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by Graeme Jones, CanadianDragbike.com
| The
CMDRA opened its 2007 season in Ashcroft, BC at
Nl'akapxm Eagle Motorplex on May 19-20. Despite
the action being cut to half track and harsh weather
looming, the event was completed and the first
victors of the season were crowned. |
Top Fuel Winner Jim
Schellenberg
(Mandy O'Brien
photo) |
Jim
Schellenberg earned his first ever Top Fuel victory
with a win over Mick Cawthorn in the finals. Schellenberg
was far from the quickest racer on the premises,
but consistency earned him a final round berth
after qualifying 4th. Consistent 4.90's were enough
to top a field of racers that included the likes
of Brian Hall, Canadian record holder Jason Arkinstall
and defending 11-time champion Ron Houniet.
2006
AHDRA Pro Fuel champion John Breckenridge faced
off with 2006 CMDRA Pro Fuel champion Andy Beauchemin
in - you guessed it - the Pro Fuel final round. |
| Beauchemin's
final round 4.66/162 was even quicker than the
Top Fuel top qualifier (Damian Cownden, 4.68/156)
and quicker than all but one run in Top Fuel,
proving that bigger isn't always better (smaller
motors and a smaller rear tire are required in
Pro Fuel compared to Top Fuel).
Incredibly,
Beauchemin's efforts were signifigantly overshadowed
by final round opponent Breckenridge, who blazed
to a 4.43/165.89 in the finals (equivalent to
around 6.8's on the quarter mile) to oust an impressive
run from Beauchemin's Printworks Harley. Breckenridge's
run was well over a tenth of a second quicker
than anything run in Top Fuel! |
|
Pro Fuel finalists John Breckenridge & Andy
Beauchemin
(Mandy O'Brien & Laura Millsip photos)
|
Pro
Modified saw Gary Christopher's turbocharged Kawasaki
ZX-11 get the best of defending class champ Gord
Smith in a tight all-turbo-Kawi final round race.
Both racers crossed the traps at 148 MPH (INSANE
for metric bikes on the 1/8 mile) but Christopher's
4.94-second ET, coupled with an incredible .018
light took out a close 4.97 from Smith, who had
an equally impressive .036 reaction time.
Pro
Street was missing a few familiar faces at the
opener, including Ken Froese (not racing in '07
due to family issues), Gerald Beatch (awesome
Pro Street Katana project on hold, trusty Hayabusa
not ready for Race 1) and Tom |
|
Tourand (turbo 'Busa sold, not racing PS in '07).
But defending 3-time Pro Street champ Ethan Barkley
was there, along with Glen Fraser's overpowered
Drayton Valley Motorsports turbo 'Busa and newcomer
Dan Green on an all-motor Gixxer with 1143cc's of
Suzuki muscle. |
Pro Modified winner
Gary Christopher
(Mandy O'Brien photo) |
Fraser's
potent ride couldn't hook on the challenging Ashcroft
eighth mile, so Barkley and Green marched to the
finals, Green with consistent 6.0's - low nines
on the quarter mile - and Barkley running as quick
as 5.73/128, which would drop him into the 8's on
the quarter. Barkley's Suzuki Canada/Walt Healy
Motorsports GSX-R1000 had enough on the top end
to run down Green with a 5.91/129 to Green's competitive
6.05/121. Green plans to add a nitrous kit to his
'03 Gixxer at the next race, and along with Fraser
could be a threat to Barkley's stranglehold on the
Pro Street class in 2007. |
Pro
Dragster saw '05 champ Rod Anderson and '06 champ Woody
Smith duke it out after earning spots in the final round.
Anderson was at the head of the class all weekend and
defeating a struggling Smith with a healthy 4.92/145.
CMDRA
veteran Dale Kasper took the win in the tight V-Rod
Destroyer class, quickness and consistency taking him
to the winner's circle. Kim Beauchemin started her Modified
title defence in fine style with a win in Ashcroft.
Hot
Harley made its debut at the 'Plex, a Street bracket
class for H-D's only. The class will eventually follow
the lines of the AHDRA's popular Hot Street class. Rick
Baldwin's Sportster became the class's first ever winner.
Other
winners from the weekend included Jake Letkeman in Super
Bike, Terry Brown (Super Gas) and Sharon Petrie (XL-883).
Sunday's special Fuel and Gas Shootouts (for first round
losers) went to Damian Cownden and Spencer Johnson,
respectively.
The
CMDRA heads to Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, AB for Race
2 on June 30-July 1.
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