2000 AFM Turnworker Newsletters

American Federation of Motorcyclists Schedule for 2000

2000 Schedule
March 25-26 Buttonwillow 1st Newsletter
April 22-23 Sears Point 2nd Newsletter
April 28-30 AHRMA Sears Point
May 5-7 AMA Sears Point
May 27-27 Sears Point 3rd Newsletter
June 17-18 Thunderhill 4th Newsletter
July 17-18 Sears Point 5th Newsletter
August 19-20 Sears Point 6th Newsletter
September 23-24 Thunderhill 7th Newsletter
October 21-22 Buttonwillow 8th Newsletter
End of Season 9th Newsletter

1st Newsletter...
The Crew
The Correct New and Improved Worker HotLine (925) 362-9032
E-mail: phillb@ns.net
The Crew web site http://www.afmracing.org/crew.html

First race of 2000, March 25-26, Buttonwillow. 1/2 mile west of I-5 on Lerdo Highway east of Bakersfield

Here we go! Another AFM racing season is about to start and will it ever stop raining on the weekends? One more weekend to go before it needs to stop. I haven’t washed my bike in years, so you can’t blame me.

What did you get accomplished during the off season? Bleach your whites? Sterilize your whistle? Read the worker manual? Time is running out. Our first race of 2000 - Buttonwillow - is just around turn 12. By the way, Buttonwillow, in track lingo, means “way far away from a Walmart.” Just like Thunderhill means “Near a Walmart.” Track facts 101, page 2. Be Prepared! You’d better bring it with you ‘cause civilization is far away. Workers at our first race will get the 2000 Schedule Key Chain, Worker Sweatshirt, A BBQ dinner on Saturday night, the usual assortment of morning munchies and coffee, a great sack lunch, after-race beverages and 80 bucks if you work both days. Oh yeah, and the usual bad morning jokes. Can’t wait? Neither can I!

Last-minute news flash. The Crew will be working the AMA and AHRMA weekends at Sears Point. Mailed with your newsletter is the sign-up sheet for the AMA (May 5-7) and AHRMA (April 28-30) three-day events. They are great events for us to do. The AMA race lets us see the nations fastest racers - sometimes closer than they would like. The AHRMA race is a lot like our races but really laid-back schedule and riders, plus we get to see some choice vintage bikes. Sign up if you know if you can work the event. If you have to cancel let me know ASAP so I can make the spot available for someone on the waiting list. Each year we get rave reviews about our workers: “Best in the USA”and all that. Don’t miss out. Workers with the most experience are given seniority. How do you get experience? There are two races before the Nationals. If you have any questions please leave me a message at (916) 282-6344 or phillb@ns.net.
 

Race Notes - Doug Smith
Twenty First Century Racing

Tired of the Y2K hype?  Still working through all those emergency supplies for when it all goes down?  Well guess what Ñ it’s not gonna happen.  What is happening is a new season of road racing with the AFM.  The new season gets started at Buttonwillow in a few weeks, so shake out the whites ready, it’s road trip time. Bring your DieHard hats, show off a little.  Don’t have one?  Now’s the time to start.  Don’t know about the hats? You’ve gotta have one, and the only way to get one is to join us for ALL of the AFM Sundays during the year.  That’s only 8, and Buttonwillow is where it starts.  Last year we had the most DieHards in recent memory. More this year ? You? Sure!  Come on down.

So what to bring? Your worker’s license (signing up before the weekend is best), long white pants and white outerwear if possible - no red or yellow clothing.  Dress in layers, it can be cool in the morning and warm later on. Wear sturdy shoes that you can run in. Good things to have along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binoculars maybe, more sunscreen, an extra shirt, and a hat. If you have a loud whistle, bring that too. It’s good to bring along a snack to keep the energy up. Fruits and juices work well (no alcohol please). And a friend.  More workers means a chance to get a few breaks during the day. We’ll run the same basic Sunday schedule that we had last year.

Lots to look forward to this year.  New big twins like the RC-51 and Aprilla, new 600’s too, some interesting GP developments, and a lot of close racing.  So with the great racing, the best seat in the house, a BBQ dinner Saturday night, and more surprises, how can you stay away?  Phill’s got a lot of good stuff to get through, so I’ll be quiet now.  See you all there.

We have added over 150 new names to the worker database over the winter. Lets hope we can get them out to the track. Here are some answers to questions that have been asked.

I have my Worker License, now what?
Read the worker manual and information letter that came with the application. Get to know it. It will be your friend. There will be a test. No, not really, but most of the information that you need to know is in there. Be familiar with the hand signs, flags, communication calls, and handling portions. Next, come to a race. We will put you with an experienced track worker to show you the ropes, (Ropes? This ain’t rodeo!) ‘er, track. It won’t take long for you to get up to speed using the manual and your common sense. You do have common sense, right? If there ’s something you don’t understand, just ask. All our experienced workers are very friendly. Right? Right! Any unfriendly workers are banished to work on the Turnworker Project Bike in my garage. It is still in the original condition that it started it in… parts!

Do I have to show up to every race?
No, it is not required, but if you want to get the end of the year’s prestigious DieHard hat you do. Come to a many races as you can. We all have different schedules and commitment levels. All I can say is that we miss you when you are not there and happy to see you when you are. You don’t have to call us if you can’t make it. Drop us an E-mail if you feel so led, but that’s up to you. The only real exception to this is the AMA and AHRMA Nationals. If you sign up to work and can’t - I need to know ASAP.

One last comment…
Track working is not for everyone. There can be long hours of boredom punctuated by moments of great tension. This may not be for you. But if you like to be appreciated for doing a very important, intense, responsible job, The Crew is the place to be!

Getting there and back for the away races can be enough of a problem that you’ll just stay home and catch up on cooking shows and washing the socks. Don’t let that happen. Carpools are the answer. Use the Worker Hotline (925) 362-9032 If you need a ride or have a seat to share, don’t be shy. The earlier, the better. Leave your number, where you’re leaving from, time preferences, camping or motel, and a bit about flexibility - not the gymnastic type unless you’re driving something really tiny. Save a buck, share the wheel if you like. You’ve got a weekend in common, and more people are looking for rides than you might think. So pool it up. It’ll be fun, you’ll see.

We always need more Saturday workers. Especially for Buttonwillow and Thunderhill. If you want to make a weekend out of working, we offer a few extra bucks and maybe a special spiff for those Super DieHards!

First, go to the front gate and sign the Gate Release form. Everyone, including campers, must sign the gate release each day they work. Be ready to show us your AFM Track Worker Card. If don’t have a one, get the application at Registration. Even if you have applied for an AFM Competition or Associate license you must fill out the Worker application. They are different. From there, proceed to Registration and sign the Track Worker Release form. Also for those of you who are near 18 years old, you must show us a driver’s license or ID card proving your age at least once. The AFM keeps one copy of the release. You keep the other. Take your copy to Start/Finish and you will be assigned to a turn. This will be the procedure both Saturday and Sunday. We will try to have a special area for track workers at Registration to speed things up. Please be early on racedays. Oh yeah, just one more thing, a Gate Release form will be available at Start/Finish for campers to sign.

The weather can be iffy, so be prepared for almost anything. Layers are the hot setup. Since we want to all look alike, please wear as much white outer clothes as you can get. No red, yellow or orange colors - you don’t want to look like a flag. You may be grabbed by the leg and thrown thusly, by mistake. Long pants, sturdy shoes, no shorts. Some other good things to bring along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binox, extra clothes, a hat, energy snacks, fruits, juices and a good loud whistle. The AFM can provide you with a whistle but you don’t know whose lips were on it last. Please no alcohol during the races.

Remember, our first race is pretty far away from civilization. Unless you consider Taco Bell as civilization. Better bring it all with you. If you have an RV, Buttonwillow charges $30.00 for the weekend for electrical and water hookups. There is no dump. There is no charge for tent camping. They also have cold water showers. Brrrrr! Like Thunderhill, personal vehicles are not allowed on to the track. You will be taken out to the turns by our Crash Truck. So be ready to pack it all in with you.

