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Tremblay wins again, MacKay secures Sport Bike title in finale at SMP

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Category: CSBK News
Sebastien Tremblay (24) won Sunday's shortened Pro Sport Bike race over Matt Simpson (91) as the CSBK season wrapped up this weekend at Shannonville Motorsport Park. [Photo: Rob O'Brien / CSBK]

The wait for David MacKay’s first national title is finally over, as he officially wrapped up the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike championship in the last day of the Bridgestone CSBK season at Shannonville Motorsport Park on Sunday.

MacKay needed only to finish 14th or higher to seal the middleweight trophy, but there were still some nervous faces in the ODH Snow City Cycle Kawasaki team as title rival Matt Simpson took the lead on lap one and MacKay faded into a six-rider battle for second.

The concern was short-lived, though, as race one winner Sebastien Tremblay hunted down Simpson and snatched the race lead just as MacKay allowed a trio of riders through to settle into a more comfortable gap. 

Lalande clinches Lightweight crown, Degama-Blanchet takes debut victory in amateur finale’s at SMP

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Category: CSBK News
Philip Degama-Blanchet (23) won his first national in race two of the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike class Sunday at Shannonville Motorsport Park. [Photo: Amy Ross / SSTrackside.ca]

The final day of the 2023 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship season saw plenty of success for its teenage amateur stars, as a pair of crowns were decided and a new winner emerged on Sunday at Shannonville Motorsport Park.

Philip Degama-Blanchet took a maiden national victory in race two of the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike class, dominating from start-to-finish as he jumps from fifth to second in the final championship order.

The 15-year-old phenom admittedly had less opposition than usual after champion Mavrick Cyr decided to turn pro ahead of schedule along with Mack Weil, but regardless it was an impressive performance for the Alberta native as he flashed legitimate pro pace in his amateur send-off.

Dumas closes out 2023 CSBK season with victory at SMP

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Category: CSBK News
Alex Dumas (23) finished off the season in style, leading Sunday's GP Bikes Pro Superbike race from start to finish at Shannonville Motorsport Park ahead of newly crowned 2023 CSBK champion Ben Young (1) in second and Trevor Dion (20) in third. Jordan Szoke (101) finished fourth. [Photo: Rob O'Brien / CSBK]

A tough weekend ended on a much happier tone for Alex Dumas, as he closed out the year with a start-to-finish victory in race three of the GP Bikes Pro Superbike class at the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship finale at Shannonville Motorsport Park.

With nothing but pride and stats left to play for in the last race of the year after the Canada Cup and Constructors Championship were clinched on Saturday, Dumas jumped out to an early lead on lap one and paced an exciting four-rider battle for majority of the contest, holding off champion Ben Young the entire way.

The victory was dominant but hardly easy, as Young followed close behind his rival for all 14 laps while both outlasted an early assault from Trevor Dion and Jordan Szoke. 

Dion, Acme Motorsports amongst award winners from SMP finale

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Category: CSBK News
Paul Macdonell (785) and the Acme Motorsports Yamaha crew claimed the 2023 CSBK Team of the Year award last weekend at Shannonville Motorsport Park. [Photo: Rob O'Brien / CSBK]

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

BMW scored another CSBK Constructors Championship in 2023, mostly due to the race wins and podium finishes of Ben Young and Sam Guerin. However, Jordan Royds (5) played his part early in the year as the second BMW rider across the finish line in races at the first two rounds of the season. [Photo: Rob O'Brien / CSBK]

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

Trevor Dion had an up and down CSBK season - missing the opening round after a practice crash and then moving to a new team for the final round where he scored three podium finishes to secure the Pro Rookie of the Year award. [Photo: Rob O'Brien / CSBK]

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

Acme Motorsports Yamaha team owner Craig Atkinson watches his rider Paul Macdonell in Sunday's Superbike race from pit wall at Shannonville Motorsport Park shortly before being awarded with the coveted CSBK Team of the Year award. [Photo: Rob O'Brien / CSBK]

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

2023 BS Battery Pole Position Award winner Ben Young (1) claimed the prize for the third year in a row after his consistent qualifying efforts throughout the CSBK season. [Photo: Rob O'Brien / CSBK]

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

Lightweight rider Vincent Wilson took home a new Surron electric bike after securing the inaugural Surron Canada Electric Rider Award at the Shannonville finale. [Photo: Rob O'Brien / CSBK]

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.

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