Christie leading Trombino in Pro 600. Photo: Rob MacLennan

Jodi Christie really needs to get the hell out of Canada to show his stuff.

The teenager from Keene, Ontario, once again amazed onlookers by a virtuoso display on Shannonville's Long Track last weekend, beating veteran racer and Shannonville specialist Frank Trombino by a heartbeat in the Parts Canada Pro 600 race. Third went to another impressive teenager, Kenny Riedmann on a Triumph 675.

Christie backed up the 600 result by taking his CBR600RR to third in the Pro 6 Cycle/Dunlop Superbike race behind the 1,000 cc bikes of Trombino (Prostar Honda) and Andrew Nelson's Orion Motorsports BMW S1000RR. Riedmann had another good result in this one, taking fourth.

Considering the hot, sultry weather (compounded by occasional high winds and cloudbursts) the track speeds were amazing, with several new lap records being set. Rob Busby took his Buell XB-9 to a new air-cooled Thunder record, Will Hornblower broke his own record in the CBR125 class, John Savoy set a new fastest time in the Masters Heavyweight class, and Natalie-Catherine Provost shocked herself by breaking Marie-Josée Boucher's Women's Open record on her way to a win in that race.

There was also an encouraging revival of interest in two-stroke GP bikes. Chris Chapelle, whose Quinte Home Maintenance company sponsors the 125 GP class, made his own RS125 available and Nicole Pilkington, another quick teen who's a CBR125 racer and also runs in the Lightweight Sportsman and Vintage divisions, took advantage of the chance to try a "real" race bike.

She loved it, and all the other CBR kids were consumed with envy to the point that several parents immediately started looking around for 125 GP bikes that might be available for sale or lease. RACE's Ninja 250 class, created to provide a step up for the CBR kids, hasn't taken off yet, but maybe the 125s will provide that next move.