The worker gates open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 sharp! (We also need to go to Registration and sign the forms.) Please stay to the left as you enter the gate area. That’s where the worker gate is. Because of agreements with the Buttonwillow track, no refunds to workers who arrive after we close the worker gate. Please be on time to save money and help us get used to the new procedures. The morning meeting starts at 7:10 at Start/Finish. The earlier the better for getting the turn you want. Attendance at all eight AFM races is mandatory for this year’s DieHard hat. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of fog will keep us away from the gate taking names of those brave workers. We try to give the weather every chance of clearing before canceling the race and those days count for the hats.

Both Saturdays and Sundays we provide morning coffee and donuts, a sack lunch and after-race beverages and snacks. Please be responsible with post-race activities. We also place water, bug spray, and ear plugs out on the turns. Our payday is Sunday after the race. Our final race gets the checkered flag about 6:00 p.m. So we can get a count of workers for our lunches and spiffs please either call the Worker Hot-Line (925) 362-9032, E-mail us at phillb@ns.net or The Crew web site http://www.afmracing.org/crew.html if you plan to attend. C ya there!

Buttonwillow Hotels
@ I-5 @ Highway 46 - 10 miles north of Lerdo Highway
 Motel 6                                       Economy Inn
 14685 Warren Street                  14684 Aloma Street
 Lost Hills, CA 93249                  Lost Hills, CA 93249
 Telephone: (661) 797-2346        Telephone: (661) 797-2371

Buttonwillow Off-Ramp / Highway 58
10 miles south of Lerdo Highway
 Good Nite Inns                           Motel 6- South
 20645 Tracy Road                     3810  Tracy Boulevard
 Buttonwillow, CA 93206            Buttonwillow, CA 93206
 Telephone: (661) 764-5121        Telephone: (661) 764-5207

 Super 8 – Buttonwillow               Motel 6 - North
 20681 Tracy Avenue                  20638 Tracy Boulevard
 Buttonwillow, CA 93206            Buttonwillow, CA 93206
 Telephone: (661) 764-5117        Telephone: (661) 764-5153

@ 1-5 Stockdale Highway - 15 miles south of Lerdo Highway
 Econo Lodge Best                     Western Heritage Inn
 200 Trask Street                       253 Trask Street
 Bakersfield, CA 93312              Bakersfield, CA 93312
 Res: 1-800-424-4777               Res: 1-800-328-1234
 Telephone: (661) 764-5221      Telephone: (661) 764-626
 
 

2000 AFM RACE SCHEDULE
 March  25*-26 Buttonwillow
 April  22*-23 Sears Point
 May  27-28  Sears Point
 June  17-18  Thunderhill
 July  15*-16 Sears Point
 August 19-20  Sears Point
 September 23**-24 Thunderhill
 October 21-22  Buttonwillow
 * = New Racers School
 ** = 4 Hour Endurance Race
 

2nd Newsletter...

Next  Race Easter Weekend April 22 & 23, 2000. Sears Point, Hwys 37 and 121 Sonoma.

What a drive to start the season! But it was sure great to see everyone. Even though it seemed like we had a crash-fest, crashes were few but caused red flags and long delays. Our 2000 #1 racer, Jeff Short, is probably out for the season after running off the track in turn 9. Playing catch-up,  he high-sided going out of turn 4. All our transports were either not admitted, treated and released, or on the mend. It was a great weekend, the weather was a little windy but pleasant. We'd wish for that weather in July and September at Thunderhill. And we had a lot of new workers. Many of them shooting for their 2000 DieHard Hats. Our veterans were showing the ropes to all the new workers with hope of becoming veterans. Also many thanks to the AFM for the great BBQ, sweatshirts and key-chains. It's a long drive but it's well worth it.

 

Race Notes - Doug Smith
Start, Start and Start Again

So don't believe everything you see on the weather forecasts.  Threats of a wet weekend were only threats, and great weather greeted The Crew at BRP for the 2000 opener.  Lots of new workers, good veteran teaching jobs, and we were in mid-season form by the end of Sunday.  Some challenges on the headsets with the static of a few bad connections, radio-only contact with turn 10 (great jobs, Brad and Gary!), but otherwise we had a much better day than many of the riders.  Relatively few crashes all weekend, but many riders got dinged up, leading to 7 red flags in a 6-race stretch on Sunday. Most all the racers are fine, the exception being club #1 Jeff Short with a nasty leg injury.  He led most of the first lap of Formula Pacific till an-off-and on at turn 9 left him in mid-pack.   Then he tried too hard to catch up, highsided in turn 4 the next lap and was struck by another rider. The Crew passes along best wishes to #1, now back in Sacramento.  That leaves the year's #1 race wide open, and Mark Foster took the first step that way by winning on the FP restart.  Most of the riders took a lesson from the mid-day crashers and kept it on 2 wheels.  Only 18 falls all day, with turn 4 having 7 of those calls.  Good show out there from Linda Pauli, Tony Novello and new guys Rick Davidson and Dan Ferrera. They had an early season synthetic oil spill to deal with too.  For the whole crew we had good comm (with tough circumstances), great flags and handling responses all weekend. Top marks to all!

A tip of the ole DieHard hat to all the new workers not already mentioned: Jason and Dave Trabert in turn 1, Erik DeTar  in turn 2, John Sweeney and Mike Maier in turn 3, Lois Roth in turn 6 and John and Mary Roberts in turn 11. Thank you for your help, and don't forget to return. And a welcome back to Ules Jackson.  The best thing about first races is seeing everyone again. Everyone who was there is, of course, on the list for a 2000 DieHard hat.  Good to see all the '99 hats, but go ahead, make me order a bunch of new ones this year.  All it takes is to come out and have a great time on 8 special Sundays.  Next up - Sears on the 23rd.  A great tune-up for AHRMA and the AMA National.

If you got your newsletter in an envelope please check out the front of the envelope for the days you are signed up to work, camping pass and shirt size. If any of this information has changed or incorrect, please contact me at phillb@ns.net or leave me a message at (916) 282-6344. There is still room for a few more workers, especially for the AHRMA event. AHRMA is a really laid-back racing origination, and a blast to work. You get to see great bikes of yesteryear and even a swap meet. If you haven't signed-up and want to please contact me as soon as possible.

We always need more Saturday workers, especially for Buttonwillow and Thunderhill. If you want to make a weekend out of working, we offer a few extra bucks and maybe a special spiff for those Super DieHards!

First, go to the front gate and sign the Gate Release form. Everyone, including campers, must sign the gate release each day they work. Be ready to show us your AFM Track Worker Card. If don't have a one, get the application at Registration. Even if you have applied for an AFM Competition or Associate license you must fill out the Worker application. They are different. From there, proceed to Registration and sign the Track Worker Release form. Also for those of you who are near 18 years old, you must show us a driver's license or ID card proving your age at least once. The AFM keeps one copy of the release. You keep the other. Take your copy to Start/Finish and you will be assigned to a turn. This will be the procedure both Saturday and Sunday. We will try to have a special area for track workers at Registration to speed things up. Please be early on racedays. Oh yeah, just one more thing, a Gate Release form will be available at Start/Finish for campers to sign.

The weather can be iffy, so be prepared for almost anything. Layers are the hot setup. Since we want to all look alike, please wear as much white outer clothes as you can get. No red, yellow or orange colors - you don't want to look like a flag. You may be grabbed by the leg and thrown thusly, by mistake. Long pants, sturdy shoes, no shorts. Some other good things to bring along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binox, extra clothes, a hat, energy snacks, fruits, juices and a good loud whistle. The AFM can provide you with a whistle but you don't know whose lips were on it last. Please no alcohol during the races.

