American Federation of Motorcyclists Schedule for 1994

1994 AFM Schedule

1st Newsletter...

The Early Spring Wake-up Call

What's that? The days are getting longer little by little. That smell in the air, just my allergies? Barbecues? Nobody answers their phone these days. Are they out pulling weeds? Watching the Giants at spring training? I don't think so. The phone machines all say ...

HA !!! I'M AT DAYTONA AND YOU'RE NOT !!! I'LL CALL YA NEXT WEEK MAYBE !!!

Well, we're going racing too and pretty soon. The AFM Grand Inaugural First Race of the Year will soon be here. It's time to do all those little things that you feel just a little bit guilty about not having done when you're at the track. Because hey, who needs the aggravation? Dig out the whites and rinse them off. Still fit? Great! Where did I leave that whistle? Out of sunscreen? I knew that. Just a few little things and we're ready to hit the track.

Opening Weekend

The weekend schedule for most race dates will be the same as last year. Saturday will be open practice in the morning with New Riders' School in the afternoon. As in the past we need a small but experienced crew for the day. If you have worked at least 6 races and would be comfortable handling a corner with a minimum crew, please give me a call. We're looking for a total crew of 20 - 25. Sunday is the race day. New workers are welcome. You'll get on the job training by some of the best corner crews in the world. New workers must be at least 18 years old, have good common sense, and a desire to be a part of a great team. The same race day schedule as last year will be followed. That's 6 practices and 3 races in the morning, and 8-9 races in the afternoon.

Daylight Savings Time !!!

Sunday the third is the start of Daylight Savings Time. Make your plans and set your clocks accordingly. There have been too many stories through the years. But not you, not this year, right ???

A New Home for The Crew

The Crew is coming to you from a new home. Please note the address on the back of this sheet. I've put in a new phone line for AFM business to help save my wife's sanity. The number is . I'll have late news on the machine. Feel free to call anytime.

Volunteer(s) Urgently Needed

There is a need for someone to take over the important duty of bringing the coffee and donuts for the Crew for both Saturday and Sunday mornings. The AFM handles the $$$ and has the coffee caddies. Arrangements are open, as we are not tied to a particular shop. If you can help out, please call me. Everyone will thank you.

Mail Call

If you know any of the following people, please have them give me a call. Their mail is being returned to me undelivered: George Attita, Gary Donaldson, Carl Fitzgerald, Joe Lippo, Darin Schilling, Paul Schultz, David Wilson, and Kevin Wuertz.

It's Nice To Be Wanted

I got a call from the Track Riders program coordinator. They are looking for workers for their Sears Point days. The dates are April 1, June 16, and Sept. 23. These are not AFM events, but they value our workers for their motorcycle experience. If you're interested please call Don Spina at 1-800-729-1819.

Important Raceday Information * Lots of it *

Sears Point International Raceway is located on Highway 121 near the junction of Highway 37, between Vallejo and Novato at the north end of San Francisco Bay. Stay to the left as you enter the property. For the first race of the year only, the worker gate opens at 6:15 A.M. (oh no) and closes at 6:55 A.M. Did everybody catch that? It gets better. This is Daylight Savings Time !!! Set your clocks ahead Saturday night. If you're late, please don't run the gate. You'll have to pay to get in. See me later. The morning meeting will be at 7:00 Daylight Time at Start/Finish. Lots to cover, and we need to knock some of the rust off. As usual, the earlier you arrive the better your chances of getting the turn you want. Also as usual, the club and some workers have special needs to be met.

Dress appropriately. Be prepared for any type of weather. Especially at this time of year layers are the hot setup. If at all possible wear whites for outer layers. Beg, borrow, buy them on sale, but they are really the best. Please, no red or yellow clothing (or hats) on the course. A speeding rider might mistake you for a flag, leading to who knows what... . The best thing for the crew is to all look the same so that the riders don't have to worry about who's who out there. Long pants and sturdy shoes that you can run in are also requirements.

Just once too close to a hot freshly crashed motorcycle in shorts, well it's not a pretty picture. Good things to have with you on a turn are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binoculars maybe, boots, munchies, soda or juice (no alcohol please), and a hat. The AFM does not race Sears Point, or anywhere else right now, in the rain. But I'll be there along with everybody else until a race day is officially canceled. We give the weather every chance, and we count those days for the Die-Hard hats.

