Photo courtesy CSBK

By Erika Rolling

Sports

Grande Prairie man to race in 2023 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike National Championship

Feb 5, 2023 | 8:00 AM

Paul Macdonnell has signed on with Ontariobased speed shop Acme Motorsports and will be racing in the 2023 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike National Championship on a Yahama YZF-R1.

Macdonnell, who currently resides in Grande Prairie, says while growing up in Ontario, he raced dirt bikes as a kid. That progressed into him stunt riding in Grande Prairie, to racing sports bikes after seeing them at a show n’ shine and peaking his interest.

“The next thing I knew I basically started talking to the right people and ended up finding a race bike, that was (a) 2018, and I got my race license at the end of 2018… 2019 I got started into it,” he says.

Macdonnell said when he started his interest for the sport back five years ago, he had no idea it was going to get to the point of where it’s at today.

“It originated as a hobby and I went to a track day, and then basically track days became race days and I started travelling all over anywhere from the Vancouver area, all over B.C. and down into the States a few times.”

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Macdonnell races with the the EMRA in Edmonton. In 2021, he won both the Amateur Series Championships and set a lap record in both classes at Castrol Raceway (RAD Torque Raceway).

In 2022, it was Macdonnell’s rookie year in Expert class with EMRA and he won second place in the Open Motorbike Championship.

“I took to it really quick, became really invested it in and has became my identity. It’s pretty much something I’ve been doing everyday to do with racing.”

He says going back to his home province of Ontario to race will be different for him, as he says the Canadian Superbike National Championship’s are, “basically where everybody that has been fast within their local, regional clubs kinda comes together and all race each other.”

The races will be aired on television sports channels are well as a the CSBK Youtube channel when the time comes around.

“I guess it’s kind of an intimidating endeavor here. I’m going to be on a new bike, new track, new race day format, and now I’ll be with a race team… so it’s going to be a lot of big changes.”

He will be getting training for the many changes he is about to experience to get ready.

The Grande Prairie sports bike racer will be in the season opener scheduled for May 19 to 21 at Shannonville Motorsports Park in Ontario. There are five events on the calendar for the 2023 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike National Championships.

The Acme Motorsports Superbike Team would like to thank their supporters of Macdonnell and the team – Yamaha Motor Canada, Blue Wave Energy, Rebel Fit Nutrition, Flexiglass, Vass Performance Cycle, AP Carbon Line, Arata Racing Works, and Southern Pride Performance; as well as Gary Christie and Nadine Vass.