Flat Track Canada Nationals in Barrie this Weekend

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Category: CSBK News

Published on Thursday, September 1, 2016 07:59 EDT

Written by Administrator

With eight races run and three rounds left in the tour, the Flat Track Canada National Series heads to Georgian Downs in Innisfil, Ontario, near Barrie for a race this Saturday night, September 3.  The most recent race, at London last weekend, was rained out, while the previous race at Belleville on August 13 was delayed by one day due to inclement weather.

The Georgina Downs facility is a cushion 5/8 of a mile in length, measuring an actual 7/8 of a mile on the racing line, one of the tour’s longer laps.  The track is wide, with banked turns, and the surface usually brushes off and stays hard.  

Practice starts at 1 PM, with opening Ceremonies for the main program at 7 PM.  The recently revised format for the Flat Track Canada Nationals rounds has the featured Pros practicing late in the afternoon, usually around 5:30 PM, with heats early in the evening program.

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  Pro Superbike racer Bodhi Edie in his Flat Track Canada debut in London, diving under Tom Goodford in Intermediate heat race action. [Photo: Colin Fraser]
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  Mopar CSBK and Flat Track Canada Series Announcer Frank Wood chats with rookie FTer Bodhi Edie before a session at London’s Western Fairgrounds. [Photo: Colin Fraser]
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  2014 Mopar CSBK National Champion Jodi Christie leads Intermediate class heat action at London aboard his DTX Honda; Christie tumbled exiting the last turn with just over a lap to go. [Photo: Colin Fraser]
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  Intermediate Open heat action start at London last Saturday afternoon and former road racer Bentley Thistlethwaite of Woodstock, ON, gets sideway aboard his # 391 Kawasaki framer. [Photo: Colin Fraser]
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  Olivia Patton, personal assistant to Jodi Christie, was one of the lucky racers who got a Final race in prior to the arrival of rain at London; she placed third in the Beginner category aboard a KBR DTX Honda CRF450. [Photo: Colin Fraser]
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  With three Nationals remaining on the Flat Track Canada National Schedule, Steve Beattie leads the chase of the overall Open Expert Title, and looked ready for more success in practice at London before rain intervened. [Photo: Colin Fraser]
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  In the DTX Expert class for stock-framed, M/X based bikes, the Flat Track Canada National title looks like a battle between points leader Brodie Buchan of Leamington, ON, on Honda # 49 and the # 16 Kawasaki piloted by Quebec’s Dave Pouliot. [Photo: Colin Fraser]
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  The ever-evolving Kawasaki twin framer of Bentley Thistlethwaite is a work in progress in it’s debut Flat Track season. [Photo: Colin Fraser]
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  Reigning Flat Track Canada Champion Doug Lawrence heads to Technical Inspection with his Parts Canada Harley-Davidson XR750 twin. [Photo: Colin Fraser]

Veteran star Steve Beattie of Petrolia, ON, leads the Open Expert class with 157 points, chased by reigning Series Champ and National number one Doug Lawrence of Mississauga, ON, at 138 points, with 23 points for a win.  Lawrence won three Magneti Marelli Amateur Superbike Nationals for Riedmann Kawasaki on the Mopar CSBK National road racing series this year, and “Fresh” is expected to feature as a Pro in his “second sport” next season.

At the most recent, rained out event at the Western Fairgrounds in London, both Beattie and Lawrence parked their Harley-Davidson XR750 twins in practice to focus on single cylinder “framers” around the half mile circuit.  Beattie was aboard a KBR Honda while Lawrence tried a serially-successful Sehl Rotax. Both will likely return to their classic XRs this weekend.

2014 Mopar CSBK National Superbike Champion Jodi Christie continues to build speed in the intermediate classes with a stock-framed KBR (Kurt Beigger Racing) Honda CRF450.  Christie is third in Intermediate Open standings, and second behind Cody Marentette of Tilbury, ON, in the Intermediate DTX class.

Other road racers expected to join the series in Barrie this weekend include Pro front runners Kenny Riedmann (Kawasaki) and Trevor Daley (KBR Honda) who will join Christie in Intermediate Classes.

Bodhi Edie of Warman, SK, made his Flat Track debut in London, the Trip-Dub/Z-1 Yamaha Superbike ace looking fast in the Intermediate classes aboard a stock, series supplied Honda School bike with Parts Canada backing.