Michael Leon

The 2025 racing season launched with high energy and exciting competition as the opening round of the new RACE Moto series took place at Shannonville Motorsport Park—marking a strong start for the Royal Distributing Superbike Team.

We earned a pair of fourth-place finishes on Saturday and followed that up with two third-place finishes on Sunday, showing solid consistency across the weekend. The highlight was the Sprint Cup race, where I posted my fastest lap of the weekend: a 1:05.9. That race saw CSBK front-runner Sam Guerin take the win, with Alex Dumas in second—making it an all-BMW podium.

A New Chapter for Shannonville Racing

This season marks a fresh era for Shannonville, the birthplace of Canadian motorcycle road racing. The series changed hands in the off-season and is now led by Dave, Jill, and Allison Grummet, who did a phenomenal job producing their first event. The atmosphere from staff and competitors alike was overwhelmingly positive and welcoming—a clear signal that Shannonville racing is on the rise once again.

Prize money is back in multiple classes. Much thanks to Lou-Ann Printing, who is sponsoring the Pro Superbike class, and RACE Moto, which is paying out 50% of Sprint Cup entry fees—both classes I’m competing in. Dunlop is also offering contingency support, thanks to Pro 6 Cycle. The turnout was strong, and momentum is building. Go Race Moto!

18 Years and Counting: Proudly Racing with Royal Distributing

This season marks my 18th year proudly representing Royal Distributing on racetracks across Canada—a remarkable run in the ever-evolving world of motorsports.

Our partnership began back in 2008 when I was part of the KTM Canadian Thunder Team, with Royal Distributing stepping up as a key supporter. Since then, our relationship has grown stronger with each lap, race, and season.

Founded in 1990, Royal Distributing has become a powerhouse in Canada’s powersports industry. Known for their wide selection and reliable service, Royal offers everything you need for Motorcycle, Snowmobile, Motocross, ATV, Bicycle, E-bike, and Marine adventures. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a seasoned pro, they’ve got the gear, parts, and accessories to keep you moving.

You can visit one of their five massive retail locations in Guelph, Innisfil, Whitby, Sudbury, and Kanata, Ontario—or shop online with fast coast-to-coast shipping across Canada. With everyday low prices and an unbeatable product lineup, it’s easy to see why Royal is a trusted name from the paddock to the trails.

Looking forward to another incredible season with Royal Distributing in my corner. Go Royal Distributing!

The Bike, the Tires, the Team

We’re continuing to race with Dunlop tires, and I couldn’t be happier. My long-standing relationship with Pro 6 Cycle makes this a natural choice, and the performance speaks for itself. I genuinely believe Dunlops give us a competitive edge— helping this “old man” hang close to the lap times of younger CSBK frontrunners on more advanced machines this past weekend. Go Dunlop!

I’m racing a 2024 BMW S1000RR, essentially unchanged from last season. We’re still running the Alpha/BMW kit ECU and electronics package, which is fully programmable. The motor remains stock and we’re using pump gas—these bikes are so powerful from the factory that adding more horsepower would just mean dialing it back electronically anyway. Huge thanks to Alpha and BMW for their amazing support. I even got the chance to meet Peter Schouten, Alpha’s Head of Electronics and Race Support, at Shannonville. He was assisting Guerin for CSBK Round 1— such a friendly and knowledgeable guy. Go BMW!

Building a Strong Team

It was also great to see my long-time crew chief, Kyle Blakely, racing in the AM 600 class. He’s not just a talented crew chief and data analyst—he can still throw down on the track. Proud to see him back behind the bars.

We also welcomed two new team members this weekend: Jeff and Evan Williams, a father/son duo and track day regulars at Calabogie with Pro 6. They jumped into crew duties like seasoned pros, and I can’t thank them enough for their excellent work. (No relation to Jeff Williams, my former Diablo Racing teammate.)

Looking Ahead

This season, I’ll once again be serving as a BMW ambassador at Pro 6 Cycle Calabogie track days, where we’re offering free demo rides of the 2025 S1000RR and M1000R—on track! To my knowledge, no other manufacturer is giving riders the chance to test a new bike on the actual racetrack. If you’re signed up for a Calabogie day, come find me and take one for a spin.

Our next race is set for June 11–13 at Shannonville. Before that, I’ll be instructing at the Pro 6 TRAC School and spending much of the summer at Calabogie.

Hope to see you at the track!

Yours truly,
Michael Leon

About Royal Distributing:
Since 1990, Royal Distributing has built a reputation as Canada’s Powersports leader. Royal carries all the gear and aftermarket parts and accessories for Motorcycle, Snowmobile, MX, ATV, Bicycle, Ebike and Marine. Royal offers great product selection at everyday low prices and ships orders coast to coast within Canada for free on orders over $45*. For all your powersport needs, you can check them out at www.royaldistributing.com, call them at 1-800-265-2970 or visit one of their five “superstores” located in Guelph, Innisfil, Whitby, Sudbury and Kanata, ON.

The Royal Distributing Racing Team would like to thank Royal Distributing, Pro 6 Cycle, BMW Motorrad Canada, Dunlop USA, Windmill Motorsports, Bell Helmets, Joe Rocket Canada, Forma Boots, Hindle Exhaust, MWR Air Filters, and Dave Smith.

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