McCormick Looking for Sponsors after Daytona

All things considered Canada’s 18-year-old Brett McCormick had a strong showing at Daytona International Speedway this past week. Arriving on a shoe-string budget with his TK Picotte Racing Suzuki machines set up for Canadian spec and underpowered compared to his US rivals, the runner-up in the 2009 Parts Canada Superbike Championship was able to qualify his GSX-R1000 in 9th position for the Superbike competition and his GSX-R600 in 8th for the 69th running of the Daytona 200.

As for the actual races, the Saskatoon native was only able to finish one of three. In the 2010 AMA Superbike series opener on Thursday, won by Jordan Suzuki’s Jake Zemke, McCormick found himself battling it out early on with the M4 Monster Suzuki of Chris Ulrich for sixth spot. Unfortunately a mechanical problem on lap 6 of 15 put an end to the Canadian’s promising start. The week’s second superbike race on Friday, also won by Zemke, saw a more satisfying result for the sole Canuck entry, with McCormick placing a strong 8th amongst the higher powered factory American entries.

“I guess you could say I’m content, we did a good job,” said McCormick. “I was there, I was right with the leaders. But I couldn’t afford any kind of mistake, or I would lose their draft. Then John Hopkins went by me, he went off the track, and I made a small mistake – I lost touch.”

“I tried to make it back up but I couldn’t. Eventually the rear tire was pretty gone on the left side, and we just didn’t get a chance to work that tire in our limited practice. My gearing choice might have been a little tall, but in the end, I’m really happy with the effort. We weren’t far off.”

The Daytona 200, Friday night’s feature under the lights, saw the TK Picotte Suzuki rider starting the race on the second row and joining the lead group from the start. A slow pit stop later dropped him off the pace, but McCormick was still in the running for a strong result until he crashed at the chicane on lap 31 of 57. Though able to remount and continue, damage to his GSX-R600’s brake system forced McCormick to retire from his inaugural 200-mile effort— a bitter pill after a promising week at the legendary Speedway. 

“I was pretty much through the corner when I fell,” said McCormick of the crash. “I just tucked the front end as I released the brakes. I wasn’t doing anything different, nothing had happened before in that section, so it was a surprise. The bike was really awesome, the best it had been during Speed Week. “I could slide it wherever I wanted, it was sick.”

“Maybe our bike was lacking just a little bit against the American equipment in terms of power, but it was close,” he added. “I had to be right there with them in the draft, and use the brakes to my advantage in a big way. But I could get them in the infield by using my mid-corner speed, reel them back in.”

“I really was thinking, if we could get a good pit stop, we could win this thing,” lamented McCormick. “This could be our race.”

As for what he plans to do now that his self funded Daytona effort has come to an end, last year’s Parts Canada Superbike Championship runner-up says he once again finds himself a loose ends.

“I guess you should say we’re looking for sponsors, some support,” admitted McCormick “Right now I’m out of my money, so we need some people to get on board. I can’t say enough about Pascal and the whole team – seriously, we were right there.”

2010 Daytona American Superbike Race 1 Results

1. Jake Zemke (Suzuki)
2. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) +0.238
3. Larry Pegram (Ducati) +0.259
4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) +0.291
5. Blake Young (Suzuki) +0.307
6. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki) +27.398
7. Taylor Knapp (Suzuki) +27.43
8. Shawn Higbee (Ducati) +1 lap
9. Shane Narbonne (Suzuki) +9.078
10. Barrett Long (Ducati) +16.377
11. Chris Clark (Yamaha) +16.427
12. Eric Haugo (Suzuki) +16.989
13. Josh Hayes (Yamaha) +01:14.2
14. Johnny Rock Page (Suzuki) +01:23.2
15. Eric Pinson (BMW) +01:43.2
16. Trent Gibson (Suzuki) +01:43.3
17. Skip Salenius (Suzuki) +1 lap
18. Ben Bostrom (Yamaha)
19. Jeffrey Tigert (Honda) +6 laps
20. Brett McCormick (Suzuki) +10 laps
21. David Anthony (Suzuki) +14 laps
22. Scott Jensen (Suzuki)

