Sparks Fly at Saint-Eustache in the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup
SAINT-EUSTACHE, Quebec (July 12, 2011) – Autodrome, Saint-Eustache

Round four of the Canadian Superbike Racing Series took place on the newly paved 1.7-km road course at the Autodrome, Saint-Eustache under sweltering heat on July 8 and 9. Being the shortest track of the 2011 Canadian Superbike Series, the Saint-Eustache Autodrome offered spectators some of the closest racing to date with the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup. The striking leader of this class, Steve Crevier, riding #14 for MotoSport Plus of Kingston, continued his tenuous hold on the series and on Saturday’s Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup qualifier, he again took pole position and again was awarded the Tactical Products Canada Luminox watch for his efforts. Crevier had his hands full for the entire 20-minute session with Ruthless Racing Inc. teammates, Darren James (#29) and J.R. MacRae (#27), hot on his heels. Harley-Davidson® de L’Outaouais rider, Elie Daccache, closed the gap and looked to qualify in a solid third, but was displaced on the final lap of qualifying by a hard-charging Privateers Harley-Davidson® rider, Cody Matechuk, who had to battle from mid-pack to earn a spot on the front row of Sunday’s main event.

Once again, Sunday’s final in the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup was a showpiece for the series. In one of the gutsiest efforts ever, Ruthless Racing Inc. racer, Darren James, who in the morning practice session badly damaged his leg in a crash, not only competed in the race, but challenged the whole race for the lead. For his efforts, James rightfully won the Performance Under Gear “Performance of the Race” Award.

Pole sitter, Steve Crevier, put the MotoSport Plus XR1200® motorcycle into the early lead, but in a daring late-braking move, Cody Matecuk, rushed to the front. The young Privateers Harley-Davidson® rider enjoyed the advantage for only a couple of laps when Crevier returned the favour by going into the front straight and regaining control. Darren James held steady in third, looking for any opportunity to pass on the tight Saint-Eustache circuit, but none came.

Behind the leading pack, another battle was waging between the trio of Elie Daccache, Samuel Proulx riding for Sherbrooke Harley-Davidson®, and OV Spilboborghs, supported by Trev Deeley Motorcycles. The three riders pushed each other to the limits until they got into traffic, which turned out to be the undoing of Spilborghs. As the three moved around a lapped rider, Spilborghs got pushed wide and ran off the track and crashed, ending his challenge early. Proulx displaced Daccache to take over the fourth spot and held it to the chequered flag.

While Crevier romped to another victory, Matechuk had to settle for the runner-up spot. James soldiered through his injury to earn third place. Crevier commented after the race, “They keep telling me that I’m in my fourth decade of racing, but I’m feeling like this is my first decade. These bikes are so much fun to ride and it is great to be out here racing against these kids.”

The next Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup event will be held at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia from August 5 to 7. For further information on the series, please refer to www.csbk.ca.