Report: Canadian National Supermoto Round 1

Sunday May 1st marked the first round of the Canadian National Supermoto Championship at Shannonville Motorsports Park on the Nelson Circuit. This race was also the first round of the Eastern North American CAN-AM Championship and drew a few riders from south of the border.

The races got started with the Beginner class where American rider Eric Patterson took the win over Canadians George Borissov and Keith Fowler.

Keith Fowler placed 3rd in the Beginner class

Dany Bernier took the holeshot in the Open Amateur main with Jerrett Bellamy and Ryan Welburn in tow. Bernier and Bellamy stretched out a gap on the rest of the field. Bellamy rode Bernier’s rear wheel waiting for a mistake from the leader. At the halfway mark Bernier slipped up coming out of the first corner. Bellamy dove into the inside line of the next corner but Bernier cut down to protect his line. Bellamy got on the brakes to avoid hitting him but ended up locking the rear wheel and highsiding himself and went down. Bellamy got up quickly only losing one position but while gathering himself on the track Sam Harris also slipped by. Bellamy stayed with Harris and looked for a pass a couple times but couldn’t make anything stick. The pack came up on a lapped rider. Welburn went to the outside, Harris to the inside. Welburn and the lapper ended up tangling sending Welburn off the track and the lapped rider down. Harris and Bellamy benefited and got around Welburn for 2nd and 3rd respectively behind Bernier who took the win.

The Open Amateur Podium (Left to Right: Bellamy, Bernier, Harris)

Steve Scharfe took the Veteran win over Marcelo Chuaqui.

The SM1 Semi Pro riders were next off the line. Dany Bernier grabbed another holeshot, this time over Chris Barendregt and Sam Harris. Bernier opened up a nice lead which he maintained to the end. Harris paced Barendregt but never closed in to make a pass. They finished as they started with Bernier taking first, Barendregt 2nd and Harris 3rd.

SM1 Semi Pro podium (Left to right: Harris, Bernier, Barendregt)

The race day finished with the Pro Open main. When the flagged dropped Yves Lagace got the jump on the field and led into the first corner. Lagace pushed wide in the first corner and the 2010 Championship runner-up Maxime Sylvestre kept to the inside to claim the lead. Andy Cule held 3rd off the start ahead of Paul Rouillard and Aaron MacDonald. While Lagace and Cule battled it out for 2nd, MacDonald made his way around Rouillard for 4th. There was a good battle between American rider Chris Ranson and Kevin Kiddle. After starting behind Ranson, Kiddle reeled him in but was unable to make a pass stick. Cule made a pass on Lagace heading into the dirt section, then while trying to gap Lagace, Cule cut it a bit close to the hay bales exiting the dirt section and caught a bail with his footpeg. This allowed Lagace to get back by for 2nd and open a little gap. Hay bale cover and all, Cule reeled Lagace back in but wasn’t able to try a pass before the checkers flew. Sylvestre took the first win of the season ahead of Lagace and Cule rounding out the podium.

Yves Lagace (818) gets the early jump on the Pro Open start