– Aiming to finish on a high note

By Stephan Sookram

JUST over a year since his entry to the Canadian Superbike Championships (CSBK), Elliot Vieira is looking to secure some podium results.

The Guyanese, whose highest place of sixth came in Round two of the Pro sport competition in Shannonville in May, is aiming to get on the podium in two weeks’ time.

Speaking to Chronicle Sport recently, he contended that the series this year has added much more knowledge to his riding arsenal.

“So far, we’ve been having slight issues with setting up the bike [for various tracks] but so far is been a productive year. We are learning a lot and we are still in the learning stages. Last year we were in the amateur stages and this year we are in the pro but we still have much more to learn.”

While he may not be in the championship running this year, Elliot said he is still pretty happy with what he has achieved thus far.

“I’m pretty satisfied with the results so far. We’ve only been there for a short while. I’ve barely had any practice time and I’ve barely ridden the bike; so in terms of experience and exposure, the results I’m producing is pretty good.”

He missed two rounds of the event due to a cracked engine head on the bike and while he cannot make those up, he is looking to put his best foot forward when he takes to the track at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport) in August.

No easy ride

HE contended that there has been no easy ride, having acquired a new manufacturer of bike, switching from the Kawasaki Zx6R that brought him the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) in 2015 to the current Yamaha R6.

“It’s been a completely different experience; how the bike is set up, how it handles, my riding position, so many things. I’ve had to change my riding style; everything had to change.”

“I’d of course like to thank my sponsors: Adventura Gold, Fly Jamaica, RoadSport Auto Group, Snow City, WASP Performance, Brooklyn Cycle Racing, K&J autobody, GP Bikes and Gimoto. Those guys have really been helping me out. Vieira will return to Canada ahead of the Final leg on August 12-13.  (ssookram@guyanachronicle.com)