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CSBK announces three-year partnership with Gulf Race Fuels as official spec fuel provider beginning in 2024

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Category: CSBK News

Published: January 22, 2024

The Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK) is thrilled to confirm a ground-breaking partnership with Gulf Race Fuels, solidifying a three-year agreement that will see Gulf become the official spec fuel provider for all Bridgestone CSBK competitors at each national event.

This strategic alliance represents a significant step forward for both CSBK and Gulf Race Fuels, reinforcing their commitment to pushing the boundaries of performance and innovation within the Canadian motorsports landscape.

CSBK owner Ross Millson expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "We are very pleased to welcome Gulf Race Fuels as our official spec fuel provider for the next three years. This partnership signifies our shared dedication to advancing the sport of Superbike racing in Canada. Gulf Race Fuels' commitment to excellence aligns seamlessly with our mission to provide top-tier racing experiences for both competitors and fans."

Gulf Race Fuels spokesperson Jeff LaRose added, "Partnering with CSBK is a thrilling opportunity for Gulf Race Fuels to showcase our high-performance racing fuels on one of Canada's premier racing platforms. We are excited to contribute to the success of CSBK competitors and look forward to a fruitful collaboration over the next three years."

As part of the agreement, Gulf Race Fuels will exclusively supply the spec fuel for all Bridgestone CSBK competitors throughout the national tour, ensuring a level playing field and fostering an environment where skill and strategy take center stage.

The partnership between CSBK and Gulf Race Fuels is set to commence at the season opening event, scheduled for May 17-19 at Shannonville Motorsport Park.  

More information on Bridgestone CSBK can be found on the series’ official website at www.csbk.ca.  

For more information about Gulf Race Fuels, please visit www.GulfRaceFuels.com. To contact a Gulf Race Fuels distributor in Canada, please visit www.GulfProFuels.ca.

Bridgestone at Daytona 200: Top Canadian Superbike Riders Ben Young and Trevor Daley Join Team BATTLAX

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Category: CSBK News

Published: January 30, 2024

• Bridgestone partners with 2023 Canadian Superbike champion Ben Young and Suzuki Canada rider Trevor Daley to form Team BATTLAX.
• Young and Daley will debut on the Bridgestone-backed effort, Team BATTLAX, at the Daytona 200 March 7-9, 2024.
• Team BATTLAX to race on identical custom Suzuki Canada GSX- R750 builds featuring Bridgestone BATTLAX race tires.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 30, 2024) – Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) today announced it has teamed up with top Canadian Superbike Championship riders Ben Young and Trevor Daley to form Team BATTLAX, which will debut at the 82nd running of the Daytona 200 March 7-9, 2024, at Daytona International Speedway. Team BATTLAX will compete on a pair of identical custom Suzuki Canada GSX-R750 builds featuring Bridgestone BATTLAX race tires.

The Bridgestone-backed Team BATTLAX will feature a unique partnership with Young, Canadian Superbike champion who is fresh off his third Canadian title, and Daley, who is a Suzuki Canada rider. Race and fabrication shop OneSpeedInc is building a pair of Suzuki Canada GSX-R750s with technical oversight and advice from Young’s longtime crew chief Willie Vass.

“The Daytona 200 features some of the best professional riders from across the world, and we are thrilled to partner with Ben and Trevor to represent Bridgestone this year,” said Jim Dowell, Motorsports and Sales Manager for Bridgestone Motorcycle Tire business in the United States and Canada. “The Bridgestone BATTLAX family of tires has a long history of delivering at the highest levels of racing, and we are looking forward to seeing Team BATTLAX push its performance on track at the Daytona 200.”

The 2023 Daytona 200 marked Young's first experience racing on Bridgestone tires. Despite several challenges with Young’s equipment on race weekend, a late-race push ultimately saw him running inside the Top 10. The 2024 event will see Young contesting his fourth Daytona 200 and Daley’s first. In addition to Young’s Daytona 200 race experience with Bridgestone tires, Daley has spent significant time as part of a Daytona 24-hour prototype racing team bringing a wealth of experience for the preparation needed to compete in a demanding endurance racing event.

“In North American motorcycle racing, there isn’t a challenge greater than the high banks of the Daytona 200,” said Young. “To win at Daytona is the ultimate feather in a racer’s cap. I’m ready to take my experience in previous Daytona 200s—and specifically last year on Bridgestone tires—and deliver another strong season of racing that builds upon the success of the last several.”