Both Saturday and Sunday we provide coffee and donuts in the morning, lunches at lunchtime, and snacks, beverages, and ten bucks for gas at the end of the day. Please be responsible with any post-race activities. We are usually done by 6:00 P.M. If you have questions feel free to call me at or drop me a note at the address on the front. It'll be fun !!! See you there.

2nd Newsletter...

Opening Weekend

Two great days greeted the start of the 1994 AFM season. Good weather all around, great racing for the first day out, and no major trouble on the track. What's a little oil after all ??? All of the 1994 Die-Hards were treated to a great show by AMA ace Dale Quarterly. After leading and the pitting in an earlier race, he treated everyone to 11.99 great laps in Formula Pacific. Then just after Turn 12 he pulled off the course to let the series regulars collect the points.

There were other riders who left the course, but not quite as gracefully as Dale. All concerned are OK as of this writing. Turn 11 was the most popular spot for graceless departures, with 11 unplanned exits. The proceedings were managed there by Linda Pauli, with able assistance from Bill Baucom, Teresa Hunt and new worker Alfred Hernandez. I'm told that Alfred was an expert just a little after lunch. The next most frequented exit spots were Turns 4 and 6, with 4 events each. TM MontE, Rod Scott, John Bede, and new man Craig Courtney presided over Turn 4, while Don Alexander (TM), Louie Tozzi and capable newcomers Alicia Ward and Jeff Snow handled the carousel. Other new workers were Glen Fraga, Josh Barrett, Peter Teagle and Gary Wells. Thank you all for coming out. We hope you can find your way back.

After a Long Break, The Next Race

The schedule for the Memorial Day Weekend will be the same as it was for opening day, but with an extra hour's sleep (?) Saturday night. Saturday will be open practice in the morning with New Riders' School in the afternoon. Opening Day our Saturday crew did a great job. The riders had all the practice that most of them could handle. The Crew rallies at Pre-Grid for our morning meeting at 8:00, a little earlier for coffee - Thank You Carl !!! If you have worked at least 6 races and would be at ease handling a corner with a minimum crew, please give me a call. We're looking for a total crew of 20 - 25. Sunday is the race day for us and the Indy guys. They only get in one race though... New workers are welcome. You'll get on the job training by some of the best corner crews in the world. New workers must be at least 18 years old, have good common sense, and a desire to be a part of a great team. The same race day schedule as last race will be followed. That's 6 practices and 3 races in the morning, and 8-9 races after lunch.

Indianapolis News Blackout

As many VCRs will be on the job Sunday, please keep our traditional Indy news blackout intact. The Carnage Brothers, usually confined to turns 8 and 8A, are delegated full enforcement authority. Something very special awaits those who tell ...

Die Hard Hats

Those of you at the track have probably noticed those really cool hats that a lot of the workers wear. The Die Hard hats are awarded to those workers who are at every race during a given year. I know a few people with about 7 of these in their closet. Having this hat makes other hats just extra baggage. There are about 56 nominees for this year's awards. They know who they are. They were all at the first race. I'd love to hand out all 56 hats. It won't make the club go broke, honest...

Mail Call

I have an update to this list. I did get a few calls, but more would help. If you know any of these folks please have them give me a call. Their mail is being returned to me undelivered: Gary Donaldson, Carl Fitzgerald, Joe Lippo, Paul Schultz, David Wilson, and Kevin Wuertz.

The Well Prepared Worker

Dress appropriately. Be prepared for any type of weather. Especially at this time of year layers are the hot setup. If at all possible wear whites for outer layers. Beg, borrow, buy them on sale, but they are really the best. Please, no red or yellow clothing (or hats) on the course. A speeding rider might mistake you for a flag, leading to who knows what... . The best thing for the crew is to all look the same so that the riders don't have to worry about who's who out there. Long pants and sturdy shoes that you can run in are also requirements. Just once too close to a hot freshly crashed motorcycle in shorts, well it's not a pretty picture. Good things to have along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binoculars maybe, an extra shirt, munchies, soda or juice (no alcohol please), and a hat.

