Dion, Acme Motorsports amongst award winners from SMP finale

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Category: CSBK News

Published on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 14:13 EDT

Written by Cam Bickle

There was plenty of action and excitement across the final weekend of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship season, so it would be easy for some of the various award winners to get lost in the shuffle at Shannonville Motorsport Park.

After a thrilling conclusion to the 2023 campaign, here’s a recap of who took home what hardware for their season efforts.

Constructors Championship: BMW

Since its introduction in 2021, the Constructors Championship has put extra spotlight on not just the lead rider for each brand, but the previously unheralded stars further down the order who help secure the trophy.

That was especially true in 2023, where Sam Guerin put himself even farther into the good books of BMW by helping secure the title for another year in a row. Scoring five podiums and finishing third in the championship, he was the perfect wingman for Canada Cup champion Ben Young as they held off rivals and inaugural champs Suzuki.

While injuries to Trevor Daley and limited appearances for Sebastien Tremblay played a huge factor, so too did the efforts of Jordan Royds and Philip Leckie to take points away from their Suzuki rivals, helping BMW in a huge way even if only the top two finishers contribute points.

Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year: Trevor Dion

The reigning Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike champion entered the feature class as the runaway favourite to be crowned Superbike Rookie of the Year, and delivered on that hype by clinching the award on Sunday, but it wasn’t a straightforward path to get there.

After leaving the Canadian Kawasaki project with one podium and 36 points through the first seven races, Dion helped kickstart the Economy Lube and Tire Ducati program with a trio of third-place finishes in the final round of the year, more than doubling his season output to finish sixth in the overall standings. 

The 21-year-old would wind up as the fourth most successful rookie ever (adjusted for the old points-scoring system) since the award was introduced in 2000, trailing only Alex Dumas, Ben Young, and Brett McCormick – historic company. 

Dion defeated 18-year-old John Fraser and western star Paul Macdonell for the award, as he looks to continue his Ducati success towards a title challenge in 2024.

Team of the Year: Paul Macdonell and Acme Motorsports Yamaha

While Macdonell came up just short in his rookie of the year efforts, the impressive debut season didn’t go unnoticed as he helped secure the Team of the Year award for the Acme Motorsports Yamaha crew. 

Travelling in from Grande Prairie, Alberta, to join the Burlington, Ontario-based Acme team and owner Craig Atkinson, Macdonell had zero familiarity with any of the CSBK tracks on the 2023 calendar but adapted instantly, finishing inside the top-ten in all but one race (a low of eleventh) and running in the podium fight in the rain at round two in Grand Bend. 

That consistency proved to be especially valuable to Yamaha, as he and Acme helped the brand to third in the Constructors Championship (their highest ever position) for majority of the season. 

Outside of their Superbike efforts, the team of Macdonell, Atkinson, and Suzy Blue also helped put Tomas Casas on the Pro Twins grid at CTMP aboard a Yamaha MT-07 machine, where Casas won both races in dominant fashion.

BS Battery Pole Position Award: Ben Young

Qualifying results have played a big part in the last three championship battles, but it’s likely made a good impression on Ben Young’s wallet, too.

The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider captured the BS Battery Pole Position award for a third consecutive season, again showcasing his blazing single-lap pace as he took pole three times in 2023 and never qualified lower than second – extending a remarkable run that hasn’t seen him miss the front row since 2017.

Alex Dumas unsurprisingly wound up second in the award fight again and just four points back after a pair of pole positions, but six different riders shared the front row of the grid this year – the highest amount since the award was introduced in 2021.

Surron Canada Electric Rider Award: Vincent Wilson

The inaugural award – and the only one available solely to amateurs – relied on fastest laps tallied across the races in each class, and it’s safe to say Vincent Wilson was the rider to beat after narrowly defeating… himself.

Wilson scored five fastest laps in the EBC Brakes Lightweight Pro/Am class and added four more in the Super Sonic Race School Lightweight Sport Bike category, while no other rider managed more than three across the season. 

The 20-year-old will take home a brand new Surron Light Bee electric machine as well as the #1 plate for his efforts, capping off a sensational year for the New Brunswick star.