54 MOTORCYCLE MOJO SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
For additional photos of theCanadian Tire Motorsport Parkvisit: motorcyclemojo.comexcellent opportunities to ride the latest
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Davidson. The roads around CTMP are
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curves that hug the small hills and take
you through picturesque towns.
I am very impressed with how
full-sized the CRF250 Rally feels and it
is really begging to be ridden off-road,
but this is an asphalt-only ride.
Movie Night
Saturday evening, I have time for
a track walk before the Toronto
Motorcycle Film Festival’s award-
winning movies are shown at an
outdoor movie theatre set up in the
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me with memories of travelling over
this tarmac 10 years ago at speed.
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metre-wide, 10-corner, four km-long
road course with steep elevation changes
that allow more energy for gentle turns
and exhilarating corner speed with your
knee planted on the ground. Racing
here is a real rush. I still describe the joy
of racing through Turn 2 as turning left
with your knee on the ground at about
160 km/h as you descend by about six
stories from the top of Turn 2 and you
do it again in Turn 4, going left and
dropping by about four stories before
rising sharply into Turn 5.
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during 11 years of racing, but never at
Mosport.
As I’m walking along the back
straight in the fading sunlight, a
grandfather and his granddaughter
go whizzing by me on a skateboard at
about 30 km/h. She is squealing with
delight. They make it safely to the hair-
pin and she’s giddy with excitement of
doing it again with Grandpa.
After reaching my camping area, I
end my track walk and retreat to the
palatial accommodations of my old tent.
It’s been a great day, but I’ll have to take
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but wiped.
Demo Rides Between Races
I get up Sunday morning and imme-
diately walk to the lower paddock
to sign up for more coveted morning
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a bit. They symbolize vacations for
me; I just want to load up the bags
and head out cross-country for a week
or two months on one of these bikes.
The 800GS rides like a dream, but I
am begging for some off-road riding.
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on the road, however.
Right after that, I have the pleasure
of riding a Harley full-dress touring
bike. In my 30 years of being a
motorcycle enthusiast, I’ve never had
the opportunity to ride a Harley or
a Ducati. The Harley’s paint has a
gorgeous sheen and this bike’s seat feels
like a pillow. The ride is a smooth one.
I certainly could be comfortable on this
torquey baby for a month on the road.
Sunday is a day to watch the races
from different areas of the track. I watch
another amazing Pro 600 race from
Turn 2. I love watching the start of a
race. The racing pack taking off from
the start and dipping into the turns
like a ferocious pack of wolves running
through the woods sends a tingle
right down my spine. I remember the
excitement of racing – and I want to be in
that pack.
CTMP is the last CSBK race of the
year. Tomas Casas wins, with Mitch
Card and Sebastien Tremblay in hot
pursuit. They put on a great show in the
race and afterward put on an equally
good smoke show at Turn 2.
After the Pro 600 race, I cross over
to the outside of the track to watch the
Amateur 600 race at Turn 1.
I compliment a spectator who is
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those “small world” stories, he ends
up being Billy Shields, formerly an
amateur racer at Shannonville in the
mid-2000s. Billy and I were familiar
names at that track.
Big Bike Excitement
I begin packing up my tent right before
the big Pro Superbike race begins.
There’s more packing to do, but I
take a break to soak in the Superbikes
rocketing past at almost 300 km/h on
the warm-up laps. Two minutes later,
we can hear a muted roar through the
trees. The race has begun and the pack is
coming within hearing range. The noise
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in every bone in my body as the entire
pack roars up the back straight toward
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helicopter chasing the leaders around
the track on each lap à la MotoGP.
The race is excellent, with Jordan Szoke
chasing Ben Young and Kenny Riedmann
for the entire race. Riedmann takes the
win, with Samuel Trepanier working
his way past Szoke. Szoke, a multi-time
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0.6 seconds together. I expected Szoke to
pounce and take the win on the closing
laps, but he ends up having mechanical
issues and is happy just to stay within
range of the leaders. His placing is enough
to wrap up his 13th CSBK championship
with his accumulated season’s points.
Good consolation prize for not winning
this time.
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ride out of the park right after the rac
ing ends. It has been a fantastic week-
end at the CTMP Superbike Nationals.
Lots to see, demo bikes to ride, free
movies at night, great atmosphere with
a riding stunt show between races. The
racing itself has been second to none.
On the ride home, a freight train
parallels the highway and the setting
sun has hit it just right with a golden
orange glow painting the entire train.
It’s then that I’m struck with the
realization that I completely forgot to
buy a CTMP T-shirt.
Former racer Billy Shields relaxes with a beverage
by his bike. Shields and writer Pat Boyd were familiar
names at Shannonville back in the day.
LIFESTYLE CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK