ARNCHU ‘LIGHTS IT UP’ AT WERA NELSON NATIONAL WITH 12 PODIUM POSITIONS This past weekend at Nelson Ledges Road Course, ARNCHU Racing won the Heavyweight Superstock Endurance class and its riders placed with honors in multiple classes during the National Challenge Sprints. The team’s focus for the weekend was the 8-hour endurance event lasting into (complete) darkness on September 9th. Randy Sherman, Mark Crozier and Nathan Dressman all provided consistently fast times to allow ARNCHU.net a first place finish in the Heavyweight Superstock class and second overall. All told, the three riders rode 794 miles at race pace during the 8-hour event on their PIAA-sponsored Michelin-shod ARNCHU Suzuki GSX-R1000. “Without a doubt, the amount of lighting you can create makes a dramatic impact on the kind of pace you are able to maintain. Plus, WERA staff graciously solicited feedback from our team before the race because we organized a night-time test here and worked with a company called GROTE Industries to get the exact reflectors used at the test for everyone’s safety,” said Dressman. Sherman, on form, started the race from the second row and quickly jumped into the lead lasting the first stint, running consistent 1:08-9s. Sherman also rode quickly at night in the dark Ohio farmland with 1:11s. Mark Crozier topped the timesheets on lap 194 with the fastest team lap, a 1:08.128. On Sunday during the National Challenge 10-lap sprints, ARNCHU riders took home first place in 600 Superbike and 750 Superbike. A slew of podiums followed in the superstock classes, including in the novice ranks, where ARNCHU novice Allan Pett was on the podium in 5 classes. ARNCHU.net leads the WERA Heavyweight Superstock Endurance Championship with two rounds to go. The team heads to Barber Motorsports Park in 2 weeks. For details and blog, visit www.arnchu.net. More, from a press release issued by Beowulf Racing: BRIGHTON RACER GOES INTERNATIONAL From British R6 Cup to European Superstock 600 Championship There’s been a new face in the World Superbike paddock recently. 18-year-old Brighton racer Leon Hunt linked up with the Somerset-based Beowulf Racing team to contest the European Superstock 600 Championship support races in Holland and Germany, finishing in 22nd place at both meetings. Previously, Leon was a front-runner in this year’s British R6 Cup championship until a series of mechanical letdowns led to his sponsors suggesting that he look for another arena in which to shine. An approach to Beowulf Team Manager Andy Stone resulted in a frantic round of last-minute negotiations and suddenly Leon found himself on the international stage up against some of the most promising young riders in the world. Making an excellent start from 29th position in the Dutch race, Leon jumped up seven places on the opening lap. In the top twenty by the midway point, Leon was still having to get used to the handling characteristics of his new R6 Yamaha which he is riding for the first time at these international events, which led to him slipping back two places in the closing laps. The German race, held at the Eurospeedway circuit in Lausitz, turned into a “Battle of the Brits” against series regular Chris Northover from Tonbridge in Kent. After another good start, Leon was on the tail of Northover’s Suzuki for much of the race. Towards the end, the pace of world-series competition took its toll forcing Hunt to fall back slightly. In a bizarre twist, it had been Northover who had paint-sprayed Leon’s new machine just a few weeks earlier. Although he was disappointed in himself not to have finished higher up the field, Leon was realistic about what he could have achieved afterwards. “The pace of the racing I’ve done before is nothing compared to this,” he said. “These two events have been a real eye opener and I’d like to thank my regular sponsors, Charterhouse Consulting, Adams Creative and Southern Electrical Trade Suppliers, along with Beowulf Racing, for giving me this fantastic opportunity.” Beowulf Manager Andy Stone is a veteran of the international race scene and his verdict was upbeat: “Riding a new bike, up against factory-backed competition and on the world stage for the first time what more could you honestly expect?” he said. “Leon’s gone faster in every practice and qualifying session, he listens to advice and his attitude is first-class. He’ll be finishing in the top twenty soon enough, I can assure you.” Well and truly bitten by the overseas racing bug, Hunt is planning to contest the final two rounds of the European Superstock series in Italy and France next month with a view to making a full-scale assault on the series next year. You can learn more about Leon Hunt and Beowulf Racing by visiting www.beowulf-racing.com RACE RESULTS EUROPEAN SUPERSTOCK 600 CHAMPIONSHIP Rd 7 3rd September 2006, Assen, Holland 11 laps 1st Niccolo Canepa (Ducati) 2nd Xavier Simeon (Suzuki) 3rd Davide Giugliano (Kawasaki) 22nd Leon Hunt (Yamaha) EUROPEAN SUPERSTOCK 600 CHAMPIONSHIP Rd 8 10th September 2006, Eurospeedway, Germany 12 laps 1st Niccolo Canepa (Ducati) 2nd Davide Giugliano (Kawasaki) 3rd Xavier Simeon (Suzuki) 22nd Leon Hunt (Yamaha)