CSBK - Round 2 Report: Ben Young

Round 2 Report: Ben Young

Details: Category: Team News; Published on Tuesday, June 12, 2018 15:54 EDT

YOUNG BRINGS HOME SOLID 2ND AFTER LAST LAP DRAMA

Round 2 of the MOPAR Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK), promised to bring excitement to race fans, and it certainly did not disappoint! Weather, yellow flags and lappers kept everyone on their toes, but Ben Young and the team battled through on the #86 Scot-Build BMW S1000RR to achieve his debut CSBK Pole Position and another solid 2nd place finish.

Friday’s practice sessions went very well for the Collingwood ON rider, with Young topping the time sheets in both sessions. Scott Cartier, Willy Vass and Steve Weir worked tirelessly to get the BMW set up perfect for Young, and it paid off. Both bike and rider were planted all weekend.

Saturday brought with it some iffy weather conditions. It was overcast, windy, and a little cool for the morning practice session, though Ben still managed to keep his times in the consistent 1:03’s. During the lunch break, the rain started, so the CSBK officials chose to shuffle the schedule, postponing the Dalton Timmis Insurance Pro Superbike SuperPole to Sunday morning.

Sunday morning weather brought dry conditions and so the qualifying session went off without a hitch. Young was absolutely planted on the Scot-Build BMW S1000RR, and finished with a best time of 1:03.259, almost half a second in front of Jordan Szoke in second position. This is the first time that last year’s champion Szoke has not landed on the top step since SuperPole was introduced. On the qualifying podium, Young raved about how good his BMW felt, and was excited to see what the race would bring.

Fans who came out to Grand Bend Motorplex were awarded with a fantastic show on Sunday afternoon. The race start was clean, though Szoke got the holeshot with Young slotting right behind, then Samuel Trepanier. During the first half of the race, Young sat behind Szoke showing his front wheel, but was quite content to wait it out. There were a few yellow flags, and the top riders quickly ran into lappers – these made it difficult for Young to get by Szoke. With 5 laps to go, Young took the lead by making a fantastic pass going into turn 1 and the grandstand went wild. By this point, lapped traffic had held up Trepanier, so it was a two-man battle to the end. Szoke stayed with Ben, but never came near enough to pass, until the pair reached the last couple corners on the last lap. Young approached lapped traffic at the end of the back straight, opting for a more defensive line, though it didn’t work out. Szoke managed to make the pass, and they crossed the line with Young in P2 with the fastest lap of the race, and just 0.171 behind Szoke.

Young said the following about the weekend: “The guys worked hard all weekend to provide me with a great bike that was able to lap consistent times, which prove for a good race. I didn’t really have a plan, I just wanted to see how the start went, then play it by ear. I knew Jordan was going to be tough to beat. It’s unfortunate it ended the way it did as I was hoping for a straight one-on-one battle. Looking forward to rebounding at St-Eustache!”

The MOPAR Canadian Superbike Championship returns to TSN for 2018. Visit www.csbk.ca for confirmed dates at times for broadcasts.

The MOPAR Canadian Superbike Championship heads to Autodrome St-Eustache in St-Eustache, Quebec on June 29-July 1, 2018.

Young’s partners for his 2018 CSBK Championship season include; Scot-build Developments, BMW Motorrad Canada, AXO Racing, Arai Helmets, Hindle Exhaust, Woodcraft, SBS, Motion Pro, Bickle Racing, Liqui Moly, ACF-50, Barrie Trim and Mouldings Inc.

He is also proud "Laps for Muscular Dystrophy" (Laps4MD) rider who's pledged to donate $1 for every lap he leads. These donations go to Muscular Dystrophy Canada to help make a difference in the lives of over 50,000 Canadians affected by a neuromuscular disorder.

To keep up-to-date on Ben Young throughout the year visit; www.BenYoungRacing.com, www.facebook.com/BenYoungRacing and on Twitter and Instagram: @benyoung_86.

From a press release