Editor’s Note: This official press release issued by AFM states that the fast time set in Formula Pacific qualifying was 1:45.579. According to official AFM results posted online, the fast time was actually 1:46.579.
AFM Racing Series
Round Four
In
California, we are very familiar with extreme weather. The 114-degree
temperatures ensured conditions were difficult for all this past weekend, July
27th and 28th at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California. Riders in all
classes would be struggling for grip, endurance, and power all weekend.
The
forecast was weighing on the mind of everyone in the AFM paddock this week, and
as Friday’s track day event concluded, we only saw triple digits in the late
afternoon. However, that would be the coldest day of the weekend, with the
ambient temperature topping out at 114 on Sunday, and the track being a warm
146.
The
heat would claim its first high profile victim before a green flag dropped.
During Formula Pacific qualifying, championship leader Jayson Uribe lost the
rear end of his Honda exiting the rapid turn 2 and was spit off the bike.
Unfortunately, Uribe’s bike landed on top of him, trapping him between the bike
and the track. Uribe was airlifted from Thunderhill, but he is hoping to make
enough of a recovery to ride at Sonoma. Whether or not that is for the
MotoAmerica round at Sonoma in two weeks, or AFM Round 5 on August 31, remains
to be seen.
Valentin
Debise came out of Formula Pacific qualifying on top with a lap of 1:45.579.
Uribe qualified second but was ruled out of racing on Sunday. Andrew Lee would
then start second, with Wyatt Farris, Jordan Edginton, and Ezra Beaubier
rounding out the top five starters.
As
always, racing got underway on Saturday afternoon. One of the fiercest on-track
rivalries of the season has been in Afemme Lightweight, between Aliki Karayan
and Shiree Cano. The two women have gone
at it hard all year, and Saturday was no different. Karayan came out the victor
this round, by a mere 1.154 seconds after six laps. Cano, however, took home a
nice consolation prize, a new lap record for the class, at 2:11.810.
In the
Afemme expert class, it was Shelina Moreda who came out the victor on her
Yamaha R1 over Daniela Fredrick and Valentine Welch. Moreda was coming off her
MotoAmerica Stock 1000 debut at Laguna Seca and was in top form. Moreda would
go on to compete in three classes on Sunday, charging through the field from
the back to the front in every race. In Open Superbike, Moreda would move up
from 18th to 8th place, battling with the boys to the finish. There are
certainly a few guys looking over their shoulders at Moreda, but the majority
are already chasing her.
The
other woman to watch this year is Ashlee Pull on her Yamaha R3. She continued
right where she left off at Round 3, winning 300 World Supersport, and 350
Supersport. Unfortunately, in her third race, 350 SBK, a racing incident on the
last lap took her out of contention. Pull has had a fantastic season so far,
and is near the top of championship in all three classes. And with two rounds
still to come at Thunderhill, she has a great chance at the overall
championship.
With
Uribe out of action, the door was open for Graves Motorsports Kawasaki riders Lee and Debise. Debise set the fastest time in qualifying and won the
first 1000cc race on Sunday, Open Superbike, by just under four seconds on his
ZX-10R. Lee placed second with Farris rounding out the podium.
On
Sunday afternoon, Lee found nearly two seconds over his fastest times in the
morning, stretching out a ten second lead over his teammate, Debise, to win the
feature Formula Pacific race. AFM number five plate holder, Edginton
secured his first-ever Formula Pacific podium on his Yamaha R1, crossing the
line third, ahead of Giya Myshlyayev, fourth, and Farris, fifth.
Edginton
had a weekend to remember. Riding a Ninja 250, SV650 and Yamaha R1, this season
he lives up to the cliche “jack of all trades”. The twenty-four-year-old
student from Napa, California, took home first place in Legacy Lightweight and
Open GP, in addition to a second place in Middleweight Singles & Twins, and
the aforementioned third place in Formula Pacific. To top it off, he added a
new class record to the list of Sunday accolades, clocking a 1:58.13 in Legacy
Lightweight on his SV650. Edginton is one of the fast men at the club, hence
the number five plate, but he is quickly proving he can run with some of the
fastest riders in the nation.
On the
600cc machines, Debise would prove dominant on his Graves ZX-6R,
winning both Superstock and Superbike over Stephen Rue and Samuel Gluss. Rue
popped the motor on his Honda CBR600RR during Friday practice and was forced
to ride his girlfriends Yamaha R6. The engine failure proved to be fortuitous
for Rue, as he went on to ride amazingly well on the R6, lapping just two
tenths off his personal best despite the adverse conditions.