Young and Daley will be racing on Bridgestone BATTLAX tires following both riders recently completing the inaugural Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship Series, which marked the company’s record-setting first year as the exclusive tire supplier. Team BATTLAX will be fortified trackside by a full slate of Bridgestone engineers, with the entire team taking part in testing preceding the Daytona 200.

“Leading up to the event, our team will be well familiarized with the supersport- spec GSX-R750 and will be able to use valuable information and experience to put us at the sharp end of the grid,” said Daley. “Between our collective experience and riding our own prepared bikes featuring Bridgestone BATTLAX race tires, I feel extremely confident heading into this year’s 200 with Team BATTLAX.”

Bridgestone’s partnership with Team BATTLAX aligns with the “Emotion” and “Ease” values of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment. The Bridgestone E8 Commitment, encompassing eight values all beginning with the letter “E,” solidifies Bridgestone’s dedication to fostering a more sustainable world.

From a press release

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Bridgestone au Daytona 200 : Les meilleurs pilotes de supermoto au Canada, Ben Young et Trevor Daley, se joignent à l'équipe Team BATTLAX

• Bridgestone fait équipe avec Ben Young, qui a remporté le Championnat canadien de Superbike 2023, et Trevor Daley, pilote de Suzuki Canada, pour constituer l'équipe Team BATTLAX.
• Young et Daley amorceront leur saison aux couleurs de Team BATTLAX, appuyée par Bridgestone, à compter de la course Daytona 200 qui se déroulera du 7 au 9 mars 2024.
• Team BATTLAX chevauchera des modèles identiques personnalisés de motos Suzuki Canada GSX-R750 chaussées de pneus de course Bridgestone BATTLAX.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (30 janvier 2024) – Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) annonce qu'elle s'est associée aux meilleurs pilotes du Championnat canadien de supermoto, Ben Young et Trevor Daley, pour former l'équipe Team BATTLAX qui fera ses débuts lors de la 82e édition du Daytona 200 présenté du 7 au 9 mars 2024 au Daytona International Speedway. Team BATTLAX affrontera ses adversaires sur une paire de motos GSX-R750 identiques, fabriquées sur mesure par Suzuki Canada et chaussées de pneus de course Bridgestone BATTLAX.

Team BATTLAX, appuyée par Bridgestone, se démarquera grâce à ce partenariat unique avec Young, champion canadien de supermoto qui vient de remporter son troisième titre canadien, et Daley, pilote de Suzuki Canada. L'atelier de course et de fabrication OneSpeedInc monte actuellement une paire de motos GSX-R750 de Suzuki Canada sous la supervision technique et selon les conseils de Willie Vass, chef d'équipe de longue date de Ben Young.

«La course Daytona 200 met en vedette certains des meilleurs pilotes professionnels de moto dans le monde, et nous sommes ravis de faire équipe avec Ben et Trevor pour représenter Bridgestone cette année, affirme Jim Dowell, directeur des sports motorisés et des ventes pour le marché de pneus de motocyclettes Bridgestone aux États-Unis et au Canada. La gamme de pneus Bridgestone BATTLAX a une longue expérience des courses du plus haut niveau et nous avons hâte de voir l'équipe Team BATTLAX pousser ses performances sur la piste lors du Daytona 200. »

L’édition 2023 du Daytona 200 marquait la première expérience de Young sur des pneus Bridgestone. Malgré plusieurs problèmes liés à son équipement pendant le week-end de l’événement, une offensive en fin de parcours lui a permis de se classer parmi les 10 premiers. En 2024, Young participera pour la quatrième fois au Daytona 200, tandis que ce sera une première pour Daley. En plus de l'expérience acquise avec les pneus Bridgestone sur le circuit Daytona 200, Daley a participé plusieurs fois à l’épreuve des 24 heures de Daytona au sein d’une équipe prototype, ce qui lui confère la préparation nécessaire à une course d'endurance exigeante.

