By John Hopkins
SHUBENACADIE, N.S. – Jodi Christie extended his lead in the K&N Performance Filters Pro Sport Bike class with his second victory in a row at Atlantic Motorsport Park on Sunday.
The Keene, Ont. rider took the lead from title rival Frank Trombino on lap five of the 18-lap race and pulled away to an 8.339-sec. victory on his Jodi Christie Racing / Accelerated Technologies Honda CBR600RR.
Trombino took second on the Acme Slate / Dua Bodywork / G Suspension Suzuki GSX-R600 and local rookie Pro Caleb Noiles completed the podium on his G-Bourque Racing / Absolute MMA / Letterman Glenn Kawasaki ZX-6R.
Christie made his move for the lead entering turn one.
“The pass kind of presented itself to me,” said Christie, who started from pole but was beaten off the line by Trombino and Raphael Archambault’s Team Archambault Racing / Picotte Motorsports / G Suspension Suzuki GSX-R600. “I got a better drive onto the straight and went then. From there everything was good. I tried to just put down consistent laps and be smooth.”
The win gave Christie 164 points at the halfway mark of the Pro Sport Bike season while Trombino is second with 144.
Trombino stayed close to Christie but a near highside aggravated an old right shoulder injury and the Kleinburg, Ont. veteran had to back off. He was also troubled by a sick engine in his Suzuki, and the bike could be heard popping and banging at full throttle on the front straight.
According to Trombino the motorcycle was down to 97 horsepower on the dyno after the race, having run as high as 115 hp.
“I had a near highside in turn four and my shoulder gave out,” said Trombino of his injury. “It goes back to an accident I had in 2000. It’s bothered me before, but this is the first time it happened during the race. It just felt numb.”
Fortunately Trombino was under no threat from behind. Archambault crashed out of second spot exiting the last turn on lap one, and fellow front row starter Ron Munroe crashed his Freedom Cycle / Beta CNC Technologies / Podium One Kawasaki ZX-6R out of third place in turn one on lap six.
Paul Whitehead of Baddeck, N.S. placed fourth on his Honda CBR600RR after a racelong battle with the Suzuki GSX-R600 of Milford, N.S.’s Richard Thompson.
Ste-Marthe, Que.’s Louie Raffa was sixth on the Team Couturier Racing / Centre Hamel Honda CBR600RR and moved up to third in the standings with 85 points.
Race Results
Pos No. Name Hometown Total distance Laps Best Tm In Lap Diff Make Model/Engine Total Tm
- 1 1 Jodi Christie Keene, ON 46.080 18 1:08.070 2 Honda CBR600RR 20:37.610
- 2 31 Frank Trombino Kleinburg, ON 46.080 18 1:08.660 6 8.339 Suzuki GSX-R600 20:45.949
- 3 17 Caleb Noiles Upper Coverdale, NB 46.080 18 1:10.242 3 38.954 Kawasaki ZX-6R 21:16.564
- 4 131 Paul Whitehead Baddeck, NS 43.520 17 1:12.479 2 1 Lap Honda CBR600RR 20:40.252
- 5 3 Richard Thompson Milford, NS 43.520 17 1:12.505 3 1 Lap Suzuki GSX-R600 20:41.706
- 6 76 Louie Raffa Ste-Marthe, QC 43.520 17 1:12.917 7 1 Lap Honda CBR600RR 20:59.151
- 7 164 Laurent Feuiltault Cookstown, ON 43.520 17 1:14.278 6 1 Lap Kawasaki 650R 21:13.688
DNF 261 Ron Munroe Beaver Bank, NS 12.800 5 1:09.294 3 DNF Kawasaki ZX-6R 5:44.399
DNF 85 Raphael Archambault Terrebonne, QC – 0 DNF Suzuki GSX-R600
Point Standings
- 1 1 Jodi Christie 164
- 2 31 Frank Trombino 144
- 3 76 Louie Raffa 85
- 4 85 Raphael Archambault 79
- 5 74 Michael Leon 60
- 6 164 Laurent Feuiltault 50
- 7 707 Aubrey Bailey 38
- 8 17 Caleb Noiles 37
- 9 131 Paul Whitehead 32
- 10 3 Richard Thompson 29
- 11 41 Amzy Nawaz 27
- 12 261 Ron Munroe 2
<
Discussion about this post