Important Raceday Information " The Return of the Last Paragraph "

Sears Point International Raceway is located on Highway 121 near the junction of Highway 37, between Vallejo and Novato at the north end of San Francisco Bay. Stay to the left as you enter the property. For the remaining races, the worker gate opens at 6:15 A.M. Sunday and closes at 7:00 A.M. If you're late, please don't run the gate. You'll have to pay to get in. The morning meeting will be at 7:15 A.M. at Start/Finish. As usual, the earlier you arrive the better your chances of getting the turn you want. Also as usual, the club and some workers have special needs to be met. The AFM does not race Sears Point, or anywhere else right now, in the rain. But I'll be there along with everybody else until a race day is officially canceled. We give the weather every chance, and we count those days for the Die-Hard hats. Both Saturday and Sunday we provide coffee and donuts in the morning, lunches at lunchtime, and snacks, beverages, and a few bucks for gas at the end of the day. Please be responsible with any post-race activities. We are usually done by 6:00 P.M. If you have questions feel free to call me at ?, be nice to the machine, or drop me a note at the address below. See you there !!!

3rd Newsletter

Indy Weekend

Well, was that hot enough for everyone? There was almost enough racing for everyone during our Memorial Day event. Almost, because a big oily mess in turn 8 put an end to the day early in the last production race. We almost had the day in even with the extra race. There was a huge entry list for the event. Wait lists on most of the grids and great racing all day long. AFM racing has come a very long way to become one of the top clubs in the country to race with. Our part of the day, giving everyone a good clean track to race on, is a big part of the picture. I've heard a lot of compliments for our crew from racers, sponsors, and others, and all of you should know that.

If you haven't seen the latest Roadracing World magazine, you are behind on your reading. There are three great articles about turnworking, two about Sears Point in particular. If you are a new worker or if you've been at it for a while, it's a great read. Get to your newsstand before they're all gone !!!

For such a long day there were relatively few crashes. A few riders crashed harder than others, but the news is good. All of our transports are OK as of this writing. Turn 12 was the best tech sticker hunting ground this day, with 7 stickers captured. Turn Marshall Steve Gregory with his team of Phillip Klingelhofer and new workers Steve Eells and Steve Simpson had a handle on the rush. The next most popular set-down spots were Turns 2, 3, 8 and 11 (almost everyplace) with 4 sticker days each. TM Dennis Baird and Richard Stewart broke in new workers Ken Marckmann and Mark Freeman right at Turn 2. Ron Johnson, Wess Safford and Ted Shilling showed new man Wayne McMillan the ropes in Turn 3. Pat Hickey Louie Tozzi and TM Mike Walker handled a tricky weekend in Turn 8 with style, and Linda Pauli with her crew of Teresa Hunt, Henry Hathaway, and Bill Baucom did their usual pro job in Turn 11. Other new workers Tim Batteson, Thomas Aldridge and Guy Berrysmith rounded out good crews in 4, 5, and 6. Thank you all for coming out. We hope you can find your way back.

Next Race Weekend: June 18 & 19

The schedule for the Fathers Day Weekend will be the same as it was for Memorial Day. Saturday will be open practice in the morning with New Riders' School in the afternoon. Our Saturday crew did a great job this past weekend. Turns 8 and 8A gave us more excitement than we had hoped for, but the Air Bale came up aces, and everyone walked away. The Crew rallies at Pre-Grid for our morning meeting at about 7:45, a little earlier for coffee - Thank You Carl !!! If you have worked at least 6 races and would be at ease handling a corner with a minimum crew, please give me a call. We're looking for a total crew of 20 - 25. Sunday is the race day. New workers are welcome. You'll get on the job training by some of the best corner crews in the world. New workers must be at least 18 years old, have good common sense, and a desire to be a part of a great team. The same race day schedule as last race will be followed. That's 6 practices and 3 races in the morning, and 9-10 (?) races after lunch. No problem. Mail Call

If you have moved please let me know. The list is getting a lot better. Remember - the Post Office will forward first class mail, which of course this is, for a short while. Then the mail is returned to the sender, in this case me, usually too late to get it re-sent before the next race. Especially if I'm a little behind on life like I am this week.