The worker gates open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 sharp! (We also need to go to Registration and sign the forms.) Please stay to the left as you enter the gate area. That's where the worker gate is. Because of agreements with the Buttonwillow track, no refunds to workers who arrive after we close the worker gate. Please be on time to save money and help us get used to the new procedures. The morning meeting starts at 7:10 at Start/Finish. The earlier the better for getting the turn you want. Attendance at all eight AFM races is mandatory for this year's DieHard hat. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of fog will keep us away from the gate taking names of those brave workers. We try to give the weather every chance of clearing before canceling the race and those days count for the hats.

Both Saturdays and Sundays we provide morning coffee and donuts, a sack lunch and after-race beverages and snacks. Please be responsible with post-race activities. We also place water, bug spray, and ear plugs out on the turns. Our payday is Sunday after the race. Our final race gets the checkered flag about 6:00 p.m. So we can get a count of workers for our lunches and spiffs please either call the Worker Hot-Line (925) 362-9032, E-mail us at phillb@ns.net or The Crew web site http://www.afmracing.org/crew.html if you plan to attend. C ya there!

2000 AFM RACE SCHEDULE
 March  25*-26 Buttonwillow
 April  22*-23 Sears Point
 May  27-28  Sears Point
 June  17-18  Thunderhill
 July  15*-16 Sears Point
 August 19-20  Sears Point
 September 23**-24 Thunderhill
 October 21-22  Buttonwillow
 * = New Racers School
 ** = 4 Hour Endurance Race
3rd Newsletter...

Next Race Memorial Weekend May 27 & 28, 2000. Sears Point, Hwys 37 and 121 Sonoma.

Three in a row! Well, almost. The first two and a half went off great. The AMA National practice half too. But the racing half was sidelined by rain from Saturday afternoon on. Even though the rains cleared for a Monday raceday and everyone was ready, the track itself just wouldn’t let it happen. Water seeped from the track in turns 1, 7 and 11. Most of the 60 plus workers had to get back to work on Monday (I for one), but some Super DieHards (some who worked only Monday) toughed it out! Our hats are off to you! For a more detailed report, read on in Doug’s report. AHRMA was great. We had a lunch break so long... (how long was it?) ...we had time to savor our lunches and talk without our mouths full AND take a leisurely walk around the pits. Sorry Barb, we could get used to it. Way back at the first of three was the AFM race. We had a great number of workers and lots of new faces. Some turns actually got a little crowded with workers. A good kind of problem if you ask me. Take turns (there must be a pun in there somewhere), and relax if you get the chance. It just means you can close the door on the Quarter Moon Blue Roof Inn because someone else is watching the track! Most of the new workers can be attributed to Harold Kaye (Harold’s Hundred). Harold help staff the AFM booth at the Motorcycle Show and talked up being a track worker. He signed up over 130 people! Way to go Harold! One last thanks for the families of all the workers for letting them make the track that much safer on Easter Sunday.

Next up is the AFM’s Memorial Weekend race, May 27 & 28. And for an extra bonus for some of you, we’ll give you Monday off to do your chores! There will be no race school on Saturday, just a full day practice. Bring a friend. Bring a relative. Bring a friendly relative.
 

Race Notes - Doug Smith
A 60 % Chance ???

Our three weekend spring racing marathon at Sears Point was full of surprises, including a lot more time waiting for racing than we had hoped for. Things started with the AFM weekend April 22 & 23. A new turn 7 configuration was in place, just to keep the riders and ourselves on our toes. We got 5 minutes into the first Saturday practice when a rain shower swept into turns 3 and 4. The track dried quickly, only for another shower to come through. This pattern almost continued through lunchtime, so only one round of open practice was possible before new rider school. Sunday was clear and cool, just right for a very full 13 race day. Great racing, very full grids, and all the riders who fell walked away in good shape (a refreshing change from our opener). Thanks to all the many new and veteran workers who came out that weekend. More faces makes for more fun everywhere.

Next up was the 3-day AHRMA meet. An even newer track configuration included a short turn 11, just around the tower, with no turn 12 chicane. Although I had to miss this weekend, I understand it was a good show. Lots of classic machines doing what they were made for, happy winners, and a great paddock to visit at lunchtime. Thanks from all to Henry Hathaway for bringing The Crew their morning coffee, donuts and afternoon refreshments.

Perhaps the main event of the three-week stretch was the AMA National starting May 5. A great Crew turnout greeted the best of the best for their first outing since Daytona. With all the top teams and riders on hand it looked like the new Sears layout was going to get a good test. A bad moment in morning practice was when 600 rider Steve Laszko of Fallbrook, CA crashed in turn 7, requiring a medevac to Santa Rosa. For updates on his condition there are reports posted on the website of Aramel Racing, www.aramel.com, which are better than I can give here. Friday practice also took out ex-AFM #1, Steve Rapp, who hurt his hand in turn 11 and was done for the weekend. As it turned out, he didn’t miss much. Saturday morning finished up with the Pro Thunder heat races, which were to be the only races of the weekend. At about 2:00 a squall swept over the track, washing out the rest of the day. Clear skies were hoped for on Sunday, but it never stopped raining. The event was pushed back to Monday. Monday was an amazing day. On almost no notice, 25 of our crew made it to the track to help with the show. Thanks so much to all of you! The Russell School gave up half their day to accommodate AMA. Thanks to them also. It was a beautiful sunny day. We were clear and ready to go after lunch, except for water seeping up through the track surface in turns 1 and 11. The best efforts of Sears Point and all concerned couldn’t make it safe for racing, so the event had to be canceled. It’s possible but not certain that it may be rescheduled for later this year. The AMA greatly thanked all the Crew for their support through the weekend and Monday, and wish they could have put on the show for us and for the spectators.

Thanks to all for coming out. Our next club race will be Mat 27 & 28. Also, thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers on my operation Tuesday after the AMA. Everything went fine, and it gets better every day. I’ll be back to work before you read this.

The following is a list of the new workers from our April race; Ray Hellstrom, turn 1, Cat Okita and Jake McGuire, turn 2, Jason Carpenter, turn 5, Christina Hansen and Jeff McLean turn 6, Dave Jensvold and John Kulpakko turn 8A, Kelly Bobbitt, turn 10, last but not least was Mark Palmquist in turn 11. One returning worker after seven years in Texas was Chuck Bates in turn three. Chuck and Dennis Baird pretty much wrote the book on turn 2. Welcome to you all. Next race you’re family. We’ll just point you over to the beverage coolers instead of getting one for you. We didn’t get one for you? Manners will be covered in the next morning meeting.

Our first race at Thunderhill is just around the corner on June 17-18. Remember we get eighty bucks for working both days or thirty for Saturday or Sunday. Plus the After race Sonja BBQ. Make you plans, camping or motels (motel list is on the other side).

We always need more Saturday workers, especially for Buttonwillow and Thunderhill. If you want to make a weekend out of working, we offer a few extra bucks and maybe a special spiff for those Super DieHards!

First, go to the front gate and sign the Gate Release form. Everyone, including campers, must sign the gate release each day they work. Be ready to show us your AFM Track Worker Card. If don’t have a one, get the application at Registration. Even if you have applied for an AFM Competition or Associate license you must fill out the Worker application. They are different. From there, proceed to Registration and sign the Track Worker Release form. Also for those of you who are near 18 years old, you must show us a driver’s license or ID card proving your age at least once. The AFM keeps one copy of the release. You keep the other. Take your copy to Start/Finish and you will be assigned to a turn. This will be the procedure both Saturday and Sunday. We will try to have a special area for track workers at Registration to speed things up. Please be early on racedays. Oh yeah, just one more thing, a Gate Release form will be available at Start/Finish for campers to sign.

