Although I agree with that, on a tight track like Barber, shouldn't the updated electronics and traction controls outweigh the big HP? I guess not really, hence the lap record still standing.
Heard the weepers have made track conditions a bit sketchy at times. Looks like Gagne wadded his bike a pretty good in 2/3. This seems to becoming an issue even at WERA events. Is just do to the ground be saturated or is there something else in play?
Saturation - and Gagne was due to a weeper. The track worked on them even more last night and they know it's an issue. Probably can't be truly addressed until the next repave but they're trying.
Would a repave even help? They have the same issues at Hallett. All the repave does is seal the surface, but water always finds a way. Unless you go all the way down to the base and rework the drainage, the weeper will come back.
I crashed pretty bad last year there due to one of the tar snakes that were put in to help with the weeping. Its a beautiful track run by great people so I know they'll get it fixed, but right now I'm AMAZED at the times people are running on that surface. Hell, I'm crashing at 5 seconds off pace haha.
The problem with Barber is three-fold. They have made repairs over recent years, with resulted in a ton of tar snakes. They get greasy when the track gets super hot. Last summer there were a lot of crashes (relatively speaking), even before the first race (it was super hot). When you'd come off the track you would see melted tar all over the underside of your tail section. Also, when it rains...it will start to dry, and be perfect for 90% of the track...except the streams than run across it. They can catch you off guard because the track seems dry. Then you have to deal with water seeping up later. It will rain, then dry...and everything seems perfect. You will have 2hrs or so where the track is perfect, then when it gets really hot the water will seep up through the pavement. Suddenly you will see dark (wet) patches/lines where the track used to be dry. About the only time the track is truly consistent and predictable is when it is pouring ass rain and you KNOW it is super wet everywhere.
It looks like a pregnant woman took a picture of her ultrasound, blew it up, and stuck it on a black trailer.
That won't be too bad. Last summer (the weekend i was referring to), it was 98-102deg in the paddock. JD40 said he set his PB at Barber when it was 60deg outside. He said that track has its best grip when its sunny and ambient temps are 58-65deg. That's hot enough to give great grip, but not so hot that tar snakes, water seeping, etc come into play.