The Royal Distributing MV Agusta F3 claimed its first victory at Grand Bend Motorplex when rider Michael Leon won the Expert 600 Extreme race during the second round of the SOAR regional series, June 16.
Development continued in the right direction for the team with a full day of dry practice on Friday, followed by another dry day during the Saturday heat races.
On Sunday, once again, Leon struggled to launch the 675 and had to make up ground after the charge into corner one. After working his way through the field, Michael was promoted to second when Mitch Card retired with a shifter problem.
Honda-mounted leader, Aubrey Bailey crashed out of the lead with just a few laps to go, giving the win to the Royal Distributing team.
“Once I moved into second spot, I was able to match Aubrey’s pace for about two laps but quickly realized that there was no way I could reel him in,” Leon admitted. “He was already about seven or eight seconds ahead, so I just settled in and tried to run my own lonely race. With a few laps to go, I saw the yellow flag in corner two. It was Aubrey.
“Obviously, this isn’t the way that I’d like to win. Hopefully, next time we will be able to battle it out. I was thinking of my Dad on the last lap and also during the victory lap. That Father’s Day checkered flag lap was for my Pops, whom we lost back in January.”
This is the first victory for a MV Agusta rider in modern Canadian racing and perhaps the first ever for a MV Agusta in Canada.
Also, it was the first win for a Dunlop mounted rider in the Expert classes at SOAR. Leon completed all three finals on Sunday with the same set of N-Tec USA made slicks, setting his fastest lap of the weekend during the final race of the day.
Leon finished fifth in the Expert Open Sprint class and eighth in the Expert Superbike class.
The team will next be in action at the second round of the CSBK series at Autodrome St-Eustache on July 7.
Follow the team on Facebook by liking https://www.facebook.com/royaldistributing, www.facebook.com/leonracing74 and www.leonracing.com .
The Royal Distributing Racing Team would like to thank Royal Distributing, MV Agusta Canada, Motovan, Accelerated Technologies, Elka Suspension, Andreani Group, Speed & Strength, Joe Rocket Canada, TCX Boots, Hindle Exhaust, Armour Bodies, Dunlop, Rev-Amp Electrical Supply, Clinique Dr. Laflamme et Dr. Leblanc and MacDuc.
--From the Royal Distributing Racing Team
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