The weather can be iffy, so be prepared for almost anything. Layers are the hot setup. Since we want to all look alike, please wear as much white outer clothes as you can get. No red, yellow or orange colors - you don’t want to look like a flag. You may be grabbed by the leg and thrown thusly, by mistake. Long pants, sturdy shoes, no shorts. Some other good things to bring along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binox, extra clothes, a hat, energy snacks, fruits, juices and a good loud whistle. The AFM can provide you with a whistle but you don’t know whose lips were on it last. Please no alcohol during the races.

The worker gates open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 sharp! (We also need to go to Registration and sign the forms.) Please stay to the left as you enter the gate area. That’s where the worker gate is. The morning meeting starts at 7. The earlier the better for getting the turn you want. Attendance at all eight AFM races is mandatory for this year’s DieHard hat. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of fog will keep us away from the gate taking names of those brave workers. We try to give the weather every chance of clearing before canceling the race and those days count for the hats.
Both Saturdays and Sundays we provide morning coffee and donuts, a sack lunch and after-race beverages and snacks. Please be responsible with post-race activities. We also place water, bug spray, and ear plugs out on the turns. Our payday is Sunday after the race. Our final race gets the checkered flag about 6:00 p.m. C ya there!

Golden Pheasant Inn        Crossroads West Inn
 (Best Western)
249 N Humboldt             452 N Humboldt
Willows, CA 95988        Willows, CA 95988
 (530) 934-4603            (530) 934-7026

Days Inn                         Super 8 Motel
475 N Humboldt            457 N Humboldt
Willows, CA 95988       Willows,CA 95988
 (530) 934-4444            (530) 934-2871

2000 AFM RACE SCHEDULE
 March  25*-26 Buttonwillow
 April  22*-23 Sears Point
 May  27-28  Sears Point
 June  17-18  Thunderhill
 July  15*-16 Sears Point
 August 19-20  Sears Point
 September 23**-24 Thunderhill
 October 21-22  Buttonwillow
 * = New Racers School
 ** = 4 Hour Endurance Race
4th Newsletter...

Next Race: June 17 & 18, Thunderhill Raceway, Willows, CA. Willows is about 1 hour north of Sacramento on I-5. Track is located 5 miles west of I-5 on Hwy 162

This is just a postcard reminder of our next race at Thunderhill. We are going to need all of the workers we can get because of all the turns. So now is the time to get all your friends to come along with you. Besides the extra bucks (80 if you work both Saturday and Sunday, 30 for a single day) but there’s the famous Saturday after race Sonja BBQ free to all track workers. Stay to the left as you near the ticket gate for worker sign-ups. Morning meeting at 7:10 both days at Start / Finish. If you have any questions call the Worker Hotline at (925) 362-9032 or e-mail at phillb@ns.net. See you there!
Thunderhill Hotels
Golden Pheasant Inn        Crossroads  West Inn
(Best Western)
 249 N Humboldt             452 N Humboldt
 Willows, CA 95988        Willows, CA 95988
  (530) 934-4603              (530) 934-7026

 Days Inn                         Super 8 Motel
 475 N Humboldt            457 N Humboldt
 Willows, CA 95988        Willows,CA 95988
 (530) 934-4444                 (530) 934-2871
Note: Call the Worker Hotline to set up rides for World Superbike at Laguna Seca

5th Newsletter...

Next Race July 15 & 16, 2000 Sears Point. Hwys 37 and 121 Sonoma

The June Thunderhill race came to us with good weather: lots of close racing including the GPRA 125’s (another challenger for the top spot in Formula Pacific) all wrapped around a great Saturday barbecue. The GPRA folks meant the schedule was up to 14 races, so by the time FP rolled around we were just getting warmed up. Jeff Hagen shook off a lot of troubles over the weekend to take the win ahead of Rob Mesa. And a strange thing happened up in turn 5: nobody fell down! Turn 11 was the busy spot this day. Good news is that the riders who were injured are all recovering nicely. I’ll keep the notes short because Nuts and Bolts is a bit long Ð but please take the time for the whole thing.

Nuts and Bolts - Communication
The Spoken Word

As basically as it can be stated, we get the track ready and keep it that way throughout the event by knowing what is going on around the racetrack at all times. And we do it a lot better than most. This takes many tasks being handled in a professional manner and keeping others informed of what is happening at all times. It all comes down to communication, to the riders, between workers on the turns, and between the turns and race control. Let’s take a look at the last one.

Race Control is responsible for the safe conduct of a racing or practice event, along with the safety of all of the workers on course. The most important thing is that the racetrack is ready to start or OK to continue with a race or practice session, and if not why not? The ready to start question needs to be “yes” before any bikes go on course. That means the workers are safely at their stations and the track is ready for business. The OK to continue part may be the tougher part, because things happen in a hurry. Decisions have to be made on the latest information available. Because of this, Control needs a consistent correct flow of information from all concerned about what’s going on. That’s why Control and every racer relies on every communicator around the track for the whole day. The information has to flow, quickly and correctly, all day long. So it’s not all about Control. It’s all about communication.

So how does all of this happen? Questions and answers, lots of them, all day long. Bringing up things as they happen. Talking things over with your teammates, the communicators on other turns, and control. To hear and be heard, there is a comm system at each corner of each track we race. How we use it makes the race day happen right or otherwise. Except for breaks like lunch or the rider’s meeting, make sure that someone is on communications at all times, whether bikes are on course or not (Repeat as many times as necessary!). You can’t hear or be heard if a headset is on the ground next to you. Expect questions - there will be many. You are the eyes through which Control sees the day. So while bikes are on the track, always watch with great interest what is going on. Wondering about a date tonight, things at the office, or why you’re not working Turn 11 today are all going to take your attention away from things that are going on - things that could be VERY important.

We all need to know the track is clear for each session, for our own safety as well as the riders! Track checks are the best way. Track checks are done corner by corner for course conditions. Starting with Turn 1, say you are clear, or if not, why not? Clear means if a group of racers started immediately, they could safely and without obstructions race through your turn. That means no crash trucks, ambulances, etc., and your crew is ready. Work around the track in order. Once you’re clear, don’t break in unless something changes.

But things usually change somewhere on the track several times during each session. Not always in the same place, sometimes not in a particular place all day long. But it’s rare to have more than one session during a day where the only thing that happens is the clock or lap count runs out. So there will be incidents. Be ready. For incidents, call Control with the following:

Who you are and flag status: “Turn 4, we’re on a waving yellow”

What happened and where: Such as “rider down, rider’s left exit”. Make it clear if the rider is down, off mechanical, or off & on.

Rider’s condition: Is the rider up and OK, or on track on racing line not moving? Are NMP’s responding?

Track condition: Track is clear, or bike and rider on racing line, oil and debris on racing line.

Other important info: The bike number when you get it, and what your crew is doing. If you don’t have certain information like a bike number, say that you’re checking, find out, and call it in. And above all, if you need help, say so.

Speak clearly. Don’t shout. Say the bike numbers one digit at a time: “bike six-four-zero.” Saying, “Turn Twelve” or Turn Fourteen” is OK. Don’t panic even if - especially if - really bad things happen. Panic makes you hard to understand and make everyone less able to make the right decisions immediately.

Call in things that Control needs to know, including but not limited to: riders down, mechanical stops, bikes losing fluids or pieces, bad or dangerous riding, rain, deer, the need for an ambulance or crash truck, a request to stop a session (Control will make that decision). Work with other turns on covering flags and other help you need. You’re part of a team with the other corners, not alone on an island for the day. Please call in other things, too, like if you’re running out of water, a worker isn’t feeling well, or any number of other things that come up.

This is a very team-oriented thing we do. Good communication is a big part of making your turn function as a part of a smoothly operating racetrack. You’re not on the headset just to give you something to do, or because you can’t pick up a Harley. It may be the most important thing we do. Certainly everything stops without it. Giving the racers the best possible place to race from one minute to the next, all day long, is the big picture. It takes a lot of big and little bits of information, quickly and correctly, to make that picture right.

