2004 AFM Turnworker Newsletters
Crew e-mail: crew@afmracing.org
Worker Hotline (510) 796-7005
American Federation of Motorcyclists
2004 Schedule
Preseason Info Preseason
March 27 & 28 Buttonwillow 1st Newsletter
April 17 & 18 Infineon (Sears Point) 2nd Newsletter
April 30 - May 2 AMA Infineon (Sears Point)
May 29 & 30 Infineon (Sears Point) 3rd Newsletter
June 12 & 13 Thunderhill 4th Newsletter
July 17 & 18 Buttonwillow 5th Newsletter
August 7 & 8 Infineon (Sears Point) 6th Newsletter
September 4 & 5 Thunderhill 7th Newsletter
October 1, 2 & 3 Infineon (Sears Point) 8th
Newsletter
End of Season
Preseason info...
AFM Turnworker Newsletter
Worker HotLine (510) 796-7005
E-mail: crew@afmracing.org
The Crew web site: www.afmracing.org/crew.html
Editors: Phill Brown, Sandy Jones, Tom Bright, Barbara Smith
Just a quickie newsletter to get you going for the new season. Enclosed
along with this note are some schedule cards (to give to your friends
and family to let them know where you will be), the three page
application, a welcome letter and a worker manual. Read it
thoroughly,
there will be a pop-quiz at the end of this note.
IMPORTANT! One bit of bookkeeping - anyone who did not attend any
race
in 2003 and does not send in an application by March 15, 2004,
will be
dropped from the mailing list. The list has gotten to big and has
become unmanageable. If you want to keep on the snail-mail mailing
list, send in the application, quickly.
The first full issue of The Crew for 2004 should be in the mail 2 weeks
before the first race. C-Ya Then!
2004 Schedule
March 27 & 28 ButtonwillowAFM Turnworker Newsletter
Worker HotLine (510) 796-7005
E-mail: crew@afmracing.org
The Crew web site: www.afmracing.org/crew.html
Editors: Phill Brown, Sandy Jones, Tom Bright, Barbara Smith
First Race of 2004: March 27 & 28; Buttonwillow, CA; About 35 miles
west of Bakersfield on I-5.
It’s been around 5 months since we’ve all been together and put on a
race so let’s get to it! There are going to be some changes in 2004 so
be sure to read on. Please check your address section on this
newsletter. If you have a worker number, no problem. But if it’s 0 or
blank, you have not sent in your 2004 worker application as of
(3/13/03). To save time on raceday, send it in A.S.A.P. And remember:
anyone who did not attend any race in 2003 and does not send in an
application by March 27, 2004, will be dropped from the mailing list.
The list has gotten to big and has become unmanageable. If you want to
keep on the snail-mail mailing list, send in the application, quickly.
Anyone who wishes to get the e-mail version of the newsletter (much
faster than the snail mail) please e-mail me at: crew@afmracing.org and
ask to be put on the list.
Jeremy Bell and Bruce Barnum are the hosts of this year’s Turnworker
Training, at the first race. We will start the morning meeting early
(did you read the rest of the newsletter) 7:00, sharp, according to our
Race Director’s (Barbara Smith) watch that runs a little fast. We will
split the training up to both Saturday and Sunday. Veteran and rookie
alike, can always pick up something from these two (be sure to wash
your hands afterwards) like some very interesting ways to hold multiple
flags that you don’t want to miss.
The AFM is looking closely at all expenses because of losses the past
two years. The entry fees have gone up to the racers and the AFM Board
has asked us to look at our spending. We are looking at several
options, which MIGHT include: Rookie Pay for brand new workers. We also
had over 80 workers at the first two Infineon (Sears Point, yeah I know
you know, but it’s a habit) races last year. That’s about 20 too many.
We are looking at ways to possibly have workers pre-enter the event
like the racers do so we are not over-crowded. We really don’t want to
turn anyone away but it may come to this. (Sorry for the pun, “turn
anyone away”, turn, Turnworker, eh, never mind. Sorry Jeremy).
I will have signups for the 2004 AMA National at Infineon at
Buttonwillow. They will not be mailed to everyone. I am limited to 50
workers. Workers with the most experience and can work all three days
will go to the head of the class.
Just a reminder of the change in the DieHard rules last year. If you
work all eight Sunday race dates you will receive a DieHard hat. But if
you work both Saturday and Sunday for all eight races, you will receive
the coveted DieHard Jacket in 2005. Remember there are only eight
events this year. Remember the pressure you put on yourself to be a
DieHard is you own. Everyone’s commitment level is different. Your
family, job, vacations, and other interests enter into the equation. We
always miss you when you are not there and always are happy to see you
when you are.
