It’s hoped superbike racing, the highspeed hybrid of modern motorcycle racing that features highly modified racing bikes, could see a resurgence in western Canada as a Grande Prairie racer starts to make a name for himself on the national stage. After winning the Canadian Superbike Championship Team of the Year Award, Paul Macdonell says he is committed to bringing the extreme sport into the mainstream.
“For a long time, it’s basically been an Ontario-dominated sport. I just wanna show that we have some fast, talented racers this way and now they’re going to come out this way and make a full Canada-wide series out of it.”
According to Macdonell, the series is set to come back to western Canada for the first time since 2015, with races in Edmonton scheduled in 2024, and he believes the change is largely due to his contribution last season.
“There’s another racer from Calgary and I think the presence from both of us shows that there’s interest and talent from out in Alberta, and now they’ll be coming back here and they’ll see that there’s a whole club full of people.”
With the addition of a new Alberta track and the stop in Edmonton on the national tour, Macdonell says he believes all that is left is to get the word out that pro superbike racing is back in Alberta.
“Now that they see that there’s popularity here I think there’s gonna be a lot more growth of the sport and a lot more interest.”
Additionally, the CSBK says it is interested in adding a Calgary venue to the tour in 2025. New owner Ross Millson has also expressed interest in turning the series into an all-Canadian experience to capture live audiences outside of Ontario.