The
closest 600 race of the weekend was Formula 1. Debise and the Graves
Motorsports team chose to sit this one out. The top three riders were all
lapping within two-tenths of one another, and things stayed close all race.
Berto Woolridge would take the win on his Yamaha R6, over Thunderhill debutant
Daniel Riser. Riser mastered the track on his first weekend and thoroughly
impressed on his Kawasaki ZX-6R, adding to his success early in the season at
Buttonwillow. Third place was taken by XS Racing rider Nick Lundqvist, who beat
out Samuel Gluss for his first-ever Formula I podium. Speaking to Lundqvist
after the race, he was very excited with his finish. “It’s not my first podium, but it is my
first podium in Formula I, or as I like to say, my first real race podium!” Once again, the 600 classes were well attended,
with over forty riders registered to race the various classes this weekend.
The
AFM will be back in action for Round Five at Sonoma Raceway on August 31.
Keep
up to date with everything AFM between rounds by following @raceafm on Facebook
and Instagram.
Results:
Formula
40 Lightweight
1 Aaron Tulchinsky Yamaha FZ07
2 Jesse Davis Yamaha FZ07
3 Owen Flatley Yamaha R450
4 Michael Souza Suzuki SV650
5 Mark Elrod Honda NC450V
Formula
40 Lightweight Novice
1 Miles Beacham Yamaha R6-450
2 Duncan Thomas Suzuki SV650
3 Jaymes Frost MORIWAKI
MD250H
Afemme
Lightweight
1 Aliki Karayan Kawasaki Ninja
300
2 Shiree Cano Kawasaki Ninja 300
Afemme
Lightweight Novice
1 Krissie Coseteng Yamaha R3
2 Kalen Brock Yamaha
Yamaha R3
3 Bridgette LeBer Yamaha R6-450
4 Justine Castle Kawasaki 300
5 Sara Thomas Yamaha R3
400
Supersport
1 Rocco Landers Kawasaki Ninja
400
2 Marc Edwards Kawasaki Ninja
400
3 Nikolas Thompson Kawasaki Ninja 400
4 Brian Bartlow Kawasaki Ninja
400
5 Paul Johnson Kawasaki Ninja
400
400
Supersport Novice
1 Aden Thao Kawasaki Ninja 400
2 Brandon DeGerald Kawasaki Ninja 400
3 Alex Ricci Kawasaki Ninja 400
350
Supersport
1 Ashlee Deskin Yamaha R3
2 Lucky Odisetti Yamaha R3
3 Steve Driscoll Yamaha R3
4 Lisa Kinberger Yamaha R3
5 Eric Rogers Kawasaki 300
350
Supersport Novice
1 Kelton Dockendorf KTM RC390
2 Matthieu Massicotte Kawasaki 300
3 Kimie Sako Kawasaki
Kawasaki 300
4 Ozzy Thebe KTM RC390
Clubman
Lightweight
1 David Eddie Kawasaki Ninja 400
2 Ladislav Teshale Sucik Honda
CBR500R
3 Charlie Busa Kawasaki 300
Formula
50
1 Gavin Botha Aprilia
RSV4
2 Robert Lazzarini Yamaha R6
3 Haim Beressi Yamaha R6
4 Michael Kim Yamaha R6
5 John Anderson Yamaha R6
Formula
50 Novice
1 Ted Glassford BMW S1000RR
2 Greg Brazell Suzuki GSXR
1000
3 Victor Demitrios Suzuki GSXR 1000
Clubman
Heavyweight
1 Trevor Bjorgum Kawasaki ZX10R
2 Scott Turner BMW S10000RR
Afemme Expert
1 Shelina Moreda Yamaha
R1
2 Daniela Fredrick Yamaha R6
3 Valentine Welch Suzuki GSX-R450
Clubman
Middleweight
1 Hugo Peralta Yamaha R6
2 Luis Nunes Yamaha
R6
3 Tyler Bacon Kawasaki
ZX6R
4 Jeremy Taubman Suzuki GSXR 750
5 Stuart Clotworthy Yamaha R6
400
Superbike
1 Rocco Landers Kawasaki Ninja
400