The Fashion Statement

Dress appropriately. Be prepared for any type of weather. Especially at this time of year layers are the hot setup. If at all possible wear whites for outer layers. They are really the best. Please, no red or yellow clothing (or hats) on the course. A speeding rider might mistake you for a flag, leading to who knows what... . The best thing for the crew is to all look the same so that the riders don't have to worry about who's who out there. Long pants and sturdy shoes that you can run in are also the right stuff. Good things to have along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binoculars maybe, more sunscreen, an extra shirt, munchies, soda or juice (no alcohol please), and a hat.

Important Raceday Information Not Just Another Last Paragraph

Sears Point International Raceway is located on Highway 121 near the junction of Highway 37, between Vallejo and Novato at the north end of San Francisco Bay. Stay to the left as you enter the property. For the remaining races, the worker gate opens at 6:15 A.M. Sunday and closes at 7:00 A.M. If you're late, please don't run the gate. You'll have to pay to get in. The morning meeting will be at 7:15 A.M. at Start/Finish. As usual, the earlier you arrive the better your chances of getting the turn you want. Also as usual, the club and some workers have special needs to be met. The AFM does not race Sears Point, or anywhere else right now, in the rain. But I'll be there along with everybody else until a race day is officially canceled. We give the weather every chance, and we count those days for the Die-Hard hats. Both Saturday and Sunday we provide coffee and donuts in the morning, lunches at lunchtime, and snacks, beverages, and a few bucks for gas at the end of the day. Please be responsible with any post-race activities. We are usually done by 6:00 P.M. If you have questions feel free to call me at ?, be nice to the machine, or drop me a note at the address below. C-ya !!!

4th Newsletter

Father's Day Weekend

Were you all good to Dad? Get that call made? Mail the card and that really cool tie? Next year bring him along to the races !!! He can deal with a flag, right? He might surprise you...

We had a very small but excellent crew for the Father's Day races. And we were busy. The long days with not much to do ended for a while, especially if you drew turns 2 or 4. Turn 2 led the busy list with eleven riders down, mostly in groups of 2 or 3. Turn 2 was run by T.M. Dennis Baird with help from Jim Lowe, Wayne McMillan, and raceday voulenteer Elisi Pini. Turn 4 had nine unscheduled visitors, mostly 2 by 2. Handling the load there was T.M. Rod Scott with John Dede and Guy Berrysmith. The rest of the tech sticker removal action was pretty evenly spread around between turns 3, 5, 6, 8A, 11 and 12, with 3 or 4 visits each. Turn 1 had a lot of flagging to do for turn 2 and that one really long oil spill. Good jobs all around let us get through a day that was looking pretty doubtful a couple of times. And it was Henry's Birthday. How could we go too far wrong?

All of the riders are recovering well except for Denny Jewel who was hurt in Turn 4. He still has some serious back problems and is recovering in Santa Rosa. If you want to send a card, get it to Barbara Smith at P.O. Box 5018-333, Newark, CA 94560, and she'll make sure it gets passed along.

There were two new workers at the race. Kevin Corse has worked quite a few races as an NMP, but he was with our crew in Turn 9 this time. Elisi Pini came down during the first practice and asked if we needed any help. We did, in Turn 2. Elisi, I hope it wasn't too busy for you. Thank you both. Please come and join us again.

The raffle after the race was a lot of fun. Thanks to the AFM and Cycle Gear for the Prizes. Another thank-you goes out to R & J Honda in Vallejo. They have given the Crew a short stack of gift certificates after each race this year to pass out to workers in or around the Vallejo area. There have been about 10 $10.00 or $20.00 certificates at each race. We thank R & J for their generous gifts.

Next Race Weekend: July 9 & 10 A Different Two Day Event

The next weekend will be something new and special for the AFM at Sears Point. We will be holding a two day event with the AHMRA, the vintage racing group. Our regular schedule will be split between the two days, with 4 or 5 AHMRA races added each day. In their schedule on Saturday and again on Sunday will be the BMW sponsored Battle of the Legends. This race is by invitation to retired pro riders on identically prepared BMWs. It's kind of an IROC fromat with all of your heros. I can't wait for this one. The schedule will be a race day schedule both days with bikes on course at 8:00. Practice and 2 or 3 races in the morning, and more fun after lunch. New workers are welcome both days. You'll get on the job training by some great corner crews. New workers must be at least 18 years old, have good common sense, and a desire to be a part of a team. With fewer races, we should be done earlier each day.

