CANADIAN SUPERBIKE:

Yamaha Motor Canada has announced its withdrawal from the Parts Canada Superbike Championship.

Company spokesman Tim Kennedy revealed the decision at a meeting of the series partner manufacturers in Toronto earlier today.

“We are sorry to have Yamaha leave us,” said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions, which runs the national motorcycle road racing series. “They have been a valued manufacturer partner from day one and have a long history of success in our sport.”

The company played a key role in the restructuring of the series and the growth of television coverage in the mid-1990s.

Five riders have ridden Yamahas to six Canadian national Superbike titles. The first came from Toronto’s Miles Baldwin in 1982 aboard a TZ750. Art Robbins rode a similar model to the 1985 championship. Steve Crevier and Michel Mercier rode the OWO1 to back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990 respectively and Pascal Picotte won successive championships on the YZF-R1 in 2003 and 2004.

Additionally, Yamaha riders have taken seven National Pro 600 Sport Bike championships since 1986, the most recent coming courtesy of Picotte in 2004 aboard the YZF-R6.
Last season Andre Laurin and his OTSFF squad handled Yamaha’s Canadian road racing program with assistance from Evan Steele Performance and sponsorship from Toyota Canada.

Lead rider Kevin Lacombe rode a YZF-R1 to sixth in Parts Canada Superbike points with podium finishes in four of the seven races and took third in the Yoshimura Pro Sport Bike
standings.

The national series continues with the support of Parts Canada, Pirelli Tires, BMW Motorrad Canada, Canadian Kawasaki Motors, Honda Canada and Suzuki Canada.