Shannonville Season Finale

Thirteen riders gathered on the start grid for the Pro 6 Cycle, Dunlop Pro Superbike event in the RACE SuperSeries, final race of the season. As rain clouds flexed their damp muscles overhead, each rider, in turn, looked to the skies, not so much for divine intervention, but for some clue as to what tires to use for the big race. A quick sighting lap did little to clear up the confusion with each rider, predictably, reaching different conclusions.
When the green light came on, it was Property One Management’s Michael Ferreira with a big jump into the early lead. While Larry Order aired out his front tire, series leader Frank Trombino took off in chase of Ferriera. With the power of the Kahuna Kawasaki ZX 10-R, Trombino reeled in and passed Ferreira down the back straight, taking away the race lead. Ferriera rode hard and pressured Trombino, threatening to get back out in front and by the mid point of the race, Ferriera had posted the fastest lap time of the contest. Closely behind the lead duo, Acme Slate’s Stepan Chabot was enjoying a great race of his own, keeping himself in contention for yet another podium finish. With only two laps remaining, Ferriera managed to get around Trombino between corners two and three, only to lose the lead again going down the back straight. With a clear lead and a couple of back markers behind them, Trombino took the checkered flag and won the Pro Superbike #1 plate for another season. Ferriera finishing in second commented afterward, ”If I had had a little more power I may have taken that one. I was catching him in the corners and he was actually slowing me down.” Stephan Chabot finished the race in third and grabbed the final podium spot with Dany Jourdain rebounding nicely from a Saturday qualifying session disqualification to finish fourth. Steve Bourdeau finished in fifth ahead of Jim Proulx and young Matt Bushe. All the way from Guangzhou Province, China, Shi Zhao Huang finished in eight with Dan Durkovic, Larry Order and Sylvan Grenier finishing off the field. A last lap tangle in Allen’s corner left Marc Alessandrini and Dean Plater picking up their damaged motorcycles and returning to the pits, out of the points.
In the Parts Canada Pro 600 Sportbike race it was fast qualifier and series leader Michael Ferriera on the inside pole, with Frank Trombino and Stephan Chabot accompanying him on the front row. With the Pro 600 class championship clearly in his sights, Ferriera jumped into the early race lead, with Trombino riding hard to match the early pace. Before the first lap was in the books, Chabot, recovering from a poor start, had managed to move up from fifth to third, only to watch Ferriera and Trombino slip away. Chabot then found himself in a battle as Matt McBride caught him up and the two riders duked it out for the entire race. In an attempt to shake off McBride, Chabot posted the fastest lap of the Pro 600 race. McBride was certainly up to the challenge and pushed Chabot hard for the entire contest. When the checkered flag dropped on race leader Michael Ferriera, he had not only won the race, but also the Race SuperSeries Pro 600 championship. Trombino was all alone in second with Chabot holding off the best efforts of Matt McBride for third. McBride who crossed the finish line in fourth would later find out he had been penalized 2 spots for missing the morning riders meeting, relegating the young Kawasaki the rider to sixth. Taking the vacated fourth spot was Dany Jourdain. Steve Bourdeau finished in fifth with Marco Alessandrini in seventh just ahead of Matt Bushe.
In the Acme Slate Am Superbike final, Karl Daigle was the lone rider on the front row who was not an Acme Slate Team rider. Lining up with Daigle were “Men In Black” rider’s Catherine Nadeau, Grant Hughes and Franz Walker. Series leader Daigle jumped into the early lead but was unable to shake off Grant Hughes who hung on in Daigle’s draft. Teammate Catherine Nadeau held on to third spot while a battle ensued behind her over fourth spot between Ross Millson and Paul Glenn. On lap 5, Millson managed to edge out Glenn and continued his forward charge when, with one lap remaining, he got past Nadeau to grab away third. Up front, Daigle was first across the finish line, earning the race win and the Am Superbike Championship. Behind him, Hughes held on for second with Millson close behind for third. Post race, Millson was initially disqualified for passing under a waved yellow, a decision that was later over-turned. Finishing in fourth was Catherine Nadeau. Paul Glenn finished in a respectable fifth with Martin Ricard and Simon Blue in sixth and seventh. Tony Lanni took the eight spot while Franz Walker, Joey McRae rounded out the top ten riders.