Mail Call

If you have moved please let me know. The list is getting a lot better. Remember - the Post Office will forward first class mail, which of course this is, for a short while. Then the mail is returned to me, usually too late to get it re-sent to the new place before the next race. No list of lost souls this month.

The Fashion Statement

Take the time to dress appropriately. Set your stuff up the night before. Be prepared for any type of weather. Especially at this time of year layers are the hot setup. If at all possible wear whites for outer layers. They are really the best. Please, no red or yellow clothing (or hats) on the course. The best thing for the crew is to all look the same, or pretty close, so that the riders can easily see us out there. Long pants and sturdy shoes that you can run in are also the right stuff. Good things to have along are sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves, binoculars maybe, more sunscreen, an extra shirt, some munchies, soda or juice (no alcohol please), and a good hat.

Important Raceday Information A Two - Day Last Paragraph

Sears Point International Raceway is located on Highway 121 near the junction of Highway 37, between Vallejo and Novato at the north end of San Francisco Bay. Stay to the left as you enter the property. The worker gate opens at 6:15 A.M. both Saturday and Sunday and closes at 7:00 A.M. If you're late, please don't run the gate. You'll have to pay to get in. The morning meeting will be at 7:15 A.M. at Start/Finish. As usual, the earlier you arrive the better your chances of getting the turn you want. Also as usual, the club and some workers have special needs to be met. The AFM does not race Sears Point, or anywhere else right now, in the rain. Not much chance of that in July, but I'll be there along with everybody else until a race day is officially canceled. We give the weather every chance, and we do count those days for the Die-Hard hats. Both Saturday and Sunday we provide coffee and donuts in the morning, lunches at lunchtime, and snacks, beverages, and a few bucks for gas at the end of the day. Please be responsible with any post-race activities. We'll be done a little earlier this weekend. If you have questions feel free to call me at ?, be nice to the machine, or drop me a note at the address below. C-ya !!!

5th Newsletter

The AHRMA-AFM Weekend

The two day event with the AHRMA folks was a success in many ways. The most obvious was the chance to see and hear some great vintage racing machines. These bikes are pampered by some very dedicated owners and riders. The bikes are also serious racing machines and their riders are serious racers. Some of the best fun was cruising the pits at lunchtime. Mickey's favorite was the 45 year old Indian with one (1) hour on the motor. Other votes were heard for the Matchless', Triumphs, and many others. Another big AHRMA attraction was the Legends racers. Dave, Reg, Gary and Roger joined us at the beer Sunday. That was a really good time.

The weekend was also about AFM racing. We had a thin but very able crew on Saturday for some good racing. There was excellent racing with a couple of close finishes for the smaller displacement bikes. With the racing comes some problems though, and that's one of the things we handle. Turn 12 did most of the handling on Saturday. Six riders found their way down. The crew led by Bill Baucom, with Duane Deboer and Phillip Klingelhoffer handled a red flag situation and all other problems with their usual professional style. Sunday brought out the big AFM machinery and our best worker turnout of the year. It is so much easier when there's a little more help to go around. Cal Rayborn walked away with a very fast Formula Pacific race. For our crew, Turn 1 was the busy spot. Seven riders tried the hillside, making a busy day for TM Jim Short and crew of Mellanie Durandette, Rod Coates, Louie Tozzi, and Ed Schwindeman. The were many new workers who joined us for the July race weekend. They were Bill Burns, Steve Bowen, Sandy Craig, Max Deaton, Michael Gonos, Lance Hampton, Neal Nagid, Ed Schwindeman and Richard White (WOW!!!). I missed welcoming new workers Kat Watson and David Grismore from the July race. Thanks everyone for coming out. We look forward to seeing all of you again and again.

The Next Race, A Normal Weekend (?)

