A former overall national champion will be returning to the Bridgestone CSBK paddock again for round five, as Jodi Christie will make his second appearance of the season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, August 9-11, though this time in the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike class.
Christie – the Pro Superbike champion and Canada Cup winner in 2014 – ended a nearly ten-year absence earlier this season when he joined the Pro Twins class at RAD Torque Raceway, winning both races aboard a YZF-R7 as a tribute to his late father Gary.
His second appearance of 2024 will be in a more familiar category, however, as Christie returns to the middleweight ranks as one of the greatest riders in class history. Champion in three consecutive years from 2011 through 2013, Christie totalled 15 victories, 33 podiums, and 16 pole positions across seven seasons in Pro Sport Bike.
A Honda rider for majority of his career, Christie’s return will come aboard a new machine with support from one of his close friends, three-time Canadian champion Ben Young, as Christie takes over the Scot-Build Suzuki GSX-R750 that Young piloted to a victory in the Sport Bike season opener.
“I had an unbelievable weekend at RAD Torque Raceway, and it was so nice to be back amongst so many old friends at the track. When Ben suggested I ride his Suzuki at CTMP, I told him I wanted to think about it for a few days, but truthfully I knew my answer right away,” Christie said. “It has been a dream of mine to return to CTMP and this opportunity to work alongside Ben is a dream come true.”
While Christie has since moved west to Alberta, the Keene, Ontario native will be very familiar with his home track of CTMP, where he has won six times and scored 13 podiums in his pro career – as well as representing the circuit where he clinched his 2014 Superbike title.
“I am so excited to come back to racing at such a beautiful venue, and to be on a competitive bike at a track where it is so critical,” Christie said. “I have had good success there in the past and I hope to adapt to the track surface changes and continue learning the Bridgestone tires.”
Christie’s return to a loaded Pro Sport Bike field will be welcome news for Suzuki, who currently lead the Constructors Championship by an even 100 points over Kawasaki.
His return to action in the Sport Bike class will officially begin Friday, August 9 at CTMP – just 40 mins southwest of his hometown of Keene and an hour east of Toronto – with races scheduled for August 10 and 11.
More information can be found on CSBK’s official website.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca.
Main picture: One of the most successful riders in CSBK Pro Sport Bike history, multi-time champion Jodi Christie is returning to middleweight action at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, August 9-11. Photo credit: Kira McWilliams.
Source: Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship
