Village Idiots Win Middleweight at USNE

The Dunlop/Raceworx/RES backed Village Idiots (Brandon Cleland, Chris
Headley, John Orchard, Garet Tomlinson) continue to prove their
dominance as they raced to win the Middleweight class at round two of
the Lucas Oil US National Endurance Series at NOLA Raceway April 5,
2014.

The forecast for the weekend called for steady showers that would
create an ever changing race track. Just before the start of the 6
hour endurance race the skies broke loose and showered the surface
leaving the question; ride on rains or gamble on the dry line with
slicks? The Village Idiots chose the latter and the decision proved to
be the right one as the rain would cease for the next five hours.

Brandon Cleland, who is in his fifth season as a Village Idiot, would
start the race and demonstrate extraordinary patience and eventually
raw speed as the track began to dry. Cleland took the green flag 4th
in Middleweight but would bring the Village Idiots up to 1st in class
by the end of his hour and twenty minute stint. “I took my time for
the first couple laps to feel out the track and let the other teams
take chances and make mistakes,” said Cleland. “Endurance racing takes
a difference mindset especially with track conditions like we faced
today.”

Cleland would hand the Dunlop/Raceworx/RES machine off to former Red
Bull Rookies Cup rider Garet Tomlinson who wasted no time showing his
speed and confidence. Not only would the talented 21 year old lay down
the Village Idiots fastest time of the day with a 1:48.726,
Tomlinson’s impressive stint would widen the gap on their 1st in class
and improve the Idiots overall race position to 3rd. After 42 laps for
Tomlinson, the Idiot would pit and the team sent John Orchard out on a
fresh Dunlop rear tire.

Orchard put his head down and went to work. The stint was business as
usual for Orchard as he continued to pull away from the competition in
the Middleweight class. During Orchard’s ride, a front runner in the
Heavyweight division would experience a mechanical and the Village
Idiots were quick to take advantage of the situation and ride into 2nd
overall. Orchard put the new rear tire to good use and strung together
40 consistent laps before turning it in to have team captain Chris
Headley take over.

Headley, the longest standing Village Idiot, came prepared to battle
the elements. Headley could see the rain coming on the horizon and
took advantage of the dry track before the skies opened up. Just ten
laps into Headley’s stint, the rain came pouring down forcing the
entire field to pit for rain tires. A fantastic pit stop by the Idiots
and crew, Harry Tomlinson & Marian Orchard, allowed the team to
maintain their 1st in class and 2nd overall standing. Headley rode
flawless in the rain as the team continued to make up ground on the
front runner. With less than 45 minutes to go, the red flag started to
wave as severe storms and lightning began to threaten the area. The
race would end on that note and the Village Idiots would claim the Middleweight Victory and 2nd overall.

Heading into round three at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit on May 24,
2014, the Village Idiots lead the Middleweight class and are 2nd
overall in the USNE.

The Village Idiots would like to thank their sponsors: Raceworx,
Dunlop Tires, Racing Engine Service, Scorpion Helmets, M4 Exhaust,
Woodcraft, Lone Star Track Days, Vesrah, Yamaha, Silkolene,
Supersprox, GMan, Moto Liberty, Shogun & USNE title sponsor Lucas Oil.