The schedule for will be the same as it was for the Memorial Day Weekend and June events. Tough to reach back that far? I know, so here goes. Saturday will be open practice in the morning with New Riders' School in the afternoon. Our Saturday crews have done a great job all year long. The riders, new and otherwise, have all the practice that most of them could handle. Meet at Pre-Grid for our morning meeting at 7:45. We need a crew of 20 - 25 experienced workers. Sunday is race day. New workers are welcome. You'll get on the job training by some of the best corner crews in the world. New workers must be at least 18 years old with good common sense and a desire to be a part of a great team. The race day schedule will be 6 practices and 3 races in the morning, and 8 or 9 races after lunch.

Brickyard 400 News Blackout

As is our tradition during an AFM raceday with an otherwise significant race on TV, please keep our news blackout intact. Many VCRs will be on the job to catch something almost as interesting as a Sears Point race.

A Big Thank You

In the June newsletter I mentioned that the current (June) issue of Road Racing World had three great articles on turn working from different angles. John Ulrich, RRW's editor, sent me a huge box with about a hundred copies in case some of us missed it. Thank You John !!! A lot of folks at the last race loved them. I've still got some left. See me at the track.

Get Well Soon

One of our regulars, Lee Simmons, was recently involved in a rollerblade vs. car accident. He was on the blades. I understand that a full recovery is expected, but it may take a little while. Best wishes, Lee. We all hope to see you back soon.

Mail Call

A lot of newsletters from our last edition, probably 15, got returned by the USPO with a forwarding address on that little yellow sticker. If one of these was yours, you missed out. I've groomed the list again, but a few folks are still at large. If you know Omar Alberto or Tracy Wiseman please have them give me a call.

Etc.: Eddie Lawson On Four Wheels?

You bet! In his first full season of car racing he landed a ride with Tasman Motorsports, one of the top Indy Lights Teams. He is third in points, just out of second. Lawson has had five podiums finishes in six races this year, including his first win of the season at Cleveland on our last raceday. Indy next year? Could be.

" The Last Paragraph, The Good Stuff "

Sears Point International Raceway is located on Highway 121 near the junction of Highway 37, between Vallejo and Novato at the north end of San Francisco Bay. The worker gate is open Sunday from 6:15 A.M. to 7:00. Say to the left as you enter the facility. If you are late, please don't run the gate. You'll have to pay to get in. The morning meeting is at 7:15 A.M. at Start/Finish. As usual, early arrivals have the best chance of getting the turn you want. If it rains (!!!) I'll be there along with everybody else until the race day is officially canceled. We give the weather every chance, and those days count for the Die-Hard hats. Both Saturday and Sunday coffee and donuts are on hand in the morning, lunches at lunchtime, and snacks, beverages, and a few bucks for gas at the end of the day (Payday is Sunday). Please be responsible with any post-race activities. We are usually done by 5:45 P.M. Questions? Please feel free to call me at ?2 (be nice to the machine if it answers) or drop me a note at the address below. See you there !!!

6th Newsletter

Hot August Weekend ?

You bet! The August race is usually one that is high on heat, long on sun and fast on the track. This year scored on all counts. Entries were down a bit, but there was plenty of good racing at the sharp end of the grids. The points races in most classes are still pretty tight. With the last two Sears races just two weeks apart, things should be happening when those Sundays come around.

The rider report from the August race looks pretty good. All of the injured ones are making good progress. The log sheets tell the story of Turns 4 and 7 which were the busy places to be on Sunday. Turn 4 hosted 9 unwilling visitors, but the usual welcome mat out. John Dede with his crew of Kevin Corse, Greg Parks and Marc Freeman were the perfect hosts. With the welcome mat out for 7 guests was the Turn 7 crew. Bruce Barnum, Mickey Housel, and Richard Stewart showed new workers Steve Ugena and Brad Rubinoff how it's done. Next on the hospitality list were Turns 10 and (nothing ever happens in) 5, with 4 guests apiece. Other new workers for the day were Adam Wright, Nat Martin and Jerry Butcher. We hope you all had enough fun to come back and do it again.

The Next Race: Not Even A Normal Weekend

The annual endurance race is always a little different. Teams of riders, pit stops with tire changes, refueling, and some patching it back together. A few of our normal race day rules are changed for this race. One that we are concerned with is that a rider who falls may restart and continue - with the permission of the turnworker. If there is any leaking from the bike or other reason why they should stay put - like missing brake parts - we can let them continue to the pits. If there is a problem, they can take the ring road or call it a day. If the rider wants to work on the bike, get it to a safe place. If there isn't a good spot, like the outside of turn 9, too bad, that's a day. Stash it, make it safe, and move on.