Many times the payoff from what we do is that a bad thing does not happen. We get a leaking or smoking bike off the track, we get a yellow flag up quickly so that a rider backs off just enough, we find that piece of debris on the track before someone else does. But sometimes the right words at the right moment during an incident let us get a session stopped and medical attention to a rider who suddenly needs it. In May at the AMA, Steve Laszko crashed heavily entering turn 7. All the right things were quickly said and done. I recently checked in with Steve’s brother Bob via their team’s web site and got the following reply:
 

Thank you for checking in and your concern. It really means a lot to Steve to know that folks like you are out there pulling for him. More than that, though, are my heartfelt thanks to you and all the turnworkers that were there on May 6th. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that without the crew’s fast response, quick thinking and attention, Steve wouldn’t be with us today. 80% of the people injured like Steve was pass away before they reach the hospital. There is a very small window of opportunity for doctors to treat the damage in a spinal cord injury. The quick actions of your crew gave Steve those precious moments that will make all the difference in his recovery. You run a great crew, Doug. Please pass on my thanks and that of our family and the team to them all. Kind Regards, Bob

Any questions?

Because a lawsuit no one under 18 years old is allowed on a hot track. Here is why: a worker had brought in their under-18 year old youth (lying about the youth being over 18) and was speeding on a motorcycle out to their before the raceday started and both were injured when they hit another vehicle on track. There are exceptions to this, mostly dependent on the track, turn and parents’ position on the track. The youth must work with their parent and both sign the Worker Application and Release forms. Other positions like Pit Steward are also available. The youth must be dressed in worker attire if allowed to work with parent on the track. Parent must contact the Race Director or Worker Coordinator well prior to the raceday for particulars.

Ardyth and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the AFM and the AFM workers who helped us celebrate our marriage at the reception held after the May 27 practice day. It meant a lot to us to have our friends join us in celebration of our wedding. I would also like to thank all the racers who offered their congratulations to us in the pits. We would like to offer a special word of thanks to Mary Pezzi and Grace Dorsey for their help with the event. Ardyth and Don Alexander

First, go to the front gate and sign the Gate Release form. Everyone, including campers, must sign the gate release each day they work. Be ready to show us your AFM Track Worker Card. If don’t have a one, get the application at Registration. Even if you have applied for an AFM Competition or Associate license you must fill out the Worker application. They are different. From there, proceed to Registration and sign the Track Worker Release form. Also for those of you who are near 18 years old, you must show us a driver’s license or ID card proving your age at least once. The AFM keeps one copy of the release. You keep the other. Take your copy to Start/Finish and you will be assigned to a turn. This will be the procedure both Saturday and Sunday. We will try to have a special area for track workers at Registration to speed things up. Please be early on racedays. Oh yeah, just one more thing, a Gate Release form will be available at Start/Finish for campers to sign.

The weather can be iffy, so be prepared for almost anything. Layers are the hot setup. Since we want to all look alike, please wear as much white outer clothes as you can get. No red, yellow or orange colors - you don’t want to look like a flag. You may be grabbed by the leg and thrown thusly, by mistake. Long pants, sturdy shoes, no shorts. Some other good things to bring along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binox, extra clothes, a hat, energy snacks, fruits, juices and a good loud whistle. The AFM can provide you with a whistle but you don’t know whose lips were on it last. Please no alcohol during the races.

The gates open at 6:00 a.m. On Saturday enter the regular gate. On Sunday please stay to the left as you enter the gate area toward the worker gate. The worker gate closes at 6:55. The morning meeting starts at 7 both days. The earlier the better for getting the turn you want and we also need to go to Registration and sign the release forms. Attendance at all eight AFM races is mandatory for this year’s DieHard hat. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of fog will keep us away from the gate taking names of those brave workers. We try to give the weather every chance of clearing before canceling the race and those days count for the hats.
Both Saturdays and Sundays we provide morning coffee and donuts, a sack lunch and after-race beverages and snacks. Please be responsible with post-race activities. We also place water, bug spray, and earplugs out on the turns. Our payday is Sunday after the race. Our final race gets the checkered flag about 6:00 p.m. C ya there!

July 15*-16 Sears Point
August 19-20 Sears Point
September 23**-24 Thunderhill
October 21-22 Buttonwillow
* = New Racers School
** = 4 Hour Endurance Race
6th Newsletter...

Next Race August 19 & 20, 2000. Sears Point. Hwys 37 & 121 Sonoma

The good Y2K AFM weather made another appearance at Sears Point for the July race.   Some of the usual weekend things held true:  very full practices Saturday, Full grids Sunday and great racing throughout the day.  The best races?  Take your pick.  Mark Smith over Gray Jahne in a tight and clean Formula 40, young Zen Tazana over Gary Hoffman and Steve Egan in a back and forth Formula III, James Randolph over a fast closing Rob Mesa in Formula Pacific with Milhausem and Hagen close behind, or Roque Torrez in a 2 bike length squeaker in 450 Superbike.  All great fun.  But if you were waiting for the last 2 races of the day, you’re still waiting.  Some problems with the pavement were fixed in turns 1 and 3 during the day, but when the same thing happened later on in turn 8A, it was too late to do the repair and continue with the program.  If you keep coming to the track you’ll keep seeing things you’ve never seen before. Good news from the medical folks is that all of the riders including the air transport are fine.

So we have three races to go till the DieHards hats arrive, one race at each track.  Nice long breaks in between, so get the traveling gear together and make your plans.  With the large grids and so many riders at each event, we are needed even more than before.  Just ask Gerri Grindle.  She crashed at the first Buttonwillow race and has been working with us ever since.  She’ll be back on the bike at Sears.  We wish her the best and thank her for the work she did with us.

But first, the last race at Sears this year.  Bring yourself, bring a friend.  Hope to see you all there.  Who knows what Phill will have for the morning meeting …

Lots of new workers at the Sears Point, May race: Cat Okita, Jake Mc Guire, Darrin O’Dell, racer  Jeri Grindle, Desmond Amick, Dan Edmiston, Dave Jensvold, Bob Yates, Robert Ettire, Jack Westlie, Kelle Bobbitt, and Mark Palmquist. June’s Thunderhill race was a new worker family affair with David Jensvold’s son, Aaron and Judy Mosier’s daughter, Kendall. From the July race our only new worker was Mark Stone. Thanks for helping and don’t forget your way back to us. At your first race, you are guests. Now you’re family!

We always need more Saturday workers, especially for Buttonwillow and Thunderhill. If you want to make a weekend out of working, we offer a few extra bucks and maybe a special spiff for those Super DieHards! Also during the morning meetings on Saturday we have more time for training. New workers can get a get a feel for what to expect on the track and hone their skills. Veterans can help shape the future with their knowledge. We’ll cover a different topic (communication, flagging, handling) every raceday.

Our September 23 & 24 Saturday 4 Hour Endurance Race and Sunday sprint races at Thunderhill are just around the corner. It’s a great weekend of fun with a BBQ after the 4 Hour on Saturday. A great way to spend the whole weekend. On the flip side of the newsletter you will find a list of motels near the Thunderhill track.

Because a lawsuit no one under 18 years old is allowed on a hot track. Here is why: a worker had brought in their under-18 year old youth (lying about the youth being over 18) and was speeding on a motorcycle out to their before the raceday started. Both were injured when they hit another vehicle on track. There are exceptions to the policy, mostly dependent on the track, turn and parents' position on the track. The youth must work with their actual parent and both sign the Worker Application and Release forms. Other positions like Pit Steward are also available. The youth must be dressed in worker attire if allowed to work with parent on the track and then only as an observer in the Comm Box. Parent must contact the Race Director or Worker Coordinator well prior to the raceday for particulars.

