Village Idiots Win Middleweight Class At NOLA
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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.