2 Nikolas Thompson Kawasaki Ninja 400
3 Paul Johnson Kawasaki Ninja
400
4 Brian Bartlow Kawasaki Ninja
400
5 Valentine Welch Kawasaki Ninja
400
400
Superbike Novice
1 Aden Thao Kawasaki Ninja 400
2 Brandon DeGerald Kawasaki Ninja 400
3 Alex Ricci Kawasaki Ninja 400
4 David Eddie Kawasaki Ninja 400
Legacy
Lightweight
1 Jordan Edginton Suzuki SV 650
2 Shane Austin Suzuki SV650
Legacy
Lightweight Novice
1 David Rodrigues Honda F4i
2 Duncan Thomas Suzuki SV650
Vintage
1 Kevin McKee Kawasaki Z1
2 Paul Kieffer Suzuki GS1000E
3 Terry Cheney Honda CB900F
4 Mark McKinney Suzuki GS750E
5 Thomas Dorsey Yamaha XJ550R
350
Superbike
1 Lucky Odisetti Yamaha R3
2 Steve Driscoll Yamaha R3
3 Lisa Kinberger Yamaha
R3
4 Pao Vang Yamaha
R3
5 David Pearce Yamaha R3
350
Superbike Novice
1 Kelton Dockendorf KTM RC390
2 Kimie Sako Kawasaki Ninja 300
3 Matthieu Massicotte Kawasaki Ninja 300
4 Christjan Larsen Yamaha R3
5 Reece Warfield KTM RC390
Open
Superbike
1 Valentin Debise Kawasaki ZX-10R
2 Andrew Lee Kawasaki ZX-10R
3 Wyatt Farris Kawasaki
ZX-10R
4 George Myshlyayev Kawasaki ZX-10R
5 Tyler Wolters Kawasaki ZX-10R
Open
Superbike Novice
1 Trevor Bjorgum Kawasaki ZX-10R
2 Scott Turner BMW S10000RR
3 Christian Meter Yamaha R1S
4 Ted Glassford BMW S1000RR
750
Superbike
1 Berto Wooldridge Yamaha R6
2 Patrick Murphy Yamaha R6
3 Nick Lundquist Yamaha R6
4 Jake Whitcomb Yamaha R6
5 Jesse Carter Suzuki GSXR
750
750
Superbike Novice
1 Jeremy Taubman Suzuki GSXR 750
2 Hugo Peralta Yamaha R6
3 Chris Stewart Kawasaki ZX6R
4 Oue Vang Yamaha R6
5 Tico Curling Suzuki GSXR 750
Lightweight
Superbike
1 Jordan Edginton Suzuki SV 650
2 Brandon Crawford Kawasaki Ninja 650
3 Brandon Souza Yamaha R450
4 Aaron Tulchinsky Yamaha FZ07
5 Owen Flatley Yamaha R450
Lightweight
Twins
1 Rocco Landers Kawasaki Ninja
400
2 Marc Edwards Kawasaki Ninja
400
3 Nikolas Thompson Kawasaki Ninja 400
4 Brian Bartlow Kawasaki Ninja
400
5 Paul Johnson Kawasaki Ninja
400
Lightweight
Twins Novice
1 Aden Thao Kawasaki Ninja 400
2 Wah Shuen Kawasaki Ninja 400
3 Krissie Coseteng Yamaha R3
4 David Eddie Kawasaki Ninja 400
5 Ladislav Teshale Sucik Honda
CBR500R
Formula
Singles
1 Kelton Dockendorf KTM RC390
2 Ozzy Thebe KTM RC390
3 Reece Warfield KTM RC390
600
Superbike
1 Valentin Debise Kawasaki ZX6R
2 Stephen Rue Yamaha R6
3 Samuel Gluss Yamaha R6
4 Robert Brittain Yamaha R6
5 Daniel Riser Kawasaki ZX6R
600
Superbike Novice
1 Hugo Peralta Yamaha R6
2 Chris Stewart Kawasaki ZX6R
3 Stuart Clotworthy Yamaha R6
4 Tyler Bacon Kawasaki ZX6R
5 Nicholas Patane Yamaha R6
Open
GP Expert
1 Jordan Edginton Yamaha YZF-R1
2 George Myshlyayev Kawasaki ZX-10R
3 Tyler Wolters Kawasaki ZX-10R
4 Nick Allison Suzuki
GSXR1000
5 Kevin Murphy Suzuki
GSXR1000
Open
GP Novice
1 Trevor Bjorgum Kawasaki ZX10R
2 Ted Glassford BMW S1000RR
3 Donyel Jones-Williams Yamaha
R1
Open
Twins
1 Jimmy Weidman Ducati Panigale
R
2 Matthew Houston Ducati 899
3 Craig Grantham Ducati 996
Super
Dino
1 Roger Baker Yamaha R1
2 Stephen Dummit Suzuki GSXR 1000
3 Craig Grantham Ducati 996
Middleweight
Singles & Twins