First, go to the front gate and sign the Gate Release form. Everyone, including campers, must sign the gate release each day they work. Be ready to show us your AFM Track Worker Card. If don't have a one, get the application at Registration. Even if you have applied for an AFM Competition or Associate license you must fill out the Worker application. They are different. From there, proceed to Registration and sign the Track Worker Release form. Also for those of you who are near 18 years old, you must show us a driver's license or ID card proving your age at least once. The AFM keeps one copy of the release. You keep the other. Take your copy to Start/Finish and you will be assigned to a turn. This will be the procedure both Saturday and Sunday. We will try to have a special area for track workers at Registration to speed things up. Please be early on racedays. Oh yeah, just one more thing, a Gate Release form will be available at Start/Finish for campers to sign.

The weather can be iffy, so be prepared for almost anything. Layers are the hot setup. Since we all want to look alike, please wear as much white outer clothes as you can get. No red, yellow or orange colors - you don't want to be mistaken for a flag. You may be grabbed by the leg and thrown thusly, by mistake. Long pants, sturdy shoes, no shorts. Some other good things to bring along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binox, extra clothes, a hat, energy snacks, fruits, juices and a good loud whistle. The AFM can provide you with a whistle if you don’t have one, but you don't want to know whose lips were on it last. Please no alcohol during the races.

The gates open at 6:00 a.m. On Saturday enter the regular gate. On Sunday please stay to the left as you enter the gate area toward the worker gate. The worker gate closes at 6:55. The morning meeting starts at 7 both days. The earlier the better for getting the turn you want and we also need to go to Registration and sign the release forms. Attendance at all eight AFM races is mandatory for this year's DieHard hat. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of fog will keep us away from the gate taking names of those brave workers. We try to give the weather every chance of clearing before canceling the race and those days count for the hats.

Both Saturdays and Sundays we provide morning coffee and donuts, a sack lunch and after-race beverages and snacks. Please be responsible with post-race activities. We also place water, bug spray, and earplugs out on the turns. Our payday is Sunday after the race. Our final race gets the checkered flag about 6:00 p.m. C ya there!

Golden Pheasant Inn        Crossroads  West Inn
(Best Western)
 249 N Humboldt             452 N Humboldt
 Willows, CA 95988        Willows, CA 95988
  (530) 934-4603              (530) 934-7026

 Days Inn                         Super 8 Motel
 475 N Humboldt            457 N Humboldt
 Willows, CA 95988        Willows,CA 95988
 (530) 934-4444                 (530) 934-2871

2000 AFM RACE SCHEDULE
July    15*-16  Sears Point
August  19-20   Sears Point
September       23**-24 Thunderhill
October 21-22   Buttonwillow
* = New Racers School
** = 4 Hour Endurance Race
 

7th Newsletter...
Worker HotLine (925) 362-9032
E-mail: phillb@ns.net  The Crew web site: www.afmracing.org/crew.html

Next race September 23 & 24, Thunderhill Park, Willows, CA. One hour north of Sacramento on I-5

Our last Sears race of the season, and it was a good day. Good racing, full grids, and a great crew to work with. The highlights of the weekend had to be the morning meetings. Phill with his bag of tricks and toys passed on a bit more knowledge for us, and we got a chance to use it all. Especially if you happened to be anywhere near Turn 6. John and Mary Roberts with Michael Short were chasing and stashing at the top of the hill where Guy Berrysmith was making the calls and dealing with oil in Turn 5, all the way to the bridge entering Turn 7, where Sandy Jones, Bruce Barnum and injured racer and new worker, Dick Rossi, were taking care of things. A very busy day for the middle of the racetrack. Two other new workers aided us that weekend: another injured racer, John Rabasa assisted David Grismore and Erin Clarke in turn 3 and Chris Dupont worked with Ron Johnson, Chris Cunningham and Andrew Ownsby in turn 4. Thank you for helping us. John Rabasa also wrote a great essay on turnworking with a racers perspective. I will post it on the web site and try to get it into a newsletter soon. On the racing side there were so many good dices that to call one or two would slight the rest. You had to be there. It was kind of a bizarro weekend. Loads of oil and crashes unusual locations. But it wasnÕt anything that we canÕt handle. It just keeps  us on our toes.

Now it's travel time again for our last two events. T-hill for the Enduro, the BBQ, and the Sunday raceday, followed by the Buttonwillow finale. Pack your things and make your plans. Both tracks have plenty of room for turnworkers and there will be enough great racing to keep everyone happy. Hope to see you all there.

Our next race will be at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, north of Sacramento on I-5. On Saturday we will have a morning practice and a four hour endurance race in the afternoon, followed by another AFM sponsored BBQ. A great way to end the day! Sunday will be the usual gotta-get-'em-all-in-by-5 race schedule. Because of all the turns (we're going to staff one more this time) we are going to need all the help we can get. Tell your friends, relatives, people on the street. Tell them what we do and why. Train them the best way you know how and bring them along. The more workers we have, the better our chances for blu-room breaks during the enduro. The racers who aren't running in the enduro have promised to help us and add to our numbers.

The last race of the season and the Worker Appreciation BBQ and raffle is just four weeks after Thunderhill.. I have already collected all kinds of T-shirts, jackets, hats and other race related items from Robert Brown, Sears Point Manager. Not to mention a promise from a racing team for 1000 bucks. And donÕt forget we get paid 80 bucks for working both days at both Thunderhill and Buttonwillow. Make your motel reservations early. A "reserve at your own risk" list of motels are on the web site and will be in the next newsletter. DonÕt miss out on the last two races of the season.

Because a lawsuit no one under 18 years old is allowed on a hot track. Here is why: a worker had brought in their under-18 year old youth (lying about the youth being over 18) and was speeding on a motorcycle out to their before the raceday started. Both were injured when they hit another vehicle on track. There are exceptions to the policy, mostly dependent on the track, turn and parents' position on the track. The youth must work with their actual parent and both sign the Worker Application and Release forms. Other positions like Pit Steward are also available. The youth must be dressed in worker attire if allowed to work with parent on the track and then only as an observer in the Comm Box. Parent must contact the Race Director or Worker Coordinator well prior to the raceday for particulars.

First, go to the front gate and sign the Gate Release form. Everyone, including campers, must sign the gate release each day they work. Be ready to show us your AFM Track Worker Card. If don't have one, get the application at Registration. Even if you have applied for an AFM Competition or Associate license you must fill out the Worker application. They are different. From there, proceed to Registration and sign the Track Worker Release form. Also for those of you who are near 18 years old, you must show us a driver's license or ID card proving your age at least once. The AFM keeps one copy of the release. You keep the other. Take your copy to Start/Finish and you will be assigned to a turn. This will be the procedure both Saturday and Sunday. We will try to have a special area for track workers at Registration to speed things up. Please be early on racedays. Oh yeah, just one more thing, a Gate Release form will be available at Start/Finish for campers to sign.

The weather can be iffy, so be prepared for almost anything. Layers are the hot setup. Since we all want to look alike, please wear as much white outer clothes as you can get. No red, yellow or orange colors - you donÕt want to be mistaken for a flag. You may be grabbed by the leg and thrown thusly, by mistake. Long pants, sturdy shoes, no shorts. Some other good things to bring along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binox, extra clothes, a hat, energy snacks, fruits, juices and a good loud whistle. The AFM can provide you with a whistle if you donÕt have one, but you donÕt want to know whose lips were on it last. Please no alcohol during the races.

The gates open at 6:00 a.m. On Saturday enter the regular gate. On Sunday please stay to the left as you enter the gate area toward the worker gate. The worker gate closes at 6:55. The morning meeting starts at 7 both days. The earlier the better for getting the turn you want and we also need to go to Registration and sign the release forms. Attendance at all eight AFM races is mandatory for this year's DieHard hat. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of fog will keep us away from the gate taking names of those brave workers. We try to give the weather every chance of clearing before canceling the race and those days count for the hats.