« En matière de course de moto en Amérique du Nord, il n'y a pas de plus grand défi que les hauts flancs du circuit Daytona 200, explique Young. Remporter le Daytona constitue la victoire par excellence pour un pilote. Je compte mettre à profit mon expérience des Daytona 200, et plus particulièrement les compétences acquises l'an dernier sur les pneus Bridgestone, pour offrir une autre saison de course remarquable qui tirera parti du succès des dernières années. »

Young et Daley s’élanceront en piste sur des pneus Bridgestone BATTLAX après avoir tous deux récemment terminé l’édition inaugurale du Championnat canadien de Superbike Bridgestone qui s’est avérée une année charnière pour l’entreprise, dont c’était la première année comme fournisseur exclusif de pneus. L'équipe Team BATTLAX sera épaulée en marge du circuit par une équipe complète d'ingénieurs Bridgestone et participera aux essais en prévision du Daytona 200.

« D'ici à l'événement, notre équipe se sera bien familiarisée avec la moto GSX-R750 de catégorie supersport et sera en mesure de mettre à profit ses aptitudes et connaissances pour se placer en tête de la grille de départ, précise Daley. Étant donné notre expérience collective et le fait que nos motos sont préparées sur mesure et dotées de pneus de course Bridgestone BATTLAX, je me sens extrêmement confiant à l'approche de la course 200 de cette année au sein de l'équipe Team BATTLAX. »

Le partenariat de Bridgestone avec Team BATTLAX s’inscrit dans l'engagement E8 de Bridgestone comprenant huit valeurs fondamentales (toutes commençant par la lettre « e »), dont « émotion » et « esprit tranquille », en matière de mobilité tournée vers l’avenir et le développement durable.

Extrait d'un communiqué de presse

RIP: Eddy Brunet

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Category: CSBK News

Published: February 2, 2024

A star of the CSBK National series in the 1980s, Eddy Brunet has passed away after a long battle with cancer.  He was 63.

Brunet was the top Amateur competitor of the 1986 season, riding the just-launched overdog of Canadian production racing, Suzuki’s racer replica RG500 square four two-stroke.  Brunet won all three RACE Championships available for street-based racers, 555 Production, 555 G.P. and 750 Production.

Brunet’s racer was vividly presented, and Brunet’s matching gear was coloured to match the various colours of duct tape that he knew would be necessary to repair his bike and gear throughout the busy season.  The flamboyant Brunet also claimed to have built an end table out of the plaques he won for success in the RACE Castrol Eastern Canada Championship regional championship series.

Brunet jumped to Pro in 1987, travelling with good friend and Honda-backed racer Jean Paquet.  Brunet stuck with his two-stroke RG, and even built a superbike class square-four, although that machine seldom ran for any length of time.

Brunet’s best race was at the debut of National competition at Race City Speedway in Calgary, Alberta, where the Suzuki’s significant top speed was a plus against the four-strokes along the drag strip front straightaway.

Brunet pivoted to duty with Michel Mercier’s FAST (Facility for Advanced Superbike Training) Racing School, initially based at Sanair, QC, and soon travelling with the Academy back when FAST travelled to venues across Canada.  Later, Brunet would replace Mercier as a Quebec zone rep for Canadian Kawasaki Motors.

Brunet returned to competition with the Vintage Road Racing Association (VRRA), where he was a frequent pace setter, often on two stroke “real” race bikes including a Honda RS250 and Yamaha TZ250.

Perhaps Brunet’s greatest success in motorsport came when he managed the Diablo paint ball Racing equipe owned by Montreal’s Richard Italia.  Using Suzuki and Honda equipment, sometimes factory-backed by both manufacturers in the same season, Diablo Performance Racing of St-Laurent, QC, were one of the top factory-backed teams in the early 2000s on the CSBK National tour.

Diablo won National titles with Steve Crevier (Honda in Pro Sport Bike middleweight), and Francis Martin (Suzuki in Pro Superbike with the Canada Cup in 2005).  As well, Diablo supported up and comers including Kevin Lacombe, Ugo Levert and Karl Daigle, and popular veteran Michael Leon.  The team also competed in the U.S. on the AMA Pro National tour.

As well, Diablo’s support allowed Brunet and John Bickle to start the successful Suzuki SV650 Cup National Series for stock twins for 2004.  Diablo also backed the Pro-AM 125cc G.P. Series, including a televised international event at Atlantic Motorsport Park, Nova Scotia, in 2003 – Brunet competed in the Championship on a Honda RS125.

A recent Facebook post by Brunet’s wife, Josee, indicated that a celebration of life will take place on Saturday, February 10th, from 11 am to 3 pm at 4 origins Microbrasserie, 2220 Hymus Blvd, Dorval, Quebec, H9P 1J7.