Los Angeles, CA (November 2, 2010) – With pilots all over the U.S. battling for the top spot in the Aerobatic Racing Challenge Series (ARC Series™), Texas’ rookie race pilot Julia Wood fought off her closest challenger, Mike Niccum, to become the 2010 National Aerobatic Racing Champion.
ARC’s Race Operations Director Spencer Suderman stated, “What’s remarkable about Julia is that she flew two completely different aircraft during the season and claimed top honors by mastering successful race strategies in each, the Russian built Sukhoi Su-26 as well as the American made Pitts S-2B. Transitioning between a monster monoplane (the Sukhoi) and a smaller biplane (the Pitts Special) is no easy task. By consistently winning with that kind of multitasking, Julia really carved out a name for herself and deserves her ranking as this year’s number one pilot.”
Julia lives on a ranch north of Dallas, TX and benefited from flying and practicing nearly every day from the runway that she built next to her home with husband Tony, also an ARC Series Race Pilot. Tony races a turbine-powered Sukhoi boasting over 600 horsepower. When asked about how she can defeat aircraft with a superior power advantage Julia explains, “It’s not always horsepower that wins an Aerobatic Race. Managing airspeed and cornering like a sports car help gain the lead rather than just raw horsepower.”
The International Federation of Aerobatic racing (IFAR), which manages, promotes, and sanctions the ARC Series, has greatly popularized Aerobatic Racing over the past two years. The ARC Series has doubled in size since it was first brought to air shows in 2009 and is planning even further expansion, exposure, and notoriety. According to IFAR’s Executive Director Dick Schulz, “ARC Series is being embraced by spectators and event organizers because it’s different and entertaining while offering unique marketing values for the show. I’m very happy how Aerobatic Racing energizes the crowd as well as pleases the sponsors.”
The ARC Series format challenges pilots to race head-to-head in airplanes that often have quite different performance and handling characteristics. After dashing through a series of thrilling aerobatic maneuvers, the first plane to finish the sequence wins the race. With varying pilot strategies and no two aircraft exactly alike, there’s always a battle for the lead and a close side-by-side finish.
For more information plus race video and images, visit WWW.ACRORACING.ORG and become a fan!
Contact:
Dick Schulz
dick@acroracing.org
(213) 455-1490 x104
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