Both Saturdays and Sundays we provide morning coffee and donuts, a sack lunch and after-race beverages and snacks. Please be responsible with post-race activities. We also place water, bug spray, and earplugs out on the turns. Our payday is Sunday after the race. Our final race gets the checkered flag about 6:00 p.m. C ya there!

Golden Pheasant Inn        Crossroads  West Inn
(Best Western)
 249 N Humboldt             452 N Humboldt
 Willows, CA 95988        Willows, CA 95988
  (530) 934-4603              (530) 934-7026

 Days Inn                         Super 8 Motel
 475 N Humboldt            457 N Humboldt
 Willows, CA 95988        Willows,CA 95988
 (530) 934-4444                 (530) 934-2871

2000 AFM RACE SCHEDULE
September       23**-24 Thunderhill
October 21-22   Buttonwillow
* = New Racers School
** = 4 Hour Endurance Race
8th Newsletter...

Next race October 21 & 22, Worker Appreciation Race, Buttonwillow, CA. About 1/4 west of I-5, on Lerdo Hwy, 30 miles west of Bakersfield.

Thank goodness the weather cooled down a little from the triple digits earlier during the week Ð it helped us have a great endurance race on Saturday. The four hours went by so fast I could almost swear that some one speeded up clock. With the possible exception of a few offenders (wheelies, fire extinguisher during refueling, excessive pit speed) the entrants behaved themselves and there was very little finger wagging. And the Sonja BBQ put the proverbial icing on the days cake. Sonja also provided the morning eggs and sausage. What a treat! We can really get used to this. On Sunday would “More oil than Quakerstate has, on the track” describe it adequately? It slowed our access to an early go-home time, but we got the full schedule in. Plus we saw some great racing in many classes. Our race director, Barbara Smith, will make another pitch to the AFM rule committee to ban synthetic oil at the 2001 rules meeting.  This will definitely save us some time on synthetic oil cleanups. Thanks to all who attended. We had a great time (except for the oil). But we can always use more workers. We can start recruiting now for Buttonwillow and the 2001 racing season. Let’s have a crowded 2001! E-mail me your ideas and slogans for recruiting, such as, "Fun in the Sun in 2001"

New worker for Thunderhill were DieHard hopeful’s Lois Roth’s husband, Matthew, took the race off to help us. Mark Koskinen helped Harold Kaye in turn 8, and Marty Rowland assisted Kevin Velk and Steve DaSilve in turn 1. Thanks for the assistance. Don’t forget we’ll need you for the last race at Buttonwillow.

With one race left to go the workers listed below are this year’s DieHard hopefuls. Don Alexander, Bob Beach, John Dede, Michael Edmiston, Phillip Groves, Russ Hayes, Harold Kaye, Lois Roth and Jason Trabert, If you are not on this list and should be please contact us ASAP to insure your place of honor.

Our last race of 2000 is down in Buttonwillow. It’s a long drive but it’s worth it. After Saturday’s practice we will have our annual Worker Appreciation Race raffle and Sonja BBQ. I have a garage full (OK, so I exaggerate, but my wife says the garage is full of stuff, so it must be) of items from Rob Brown of Sears Point plus more things collected from Thunderhill and the Nationals. I hope I can get it all in the truck. But wait there’s more! Also I’ve collected over $1500 to split up. A big “Thank You” to all who have donated so far. And don’t forget the BBQ! AFM Prez, Joe Montoya, has shuffled the classes around a little and has it down to 12 races on Sunday. If we can keep the oil in the crankcases, we may get home relatively early. The AFM championship is up for grabs: Who will be #1 for 2001? Be there, and you’ll be the first to know. It will be a great way to end our racing season. We’ll miss you if you’re not there. Bring a friend and share the fun. Tell them you can get them into the races and BBQ for free. They might go for that. Just one more reminder. Remember that Buttonwillow is pretty far away from any Walmart, so bring what you may need.

Because a lawsuit no one under 18 years old is allowed on a hot track. Here is why: a worker had brought in their under-18 year old youth (lying about the youth being over 18) and was speeding on a motorcycle out to their turn before the raceday started. Both were injured when they hit another vehicle on track. There are exceptions to the policy, mostly dependent on the track, turn and parents’ position on the track. The youth must work with their actual parent and both sign the Worker Application and Release forms. Other positions like Pit Steward are also available. The youth must be dressed in worker attire if allowed to work with parent on the track and then only as an observer in the Comm Box. Parent must contact the Race Director or Worker Coordinator well prior to the raceday for particulars.

First, go to the front gate and sign the Gate Release form. Everyone, including campers, must sign the gate release each day they work. Be ready to show us your AFM Track Worker Card. If don’t have one, get the application at Registration. Even if you have applied for an AFM Competition or Associate license you must fill out the Worker application. They are different. From there, proceed to Registration and sign the Track Worker Release form. Also for those of you who are near 18 years old, you must show us a driver’s license or ID card proving your age at least once. The AFM keeps one copy of the release. You keep the other. Take your copy to Start/Finish and you will be assigned to a turn. This will be the procedure both Saturday and Sunday. We will try to have a special area for track workers at Registration to speed things up. Please be early on racedays. Oh yeah, just one more thing, a Gate Release form will be available at Start/Finish for campers to sign.

The weather can be iffy, so be prepared for almost anything. Layers are the hot setup. Since we all want to look alike, please wear as much white outer clothes as you can get. No red, yellow or orange colors - you don’t want to be mistaken for a flag. You may be grabbed by the leg and thrown thusly, by mistake. Long pants, sturdy shoes, no shorts. Some other good things to bring along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binox, extra clothes, a hat, energy snacks, fruits, juices and a good loud whistle. The AFM can provide you with a whistle if you don’t have one, but you don’t want to know whose lips were on it last. Please no alcohol during the races.

The gates open at 6:00 a.m. Please stay to the left as you enter the gate area toward the worker gate. The worker gate closes at 6:55. The morning meeting starts at 7:10 both days. The earlier the better for getting the turn you want and we also need to go to Registration and sign the release forms. Attendance at all eight AFM races is mandatory for this year’s DieHard hat. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of fog will keep us away from the gate taking names of those brave workers. We try to give the weather every chance of clearing before canceling the race and those days count for the hats.

Both Saturdays and Sundays we provide morning coffee and donuts, a sack lunch and after-race beverages and snacks. Please be responsible with post-race activities. We also place water, bug spray, and earplugs out on the turns. Our payday is Sunday after the race. Our final race gets the checkered flag about 6:00 p.m. C ya there!

2000 AFM RACE SCHEDULE

October 21-22  Buttonwillow

Buttonwillow Hotels
@ I-5 @ Highway 46 - 10 miles north of Lerdo Highway
 Motel 6                                       Economy Inn
 14685 Warren Street                  14684 Aloma Street
 Lost Hills, CA 93249                  Lost Hills, CA 93249
 Telephone: (661) 797-2346        Telephone: (661) 797-2371

Buttonwillow Off-Ramp / Highway 58
10 miles south of Lerdo Highway
 Good Nite Inns                           Motel 6- South
 20645 Tracy Road                     3810  Tracy Boulevard
 Buttonwillow, CA 93206            Buttonwillow, CA 93206
 Telephone: (661) 764-5121        Telephone: (661) 764-5207

 Super 8 – Buttonwillow               Motel 6 - North
 20681 Tracy Avenue                  20638 Tracy Boulevard
 Buttonwillow, CA 93206            Buttonwillow, CA 93206
 Telephone: (661) 764-5117        Telephone: (661) 764-5153

@ 1-5 Stockdale Highway - 15 miles south of Lerdo Highway
 Econo Lodge Best                     Western Heritage Inn
 200 Trask Street                       253 Trask Street
 Bakersfield, CA 93312              Bakersfield, CA 93312
 Res: 1-800-424-4777               Res: 1-800-328-1234
 Telephone: (661) 764-5221      Telephone: (661) 764-626

9th Newsletter...

