Sean Allen
BRANT NEWS

Jordan Szoke is entering the second half of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship series with a comfortable hold on first place.

The Brantford racer is on the prowl for his eighth national superbike title.

Szoke finished second in the season-opening event in Shannonville, but won the next two races in St. Eustache, Quebec, and Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia.

“It was a little bit of a slow start this season, but we are back where we are accustomed to being,” Szoke said.

The 33-year-old is atop a new bike this season with his self-managed Waznie Racing-Parts Canada-BMW Motorrad Canada team.

Szoke said his new BMW S1000RR motorcycle took a bit of getting used to, but that he is in a very familiar place with the machine now.

“All the bikes are different in certain ways,” he said. “This one had a lot more electronics to it, so we had some things to sort out to have it work to our advantage. I would say now we have a really good grip on what the bike can do and where it excels.

“We are always learning and adjusting, though. We have some new parts we are going to try out this season.”

Szoke’s average speed during his most-recent win at the 11-turn Atlantic Motorsport Park was in excess of 130 km per hour.

Both his wins this season have come with a very late pass into first place. In St. Eustache, Szoke moved into first on the second-last lap. In Shubenacadie, he made his move on the final lap.

“I’m sure the fans would like to see the races stay that close,” he said. “The last two races have been really tough battles and I don’t expect anything different moving forward.”

The fourth round of the championship chase takes place Aug. 10 to Aug. 12 at Circuit Mont-Tremblant.

Szoke has a lot of confidence heading into the race.

“I think I’ve won three out of the four superbike races I’ve been in there,” he said. “That track really suits my style.”