The endurance race means that Saturday is a race day and we need a full race day crew. The weather has been cooler the last 2 weeks, but it will still be a long race. More workers means a chance to get a few breaks during the race. Veteran turnworkers will tell you that it's good to bring along a snack to keep the energy up. Fruits and juices work well. I'll have the candy bars out at lunch break. The schedule for the weekend will be different from any other weekend this year. Saturday morning will be an open practice like most of the other Saturdays. Practice will be open to all racers whether or not they are in the endurance race. After lunch it's the 4 Hour Enduro, starting about 12:30. After that, the annual turnworker picnic / BBQ / feeding frenzy. Sunday is race day too. The usual Sunday schedule will be followed. That's 6 practices and 3 races in the morning, and 8 or 9 races after lunch. We need a full race day crew for both days. New workers are welcome both days. Lee Simmons Update

As reported in our last letter one of our regulars, Lee Simmons, was involved in a rollerblade vs. car accident. He is apparently doing well. Whenever I call to chat, he has gone out somewhere. That's a great sign. The whole crew hopes to see him back soon.

Mail Call

I'm making a change to the mailing section of the newsletter. I'm going to write Address Correction Requested in here instead of on the outside. The Post Office was returning the newsletters to me with the new addresses on the outside. But there was no way to get them resent in time for the raceday. Now if there is a forwarding involved you should get the letter in time. The only catch is that I don't get the new address unless you let me know. So please do.

Sears Point Finale October 9

Just one weekend off and then we're back at it. The last Sears point race of the season is Sunday October 9th. There is no practice day on Saturday the 8th. Just in case the gods do not smile on my computer and bless us all with a newsletter immediately after the 25th race, this is your first call. This will be the day of the Die-Hard Hats !!!

" A Little Different Last Paragraph "

Sears Point International Raceway is located on Highway 121 near the junction of Highway 37, between Vallejo and Novato at the north end of San Francisco Bay. The worker gate is open Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 A.M. this weekend until 7:00. Stay to the left as you enter the facility. If you are late, please don't run the gate. You'll have to pay to get in. The morning meeting is at 7:15 A.M. at Start/Finish. The October 9 race will have the same gate and meeting times. Lots to talk about, especially on Saturday. As usual, early arrivals have the best chance of getting the turn you want. If it rains (!!!) I'll be there along with everybody else until the race day is officially canceled. We give the weather every chance, and those days count for the Die-Hard hats. Both Saturday and Sunday coffee and donuts are on hand in the morning, lunches at lunchtime, and snacks, beverages, and a few bucks for gas at the end of the day (Payday is Sunday). Please be responsible with any post-race activities. We are usually done by 5:45 P.M. Questions? Please feel free to call me at ? (be nice to the machine if it answers) or drop me a note at the address below. See you there !!!

7th Newsletter

Next Event: Thunderhill "

And now for something entirely different. Let's try a brand new race track for a change. AFM has its first race date at Thunderhill Park near Willows, CA on the 5th & 6th of November. There will be points races here next year, and the riders want to be ready. We do too. Lots of questions though: Where is it? North a little. Thunderhill Raceway is located on Highway 162 about 6 miles west of I-5 at Willows. From I-80 & Hwy 37 in Vallejo it's almost 2 hours to the gate. From downtown Sacramento an hour and a half. Where to stay? Motels, camping, see the insert sheet. Can I come too? Sure! All of our crew is welcome, both days if you can. We'd like a crew of 45-50. Who should I call? Me, please. For a lot of reasons, like lunches and gate lists, please call the hotline and chat or leave a message if you plan on coming. Help! I need a ride! You're not alone. If you need a ride or can offer one, let me know. We can match people up. I know Lee Simmons needs a ride from San Francisco. What else do I need? An alarm clock if you're staying overnight indoors or out. Good shoes to run with. There's a lot of open space and runoff areas. Maybe an extra ten bucks for the gate in case there is some strange problem. AFM can pay you back if it comes to that.

" Lots of Race Reports " Who Said Enduros Aren't Fun ??