Special E-mail note: This newsletter and worker applications should be in the snail mail by January 27, 2001. If you dont get your application and want one please e-mail me.Please give the USPS time to deliver before requesting. Also note the new e-mail address and worker hotline phone number. The new worker hotline number is the regular AFM number but "press  2 for the crew" and should be fully functional by Feb.3rd. Thanks

End of season / First of season newsletter.

What a great way to end the season! The season championship was up for grabs and we had Worker Appreciation Race raffle and the BBQ. Even though we were shorthanded, the hands we had were the best. Thank you for making the long drive to Buttonwillow. I would also like to thank everyone who donated to the Worker Appreciation Race raffle. Your generosity was overwhelming. There were tons of hats, T-shirts and jackets, boxes of cool AFM-logoed fanny packs, sports bottles, hand-made candy leis(?), great d.i.y. rum and coke kits, gift certificates, a bike ramp and the list goes on. We ended the evening’s festivities with a toast! Champagne and glasses donated by Rob Brown of Sears Point. Oh yeah, and over $3000 to split up. Holy greenbacks, Batman! WOW! Every worker walked away with an extra hundred bucks in their old pay envelope. Not a bad way to end the season what with great grub from Sonja, a great raffle, and more bucks! Thanks again to all. The workers couldn’t stop talking about it!

As I write this we are about half way through the off season. The mailing list just jumped from 240 to 399, thanks to the Motorcycle Show signups. One of our workers, Harold Kaye and others spent lots of time in the booth signing up newbies to help us out. And being shorthanded most of the year we can sure use the help. Thanks, and welcome, to all you new folks! Your first race you’ll be guests. After that, you’ll be family. Enclosed is a letter of introduction, this newsletter, a worker manual (a good place for new worker to get familiar with what we do) a No cost worker application and release forms, and some information cards to hand out to others about us. Workers Lois Roth and Mick Housel are working on point-of-sale displays to put in motorcycle shops. Some racers have signed up to put these displays at their places of business. Lots of effort is being made by lots of people to make sure we are not shorthanded in 2001. Thank you all! Lots of changes in 2001. Read on.
 

Race Notes - Doug Smith
The Season Closes

All of us who made the Buttonwillow trip were treated to a special weekend. The racing was a big part of it, but the dinner Saturday night might have been more fun. A dozen new die-hard hats are gracing deserving heads, there was good fun with the riders and their crews, and a lot of appreciation from the racers for the work we did all year long. It was a little tougher this year with some smaller crews, but a lot of you have gotten a lot better at what you do out there. It shows. Thanks to all of you who came the last weekend and any or all of the other weekends this year.

The races !!! Great stuff. Lots of class titles were on the line even though some were in the bag in August. Some done deals: Peter Hofmann topped off a dominant F-III year with another win, and Ken Hill won again in Open Twins to win that class by a very wide margin. Some cliffhangers: In F-1 Shawn Reilly was a point behind Brian Lefevre coming in, but edged him in the race and took the title. Don Jones took the F-Singles title over John Duhig by a single point with a win Sunday. And in the Champagne class, Rob Mesa had a small points lead over Jeff Hagen Sunday morning. In the race Rob finished third to Jeff’s second, but that was enough to hold on and take the Number 1 plate back after surrendering it to Jeff Short for a while. James Randolph took the win in a very good F-P race to earn the Number 3 plate for next year. Congrats to all of the class champions and to all the others who made the racing so great this year. All over the paddock I heard “Wait till next year“.

Next year. The Crew is always a growing and changing group. Next year one of those changes involves me. Because some things have changed over the past few years in my professional life, I am going to have to step back a bit from doing what I’ve been doing with the AFM for the last 15 or 16 years. I chatted with Barb about a week after Thunderhill, and told her that I didn’t think I could commit to the away races next year. Lots of options exist for the Barb and the board to choose from. I will be able to do the Sears races. Till then, I’ll miss you guys at the road shows - I may even make it to some. My deepest thanks to all of you for your support, friendship and putting up with me all these years. If I started naming names, I’d have to name hundreds. So know that you’re all in my thoughts. It’s been a special part of my life, and it still will be - just a little different now. So it’s the holidays. Take a break from the track and have the best of times with family and friends. Make it a special time. I look forward to seeing you all next year. Best - Doug.

More Notes -  Barbara Smith

The end of this millenium (yeah, THIS is the REAL end!!) is bringing lots of changes. We’ll have the opportunity to welcome new people into our ranks, and we’ll have to say goodbye to others.

One difficult goodbye will be to Doug Smith. I hired Doug on as Chief Communicator soon after I became Race Director in 1985, and he made life much better! Doug is an expert at his job! He collected information from the turn communicators, kept a concise race log, and never stopped teaching new communicators how to make the best race calls ever. He was another set of eyes at Start-Finish, where just about anything can and does happen!

The good news is that Doug isn’t going away... he’s just pulling back a little. He can’t make it to the away races, but I’m sure he’ll show up at Sears Point races and will fill in wherever he’s needed most. We haven’t decided on a replacement for Doug yet... they are big shoes to fill! But we’ll keep you posted, and I’m counting on all of you to help the transition go smoothly and seamlessly.

It will be an adjustment for me too... to not have Doug right behind me, helping with protests, starts, concerned relatives of a crasher, confused ambulance people, the lunch truck, the crash truck, the haybale truck, angry riders, bummed-out riders who’ve just been fined (by me!), the occasional happy rider,... and this is all in between doing his real job Ñ that of chief communicator. So I’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to Doug, for all his years of dedicated work for the AFM. He’s made the races safer and more fun for all of us.

The Crew has more key people leaving in 2001. More about them in the next newsletter as details are still a little sketchy. We will be looking for some help the things that Doug and the others do,  like a column for and help with the newsletter, The worker Holine phone,  picking up the soda and donuts, and about a million other things they do for us. If you would like to get more involved with the AFM, here’s your chance! Call now! Operators are standing by. This offer is not available in stores, some states or where prohibited.

The only new worker for the last race of 2000 was Chuck Boatwright in turn 2, with racer Dick Rossi. Thank you for your special effort in making our raceday possible.

Don Alexander, Bob Beach, John Dede, Michael Edmiston, Phillip Groves, Russ Hayes, Harold Kaye, and Lois Roth made it to every race in 2000. Besides the receiving pestegious DieHard hat, they will also receive a special gift at the first race of 2001. Do you want to be a DieHard in 2001? It starts at the first race.

Some other changes in 2001 will be a new Worker Hotline Number (510) 796-7005, and a new e-mail address for The Crew: crew@afmracing.org. This will make it easier in the future for people to move around, change their Internet Service Providers and not change all our literature and web pages. Speaking of web pages, there were at least 3 different Crew home pages. They will go bye-bye. Bookmark www.afmracing.org/crew.html  or place it in your favorites. I’m going to try to spend more time updating our web pages, freshening them up and adding new pictures. One more major change, we will be going from thirteen races down to twelve on raceday. To give us more down time between races to check the track, blue room breaks, and to take a break and get off our feet. I do believe that Formula 40 took the hit. They’ll just have to race with the younger guys.

2001 Schedule

 March  10 & 11 Buttonwillow
 April  14 & 15 Sears Point
 May  12 & 13 Thunderhill Park
 June  2 & 3 Sears Point
 July  21 & 22 Thunderhill Park
 August  18 & 19 Sears Point
 September  22 & 23 Sears Point
 October  20 & 21 Buttonwillow

That’s about it for now. About a month before the first race we’ll put out a post card with the Buttonwillow (reserve at your own risk because there have been problems) motel list and reminder that the season is approaching. And about two weeks before the race will be the “beginning of the season - full blown - nitro burning funny cars - newsletter.” We all hope your holidays were bright -and may all your racetracks be dry!