2010 Daytona American Superbike Race 2 Results

1. Jake Zemke (Suz GSX-R1000), 15 laps
2. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), -0.009 second
3. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), -0.081
4. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), -0.212
5. Larry Pegram (Duc 1098R), -0.858
6. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R1), -1.838 seconds
7. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R1000), -22.383, ran off track twice
8. Brett McCormick (Suz GSX-R1000), -29.235
9. David Anthony (Suz GSX-R1000), -34.124
10. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R1000), -34.404
11. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon CBR1000RR), -46.244
12. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), -46.486
13. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R1000), -48.176
14. Eric Haugo (Suz GSX-R1000), -78.778
15. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), -78.890
16. Chris Clark (Yam YZF-R1), -79.303
17. Johnny Rock Page (Suz GSX-R1000), -80.553
18. Trent Gibson (Suz GSX-R1000), -86.921
19. Eric Pinson (BMW S1000 RR), -88.530
20. Skip Salenius (Suz GSX-R1000), -110.336
21. John Hopkins (Suz GSX-R1000), -9 laps, DNF, mechanical
22. Shawn Higbee (Duc 1098R), -13 laps, DNF, crash
23. Barrett Long (Duc 1098R), -14 laps, DNF, mechanical

2010 Daytona 200 Results

1. Josh Herrin Yamaha YZF-R6 57 laps
2. Dane Westby Yamaha YZF-R6 7.964
3. Steve Rapp Ducati 848 24.496
4. Danny Eslick Suzuki GSX-R600 40.973
5. Kevin Coghlan Yamaha YZF-R6 1 lap
6. Cory West Suzuki GSX-R600 1 lap
7. Geoff May Suzuki GSX-R600 1 lap
8. Shawn Higbee Buell 1125R 1 lap
9. Taylor Knapp Ducati 848 2 laps
10. Eric Wood Honda CBR600RR 2 laps
11. Eric Haugo Yamaha YZF-R6 2 laps
12. Ryan Patterson Yamaha YZF-R6 2 laps
13. Bobby Fong Ducati 848 2 laps
14. Ricky Orlando Kawasaki ZX-6R 2 laps
15. Santiago Villa Suzuki GSX-R600 2 laps
16. Paul James Buell 1125R 3 laps
17. Andrea Padovani Ducati 848 3 laps
18. Alex Lazo Yamaha YZF-R6 3 laps
19. Dario Marchetti Ducati 848 3 laps
20. Walt Sipp Buell 1125R 3 laps
21. John Ashmead Kawasaki ZX-6R 4 laps
22. Robert Vargas Kawasaki ZX-6R 4 laps
23. Kyle Keesee Kawasaki ZX-6R 7 laps
24. Calvin Martinez Yamaha YZF-R6 7 laps
25. David Dumain Yamaha YZF-R6 8 laps
26. Melissa Paris Yamaha YZF-R6 10 laps
27. Brett McCormick Suzuki GSX-R600 26 laps
28. Kris Turner Suzuki GSX-R600 27 laps
29. David McPherson Yamaha YZF-R6 28 laps
30. Barrett Long Kawasaki ZX-6R 33 laps
31. Michael Barnes Yamaha YZF-R6 36 laps
32. Tommy Aquino Yamaha YZF-R6 40 laps
33. Reese Wacker Suzuki GSX-R600 42 laps
34. Jeff Wood Suzuki GSX-R600 42 laps
35. Craig Moodie Yamaha YZF-R6 47 laps
36. Anthony Fania Jr. Suzuki GSX-R600 49 laps
37. Fernando Amantini Kawasaki ZX-6R 56 laps
38. Martin Cardenas Suzuki GSX-R600 57 laps
39. Clinton Seller Yamaha YZF-R6 57 laps
40. Josh Day Yamaha YZF-R6 57 laps
41. P.J. Jacobsen Suzuki GSX-R600 57 laps
42. Bostjan Skubic Yamaha YZF-R6 57 laps
43. Russ Wikle Suzuki GSX-R600 57 laps
44. Mark Crozier Ducati 848 57 laps