Probably the same joker who said that nothing ever happens in Turn 5. The two fastest teams on the track, anchored by Brian Parriot and Tom Montano, used very different pit strategies to get to the same place at almost the same time. Parriot's team won the four hour event by about 3 seconds with an assist from some lapped traffic about 8 minutes from the checker. Turn 5? With four riders down, the busiest day up there for quite a while. New worker Paul Quirke and Die-Hard Carl Merrifield handled things the right way. The busiest crew was at turn 7. Sandy Craig and Die-Hards Bruce Barnum and Mike Hickey handled 5 falls and a lot of riders out of gas. During the race all but one crashing rider got up, dusted off and rode it in. After the race we all kicked back and let the FanFare folks do their thing with a great barbecue. All in all a very good day.

Sunday the 25th

Sprint races, points chases, and action almost everywhere. The weatherman threatened rain, but didn't have the nerve to follow through. Great work by our crew got us done at 5:01 !!! Turn 11 was the hot corner staffed by Wess and Laura Safford, Teresa Hunt and Die-Hard Henry Hathaway. Several other turns had 2 or 3 visitors, and almost everybody had at least one event, so nobody got lonely. Welcome to the weekend's new workers Paul Quirke and Tom Wilberding.

Sears Point Finale, October 9

The lightest entry list of the year didn't mean less great racing. At the head of almost every class was a fight for class championships, including the Number 1 plate. Cal Rayborn Jr. clinched the big prize with a close Formula Pacific win. Congratulations to Cal and to all of the class winners. I'll have all the results in the next newsletter. Fewer entries also meant fewer falls everyplace but Turn 11. TM Linda Pauli, Teresa Hunt, Lee Simmons and Henry handled things with their usual flair. This was also Worker Appreciation Day. Riders, sponsors and friends dug deep and came up with some great prizes. You might not hear it from the riders and sponsors on the pit P.A, from victory circle, from the riders at the banquet, and from the raffle donors. All of these people have thanked us over and over for giving them a safe track to race on and for the help when they need it. From all of them to all of you, thanks.

" The Die-Hards "

One of my favorite things to do every year is to hand out the Die-Hard hats. These go to the turnworkers who made every Sunday this year. Were people happier to get their first hat, their third or eighth? You couldn't tell from the smiles. This year's Die-Hards are Don Alexander, Dennis Baird, Bruce Barnum, Pete Barnum, Guy Berrrysmith, Ed Bowen, Duane Deboer, Melanie Durandette, Patty Gustafson, Henry Hathaway, Mike Hickey, Pat Hickey, Ron Johnson, Phillip Klingelhofer, Scott McKee, Carl Merrifield, Jim Short, Louie Tozzi, and Kevin Velk. A very special thank you to all.

" Saturday Crew "

If you were out to all of the Saturday practices, the AHRMA Saturday and the Endurance Race (well, maybe if you only missed 1), the club wants to do something special for you. My list looks like this: Jim Short, Melanie Durandette, Duane Deboer, Dennis Baird, Scott McKee, Henry Hathaway, Bruce Barnum, Pete Barnum, Ed Bowen, Mike Hickey, Pat Hickey, Kevin Velk, Carl Merrifield, Dan Cheli, Walter Field, Frank Jackson, Ron Johnson, Don Alexander, Mike Choinere, Mickey Housel, and Phillip Klingelhofer. If I missed you, please call me ASAP !!! These folks made the Saturdays possible, which means lots of practice time and the best new riders school on the planet. Thanks one and all.

" Again, A Different Last Paragraph "

Don't go to Sears Point !!! The worker gate is open Saturday and Sunday from 6:15 A.M. until 7:00. Find and follow the signs. If you're late, please don't run the gate. Pay up. The morning meeting is at 7:15 A.M. at Start-Finish. Lots to talk about, like where does the track go? As usual, early arrivals have first choice of turns. If it rains we'll be there until the race day is canceled. Both days we'll have coffee, lunches, snacks, beverages, and a few bucks for gas money (Payday is Sunday). Please be responsible with any post-race activities. Questions? Don't be shy. The hotline is ?(calls gladly returned if the machine answers) or drop me a note at the address below. See you there !!!
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