When OneSpeedInc Suzuki-mounted Trevor Daley announced he’d be running a reduced schedule this season, it may have sounded to some like initial steps to a soft retirement. But those in the know, know that Trevor doesn’t do mellow. And he backed it up with his best-ever weekend of racing for his first outing of the season at Grand Bend Motorplex in southwestern Ontario.
Doing an old-school double-duty weekend (GSX-R1000 in Superbike and GSXR 750 in Pro Sport Bike) saw Trevor qualify sixth in Superbike with his personalbest lap of the track. Even more heartening was his proximity to the front, as lap times amongst the leaders were extremely close. In Pro Sport Bike qualifying, a late tumble while Trevor was safely under the provisional pole-sitter’s time relegated him to a still-excellent second on the grid.
In Saturday’s Pro Sport Bike race 1, Trevor sat in second, slipped to third, lost touch with the leader after becoming mired in lapped traffic, then clawed his way back up to second at the flag. Saturday’s Superbike race saw Trevor sucked by a four-bike draft at the end of the back strait where he had to stand the bike up, losing time and a number of grid positions. His final position was 5th.
But enough about Saturday—Sunday would be Trevor’s finest day ever on a racing motorcycle, although you’d never have guessed so by his early run into the weeds after leading Pro Sport Bike race 2. But this was to be Trevor’s day: rejoining the race in 10th position, Trevor sliced through the pack like a cutting torch through cotton candy, taking the lead and, ultimately, the checked flag in his first outing in the intermediate class in 10 years. But that was only the beginning.
Trevor lined up on a rainy grid for Sunday’s Superbike race 2. With his 16 pro superbike podiums, Trevor has been called the best superbike racer in the country never to win a race. Time to change that narrative, thought Trevor, as he got off the line cleanly, worked his way past Jordan Szoke and Ben Young (and their combined 17 Canadian Superbike titles) and set sail for the lead. Once Trevor dispatched early front-runner Sam Guerin, it was smooth sailing to the checkered flag. Two race wins from two races on one very good Sunday afternoon.
Trevor was fulsome in his praise for those who helped him at Grand Bend, which included tuner Jon Cornwell and Pat Barnes, who stepped in at Daytona in March and who has continued to have Trevor’s back. Additional thanks goes to Goderich Toyota, Suzuki Canada, Moto-Spec, OneSpeedInc, Bridgestone, Riedmann Management, BrakeTech, Suter Clutches, Eazigrip, Hindle Exhaust, GB Racing, Moto-world.ca, Vortex Racing, Ecstar from Suzuki, Laura & Ava, and, finally, friends, family, and fans.
Follow Trevor on Instagram @onespeedinc
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