1 Martin
Sullivan Suzuki SV650
2 Jordan
Edginton Suzuki SV650
3 Brandon
Crawford Kawasaki
Ninja 650
4 Jesse Davis Yamaha
FZ07
450 Superbike
1 Rocco Landers Kawasaki
Ninja 400R
2 Brandon Souza Yamaha
R450
3 Paul Johnson Yamaha
R450
4 Max Sawicky Yamaha
R450
5 Owen Flatley Yamaha
R450
450 Superbike Novice
1 Miles Beacham Yamaha
R450
2 Allard Chu Yamaha
R450
3 John Rice Yamaha
R450
Formula I
1 Berto
Wooldridge Yamaha R6
2 Daniel Riser Kawasaki
ZX6R
3 Nick Lundquist Yamaha
R6
4 Patrick Murphy Yamaha R6
5 Gordon Pull Kawasaki ZX-6R
Formula I Novice
1 Hugo Peralta Yamaha
YZFR6
2 Jeremy Taubman Suzuki GX-R 750
3 Tyler Bacon Kawasaki ZX6R
4 Oue Vang Yamaha R6
5 John Jackson Yamaha R6
Formula
III
1 Rocco Landers Kawasaki Ninja
400
2 Marc Edwards Kawasaki Ninja
400
3 Brian Bartlow Kawasaki Ninja
400
4 Paul Johnson Kawasaki Ninja
400
5 Valentine Welch Kawasaki Ninja
400
Formula
III Novice
1 Brandon DeGerald Kawasaki Ninja 400
2 Aden Thao Kawasaki Ninja 400
3 Kelton Dockendorf KTM RC390
4 Ozzy Thebe KTM RC390
5 Robert Sissons Kawasaki Ninja
300
Formula
IV
1 Brandon Crawford Kawasaki Ninja 650
2 Martin Sullivan Suzuki SV650
3 Brandon Souza Yamaha R450
4 Owen Flatley Yamaha R450
5 Jesse Davis Yamaha FZ07
Formula
Pacific
1 Andrew Lee Kawasaki ZX-10R
2 Valentin Debise Kawasaki ZX-10R
3 Jordan Edginton Yamaha YZF-R1
4 George Myshlyayev Kawasaki ZX-10R
5 Wyatt Farris Kawasaki
ZX-10R
450
Supersport
1 Brandon Souza Yamaha R450
2 Paul Johnson Yamaha R450
3 Max Sawicky Yamaha R450
4 Owen Flatley Yamaha R450
5 Michael Welch Suzuki GSX-R450
450
Supersport Novice
1 Miles Beacham Yamaha R450
2 Allard Chu Yamaha R450
Calishine
Racing Ninja 400 Cup
1 Rocco Landers Kawasaki Ninja
400
2 Nikolas Thompson Kawasaki Ninja 400
3 Brian Bartlow Kawasaki Ninja
400
4 Patryk Buchcik Kawasaki Ninja
400
5 Valentine Welch Kawasaki Ninja
400
300
World Supersport
1 Ashlee Deskin Yamaha R3
2 Lucky Odisetti Yamaha R3
300
World Supersport Novice
1 Kelton Dockendorf KTM RC390
2 Kimie Sako Kawasaki
Ninja 300
3 Krissie Coseteng Yamaha R3
4 Ladislav Teshale Sucik Honda
CBR500R
5 Robert Sissons Kawasaki Ninja
300
600 Superstock
1 Valentin Debise Kawasaki ZX6R
2 Stephen Rue Yamaha R6
3 Samuel Gluss Yamaha R6
4 Robert Brittain Yamaha R6
5 Michael Kim Yamaha YR6
Open
Superstock
1 Valentin Debise Kawasaki ZX-10R
2 Andrew Lee Kawasaki ZX-10R
3 George Myshlyayev Kawasaki ZX-10R
4 Tyler Wolters Kawasaki ZX-10R
5 Kevin Murphy Suzuki
GSXR1000
Legacy
Middleweight
1 Jesse Carter Suzuki GSXR
750
2 Clive Savacool Suzuki GSXR 750
3 Jose Flores Yamaha R6
4 Stephen Dummit Suzuki GSXR 1000
Legacy
Middleweight Novice
1 Jeremy Taubman Suzuki GSXR 750
2 Oue Vang Yamaha R6
3 Tyler McFalls Suzuki GSXR-600
4 Ryan Peterson Yamaha YZF-R6
5 Tico Curling Suzuki GSXR
750
750
Superstock
1 Berto Wooldridge Yamaha R6
2 Samuel Gluss Yamaha R6
3 Nick Lundquist Yamaha R6
4 Robert
Brittain Yamaha R6
5 Jacob Hennen Yamaha
R6
750 Superstock Novice
1 Hugo Peralta Yamaha
R6
2 Tyler Bacon Kawasaki
ZX6R
3 Tyler McFalls Suzuki
GSXR-600
4 Philip
Fernandez Yamaha R6