To be in compliance with IRS laws, starting in 2003 the AFM has been
keeping track of all money paid out to workers. Workers earning $600 or
more during the year will receive a 1099 form as well as having a 1099
form sent to the IRS. The AFM must have your application on file with
your Social Security Number on it, or you will not be paid. Also please
remember that you must fill out a new application each year. Please
send your application in soon to get your 2004 worker number assigned
to you before the first race to help speed things up on race day.
What we do at the racetrack is serious business, and we have a good
time doing it. But we must take our job seriously - lives depend upon
it. We are responsible for track safety. We work together as a unit to
provide that. One worker cannot watch the whole track so; we put eyes
everywhere and then connect them all together with the Comm line to
promote the flow of information in all directions. This information is
provided to the Head Communicator and Race Director for the race logs
and general decision making. This information is also on a party line
for all to hear. If you hear of a crash in the turn after yours -
listen to what flag they are on - do we need to put up a flag too? Do
we need to notify the coming racers of the great danger in front of
them? The sooner we get that information to the racers the better the
chance of them becoming aware of something dangerous ahead. The racers
will have more time to shift their focus from racing, to slowing down
and reacting to what’s happened. 80 MPH is about 117 feet per second.
With bikes spaced about 20 feet apart, 6 bikes go by every second. So
every second that passes, 6 racers think that everything is fine in
front of them - possibly adding to an already bad situation. Cameras of
any type should be left in the pits. So should any other distraction.
If it pulls your attention from the track when bikes are on course, you
and the racers are at risk.
I remember talking to departed Turnworker, Flagger extraordinaire, Bill
Riggins, after a race one weekend. He was trying to figure out,
if by
standing a little more to the right and scanning his turn a little
faster, he might have been able to get his flag out a little faster and
warn the approaching racers of the crash in his turn sooner. When the
track is hot (bikes on course - not just temperature wise, like the
last race at T-hill) all attention needs to be on the track and your
eyes always be moving. You are the eyes and ears of the decision
makers. Getting the important information that you see to them quickly
is vital to everyone’s safety. Important information: what happened
(short version - two or three words); who you are (what turn); what
flag you are on; where (track and rider conditions). What does that get
you? Let’s look at a call.
“Turn 5. Bike down. Waving yellow. Course Blocked. Rider’s not moving.
Early entrance, riders’ right, checking.”
“Turn 5” tells turn 4 and turn 3 to pay attention to what’s next.
The
“Bike Down” call gets everyone to stop any lesser important calls or
chit-chat on the Comm. “Waving Yellow” must be backed up by a standing
yellow in the turn preceding or if the crash is before their flag
station for the preceding turn to have a waving yellow flag. “Course
Blocked” and “Rider not moving” gives the race director information
about track conditions that may require a red flag. “Early entrance,
riders’ right” lets us know where the crash is in your turn. “Checking”
means more information to follow. Take a breath, and tell us what you
are seeing. You are our eyes and ears out there. Keep the information
flowing if it is serious. Important decisions are being made based upon
what you are telling us. If the other turns are paying attention (you
are paying attention, right), they will have the appropriate flag
displayed with out being told directly. Can you see how fast this
information can flow? Can you also see how it could break down if you
are not aware?
Being on a hot track can be exhilarating and dangerous. If you are
responding to a downed bike, you are in an impact area. Chances are
others may crash into the same area. So, always keep your eyes looking
around and especially up-track; for every second you look away, at
80MPH, what ever is coming at you is over 100 feet closer to hitting
you and ruining your day. Remember, only Superman can out-run a
speeding bullet and so far no one has shown up at the morning meeting
with a large, red “S” on their blue tights. (Now any of you with the
bright idea for wearing blue tights to the next morning meeting should
refrain out of common decency for all involved! Don’t say you didn’t
think about it! You know who you are.)
We have an awesome responsibility to the safety of everyone at the
track. Number one is self preservation of the Turnworker species.
Number two are the racers still on the track and last but not least is
the incident that caused it all in the first place. Should we attend to
the incident first? No! We must warn approaching racers of the danger
ahead or you could make a bad situation worse by adding to, or worst
yet, running into it. Most of us don’t deal with Life or death
situations working behind our desks, taking orders at Taco Bell or
watching Jerry Springer. (I said watching Jerry Springer, not appearing
on his show). About once a month we are asked to take it up a notch and
be part of something that is bigger than who we are individually. We
have become part of The Crew - arguably, the best Motorcycle
Turnworking Group in the States, and quite possibly the world. This is
not bragging. I’ve been told this by many racers and officials who have
seen what the rest of the world has to offer. Please take it all
seriously, if you can’t take it seriously, by all means, stay home.