In Rider’s Choice Am 600 Sportbike action, it was once again Karl Daigle’s day. Daigle led the entire 10-lap event and although he was challenged early on by Ross Millson, Daigle romped to a well-earned victory. Paul Glenn raced well early on in the race but a low side in Allen’s corner ended his contest and dropped the rider out of third spot contention. With Glenn’s miscue, Tony Lanni inherited third place and then had to battle off Franz Walker, a battle that lasted for several laps until Lanni, riding hard, had an off-track excursion, handing a couple of positions away that Walker and Catherine Nadeau were only too glad to accept. Nadeau used the good fortune handed her and drove past Walker to take the third and final step on the podium. At the end of a very exciting race, Daigle had completed his double-header and taken the Rider’s Choice Am 600 championship for 2006. Turn 2’s Ross Millson took second in the race as well as second in the series. Third went to Nadeau with Walker just off the podium in fourth. Fifth went to Robert Cloutier who finished ahead of Shawna Aron and Mark Gibson. Acme Slate’s Mike Cean finished in ninth with Vanessa Gareau rounding out the top ten.
In the Motosport Plus, race Thunder class Derek Vammus owned the field on his brilliant NCR Ducati. With a healthy growl and jump off the start line, Vammus led from start to finish. Steve “Doc” Walker on the Westlake Medical Centre BMW rode hard in second until passed by Corey Warren aboard the Paul Smart Replica Ducati. Warren, enjoying his first race outing, rode well to finish second. Walker, with the final podium spot earned the Race SuperSeries Thunder Championship. Finishing the race in fourth was Rich Wilson on another Ducati. Fifth went to Buell mounted A.J. Simiana with sixth going to Dan Thompson, also riding a Buell.
Lion’s Bay, British Columbia rider Misti Hurst led the entire race to win the Pro Honda Oils & Pirelli Women’s Challenge Cup race. An early challenge by Shawna Aron failed to materialize and Aron had to settle for second. In third place was Marie-Josee Boucher. Natalie Provost held off the previously crowned WCC champ, Acme Slate’s Catherine Nadeau. Finishing in sixth was Vanessa Gareau with seventh and eighth going to Genevieve Lesieur and Nadine Lajoie respectively.
Shawn Aron jumped into the early lead in the Titan Mortgages Race Women’s 600 contest, only to have her efforts halted when three riders tangles and caused a red flag stoppage to the race. On the re-start, Aron again grabbed the lead but this time she dragged Vanessa Gareau and Nadine Lajoie along with her. By lap 3, Gareau managed to slip past Aron for the lead, only to lose the hotly contested spot on the next corner. The two riders continued to exchange pleasantries over the entire race track, frequently trading positions for the lead. On the last lap with the checkered flag in sight, Aron closed and took the lead coming out of the hairpin, but Gareau would have none of it and retook the lead. Aron again passed Gareau in Allen’s only to lose the spot to eventual race winner by the width of a tire to the hard charging Gareau. Finishing in third was Nadine Lajoie ahead of fourth place finisher Marie-Josee Boucher. Catherine Nadeau, Ellen Foster and rookie Emille Gamache-Khoukaz took the remaining positions.
In Westlake Medical Centre S&D Heavyweight Sportsman action, it was Jim Proulx all the way as ran away with the victory. Dean Plater held onto second for a lap with Derek Vammus aboard the NCR Ducati making the pass on the second lap. Plater battled hard and regained second with a hard drive down the back. A red flag ended any comeback thought for Vammus, after the completion of eight hard fought laps. With the win, Proulx handily took the season championship with Plater in a solid second ahead of Rob Busby.
Martin Grande has been on a torrid pace to close out the racing season and showed no signs of slowing down as he ran off with the Rider’s Choice SV 650 Cup race. Andre Talbot had a great ride of his own and after leading for much of the race, fell victim to the Grande charge and had to settle for second. Blaine Groves edged out Chris Vantilborg for the final podium spot. Paul Glenn who had already secured the 2006 season title championship decided to sit the contest out.
In Ripp Racing Pro&Am 250 G.P. action, Nick Colley was the quickest rider off the line but it was Marc St. Amand with the lead before the first lap had concluded. Colley pressured St. Amand into a mistake by the midpoint of the race and St. Amand had a brief off-track excursion leaving him in second. Rick Bulman finished in third. In the Ripp Racing & Bridgestone Am 250 G.P. category, John Chemello finished the race as top amateur rider in fourth after a race long battle with Jerry Sadler. Jim Bergey, the AM 250 season champion finished close behind. Kennedy Motorsports & Michelin Pro 250 G.P. season champion Eddy Brunet was not on hand, having secured the title in the previous round.
Dean Hoelscher won the Bickle Racing Pro 125 G.P. race but Tim Harrington’s second place finish secured the season long championship battle for the Henrietta N.Y. rider. Rick Bulman edged out Importations Thibault Mark White for the final podium spot. White finished the season in second place overall, only four points away from the title. Bain Machine’s Donny Murphin finished the season in fourth overall.