Aug 31: Tigert Beats Stanton In AFM Formula Pacific At Thunderhill

Round four of the 2005 AFM Series at Thunderhill Park saw former Number One plateholder Jeff Tigert work his Marin Cycleworks CBR1000RR through the field to win the featured Mach 1 Motorsports Formula Pacific race. Defending Champion David Stanton finished second on his Arclight Suzuki GSX-R1000, despite having a monstrous four-second lead on the field early in the race. Ken Hill finished third on his CBR1000RR, driving past Jon Bawden and his fast GSX-R750 in the final run to the checkered flag.
 

“I didn’t think I was gonna catch Dave,” Tigert said in the winner’s circle. “I almost gave up after the first half of the race. If it wasn’t for the mistake he made into turn nine, I don’t know if I could have done it. Doing the (AMA) Nationals helped me raise my game – I’m just glad I could bring that momentum back home!”

On his CBR600RR, Tigert won the Keigwins@thetrack 600cc Production race, beating Andy Carman and his Red Storm Racing YZF-R6 to the line by over five seconds. In the Pacific Tracktime 600cc Superbike race, Tigert managed a second-place finish, charging through the field from his 13th-row grid position. Chris Siglin took the win on his Arclight Suzuki GSX-R600, successfully thwarting a last-lap pass attempt by Tigert just three turns from the finish.

Bawden had an excellent weekend as well, taking the win in the Dial It In Tracktime 750cc Superbike race as well as the Scuderia West Formula 1 race. Bawden dominated both races from start to finish, with a 13-second gap to the second place finisher in Formula 1, and a 16-second gap to his next closest competitor in 750cc Superbike.

“I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on the mechanical side of road racing,” Bawden explained, when asked about his performance on the weekend. “It’s all about understanding what you’re doing out there, and listening to what the bike is telling you, because it tells you everything you need to know. When I first started racing, I wasn’t listening, and I ended up on my head all of the time!”

Riding his Vallejo Harley Davidson Buell, Shawn Reilly came out on top of a fierce three-rider battle to take the win in the Zoom Zoom Trackdays Formula 4 race, driving past the VFR400 of Mike Lohmeyer on the last turn of the last lap to take his first class victory.

“I set up wide for that last turn so I could get a good drive out – sure enough, I was able to catch the draft,” Reilly stated. “My tuner told me he’d eat his lunch out of the bike’s bellypan if I put it on the box – looks like he’s going to be eating a big ol’ salad out of that thing!”

Eric Gulbransen took the win in the Desmoto Sport Open Twins race, despite being challenged by the WERA Championship winning combination of Mark Junge and his Vesrah Suzuki SV1000. Junge closed up to the rear wheel of the Gulbransen’s Munroe Motors Ducati 749, but a smart pass on a lapped rider allowed the former LRRS Champion to break away for the win. Junge finished second, with Jack Pfeifer finishing well back in third, still suffering from a broken collarbone after a recent crash at Willow Springs.

“I figured we were going to be dog meat on the little bike out here,” explained Gulbransen, “but we managed to get the holeshot, and we just kept going! I knew someone (Junge) was right on me on that last lap, as I got behind a lapper on the approach to the Cyclone. I waited until the very last minute to make that pass - that was like throwing a bomb at him! He got held up by the lapper in five and six, and I just took off!”

One of the closest races of the day took place in the Aftershocks Suspension 250cc Production race, with Jay Kinberger taking the win on his Kawasaki Ninja 250 after a race-long battle with David Crone and his Honda VTR250.

“We actually traded elbows during that race, making contact at four different times,” Kinberger explained. “David actually went off track in turn nine on the last lap, but I was completely unaware of it. If I would have known, I wouldn’t have made those last-lap kamikaze passes on those lapped riders!”

The day was filled with great racing and good spirits, with over $5000 in contributions made to the newly established AFM Air Fence Fund.