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.
AFM Turnworker Newsletter
Postcard Only
3rd Newsletter...
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4th Newsletter...
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AFM Turnworker Newsletter
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AFM Turnworker Newsletter
Worker HotLine (510) 796-7005
E-mail: crew@afmracing.org
The Crew web site: www.afmracing.org/crew.html
Editors: Phill Brown, Sandy Jones, Tom Bright, Barbara Smith
Next race: September 4 & 5, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows.
About 85 miles north of Sacramento on I-5.
Our next race is less than a week away and the early worker pre-entry
list is showing a very light turnout. We can use all our able bodied
workers for the 14 turn track. We hope to entice you with the annual
Worker Appreciation Race (see details below) and BBQ, Thunderhill’s
Walmart, and the hot, drying weather to help bake out that Summer cold
you’ve been suffering from for so long.
Please try to always keep in mind the seriousness of our jobs at the
racetrack. And how having our attention distracted, even for a short
time, while there are bikes on course can have dire results. Cell
phones, cameras, Gameboys, and anything else that would take away your
attention should be left in your car or backpack. Wait for lunch,
breaks (though, few and far between) and the end of the day to use
them. We also represent the AFM to racers, spectators and track staff.
Please treat them all with respect. If there is a problem, please
notify Barb, Sandy or Phill and we will see that it gets handled. If
you are running late, don’t run the gate. Pay the fee and we will try
to reimburse you, or have the gate personnel contact us, or better yet,
don’t be late. No fighting, under ANY circumstances. No generators,
loud music, etc. after 10pm in the pits. Clean up after yourself
(camping gear, garbage, any leaks, pet messes, etc.) Also post race -
no excessive drinking and no use of drugs under any circumstances. This
is a “no-brainer”. You need to be on yer toes while bikes are on
course. And last, but certainly not least, don’t do anything that would
embarrass your Mum. You know she always hated getting those calls from
the Principal telling her what you did “this time”. Thank you for your
support! Carry on...
We will have our Worker Appreciation Race and BBQ on Labor Day
Weekend, September 4 & 5, during our last trip to Thunderhill this
year. In previous years we have collected for the raffle all kinds of
great stuff like helmets, gloves, leathers, boots, booze, weekend
getaways, computers, gift certificates, and all of the shirts and stuff
I’ve collected taking up space in my garage. Plus Cash! Over two big
ones ($2000) were collected last year and distributed to the workers
with their regular pay. But wait! There’s more! As I said before, the
early signups are showing a very light turnout. Here is the last thing
I can offer to help get more people there... Monday off (for most of
you). Yes, that’s right, an extra day off from work (for most of you)
complements of the AFM. How they are able to do it, I don’t know. This
offer is only good this Labor Day Weekend. Call now! Operators are
standing by...
As many of you know, this has been a tough year for the AFM, loosing
two of our racers. Rich Thorwaldson crashed at our May Infineon race
and died in late June from his injuries. Jimm Groshong died from his
injuries on August 7, also at Infineon. Rich and Jimm were pitmates and
residents of the Reno/Tahoe area. Godspeed Rich and Jimm.
2004 DieHard Rules Updated
If you work all eight Sunday race dates you will receive a DieHard hat.
But if you work Saturday, Sunday and Friday, October 1, for all eight
races, you will receive the coveted DieHard Jacket in 2005. Remember
the pressure you put on yourself to be a DieHard is you own. Everyone's
commitment level is different. Your family, job, vacations, and other
interests enter into the equation. We always miss you when you are not
there and always are happy to see you when you are.
Please look on the other side of this newsletter. (If you try
looking behind this window on the screen or behind your monitor, we
need to talk!) If it is blank, skip this paragraph. If it says, "We
miss you" then you are in danger of being dropped from the mailing
list. If you want to stay on the mailing list, please fill it out and
get it back to me ASAP.
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. 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.
AFM Turnworker Newsletter
Worker HotLine (510) 796-7005
E-mail: crew@afmracing.org
The Crew web site: www.afmracing.org/crew.html
Editors: Phill Brown, Sandy Jones, Tom Bright, Barbara Smith
The pre-race signups are very light so get off the fence and get to the
track. We need you for all three days! Drop me an e-mail and let us
know you’ll BE THERE! crew@afmracing.org
The gates open at 6:00 a.m. Please stay to the left as you enter the
main gate. There will be staff to sign you in. We quit signing in
workers at 6:55. If you are late you may have to pay to get in. 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.
All days 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 5:00 p.m. C ya there!
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. 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.