MOONS CYCLE II CAPTURES CONSECUTIVE TEAM CHALLENGE TITLES For the first time in ASRA Team Challenge history, the top four machines Overall were the winners of the four classes competing in Round 7 of the 2006 Championships. Moon’s Cycle II, Team Allstars.com, Fast Lane Racing GTU and Dafan Zhang all won their individual classes and were the top four on the overall rundown after a 20 minute red flag delay shortened the event from 67 laps to 61 for the winners. Just like they had it scripted, Moon’s Cycle II jumped out to an early lead in the GTO and Overall classes and left the entire field struggling to keep the pace. Unlike earlier events though, Moon’s plans were challenged early and often by the Fast Lane GTU Team and the eventual GTL winner Team Allstars.com. Both teams were able to keep the defending champions in sight and the pressure on. After one red flag and 2 hours of competition, five machines finished 61 laps to keep the outcome in doubt until the checkered flag flew over the new GTO and Overall Champions Moon’s Cycle II with Calvin Martinez and Scott Harwood. MSC II finished 4 laps ahead of the second place GTO team Mid-Illini/NFC Racing with Mitchell Stein, Matt Flowers, Lonnie Michaels and Paul Gilchrest aboard. The GTU winner and 2006 National GTU Champion, Fast Lane GTU with Rick Beggs and Kevin Tate aboard finished just ahead of the fast Bad Monkey Racing Team, ridden by Ray Silika and Brian McClain. Silika and McClain came back from being a lap down to finish on the lead lap but ran out of time before they could improve their position. Bad Monkey Racing got caught in the pits when the red flag came out at lap 26 and spent the remaining 32 revolutions trying to make up the deficit. The GTL class winner Team Allstars.com, captained by Sean Marston and co-ridden by Arnie Hastings, hung in there to give Moon’s Cycle II some company on the podium, finishing second overall and winning their class by 2 laps over Bill Davenport’s Mighty Lumina Racing Team. Mighty Lumina is taking the GTL Championship fight to Daytona and the final round trailing the LMB Racing team of Neil Frank, Sean O’Sullivan and Max Grant by a mere 3 points for the 2006 ASRA GTL title. In the A&J Recognition Solo Challenge, Dafan Zhang took his first national win in convincing fashion by more than a lap over FLC Solo rider Travis McNerny and newly crowned Solo Champion Rob Lombardi, who finished second and third respectively. Only at Daytona have we seen a A&J Solo rider finish in contention for the Overall win so Dafan Zhang’s performance at VIR was one for the record books. With more than $10,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs, the 2006 ASRA Team Challenge Series wraps up it’s season at the World’s Center of Racing, Daytona International Speedway on October 20, 2006, opening the competition for the 23rd Annual Race of Champions. For complete VIR Team Challenge results and information, go to www.ccsracing.us. More, from a press release issued by DafanZ Racing: DAFAN ZHANG WINS ASRA SOLO CHALLENGE AT VIR Fresh on the comeback trail, Dafan Zhang returned to the beautiful Virginia International Raceway on Sept 24, 2006 to compete in the American Sportbike Racing Association’s Team Challenge Event. The race pits teams and solo riders together for a 69-lap or 2-hour long race. It was a challenge indeed. Under a cloudy sky and threats for rain, Dafan completed 61 grueling laps and emerged as the clear Solo Challenge winner, one lap up on 2nd place solo rider and 3rd overall among all the team and solo entries while remaining on the lead lap the entire race. This was a special victory as it was the first victory for Dafan since his near life-ending crash and resulting injuries at Summit Point in 2003. The subsequent semi-retirement has given Dafan time to improve his fitness and his riding, and ultimately allowing this comeback to racing to take place. Dafan would like to extend a special thank you to Team Pro-Motion, and specifically Glen Goldman, the president of TPM. A personal friend and great mentor, Glen has been a strong supporter of Dafan since the first day he turned a wheel on the track, and the support continued through the dark hours and hard times. It was fortunate that Dafan could receive the support he needed to continue pursuing his racing dreams. For more information about Dafan Zhang and his racing pursuits, please visit www.dafanz.com.