ "Christie clinches Superbike title with win". Inside Motorcycles. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-17.
  12. ^ "World and domestic Superbike Champions". Motorcycle Racing Online. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  13. ^ "Canada Superbike Championship". Motorrad Autogrammkarten. Retrieved 2013-08-12.