@CMDRA2015 • The fourth stop on the CMDRA National circuit was at Ashcroft B.C.’s Eagle Motorplex. This track is often known as the great equalizer due to its less than optimal surface rendering the higher horsepower bikes helpless due to tire spin. This is a true “tuners” track since it takes a gentle setup to get the most out of your machine.
Veteran racer Ethan Barkley is no stranger to this track and has plenty of experience making the most out of any situation. The first few runs were hampered by so much tire spin they were all aborted leaving Ethan a bit perplexed. Not one to give up, he and his crew chief Tom Bodrovics kept softening the clutch, the suspension and most importantly the power delivery in the boost controller. All the adjusting on the turbocharged GSX-R1000 “Eleanor” paid off in round two qualifying as Ethan posted an impressive 7.89 at 163 mph. This would stand as the only seven second qualifying run of the class, gapping the rest of the field by over three tenths of a second.
During the Sunday test session the team tried some new setups in order to stay ahead of the competition but the track seemed to be even worse than the previous day. The launches were decent but by half-track the bike was spinning uncontrollably and this needed to be corrected if they had a chance in the finals against Rob Aston. Aston had been slowly getting a handle on the track and his times and speeds were improving.
Ethan made the call to raise the front end of the bike 1″ in hopes of assisting the weight transfer to the rear tire. This drastic chassis change did just that and the “Eleanor” stayed hooked to the track the entire run and Barkley took the win with a 7.85 / 172 mph. This would be the quickest elapsed time and top speed for the class during the weekend; nothing like saving the best for last!
With this victory Ethan has a decent points lead in the series and has his sights set on an unprecedented 15th CMDRA National Title. The next stop will be the CMDRA Finals at “The Strip” in Medicine Hat, AB. September 19-20th.
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