By Mike Solis After a rough start to the day with a fall in his morning practice session, Oakland Suzuki’s David Stanton returned to the top of the European Motorcycle Accessories Formula Pacific podium at Thunderhill, charging through the field on his Arclight Racing GSX-R1000 to take his second win of the season. David Bell finished second, making his way past Pacific Tracktime’s Michael Earnest to take the position late in the race. Earnest finished third, his second straight podium finish in the AFM’s premiere class. “After a couple of falls, it felt good to get a bit of my confidence back,” said Stanton. “With that fourth row grid position, the start was a little crazy, as I was passing people in places I’ve never passed people before. Michael was riding really well, and I was just able to squeeze by when he made a little mistake. It was a lot of fun it feels good to be back!” In the GP Frame and Wheel Open Superbike race earlier in the day, Ken Hill jumped out to a commanding lead early on his Roseville Cycles CBR1000RR. Hill’s lead was short lived, as a transmission problem resulted in a fast lowside in Turn 2. With Hill out, David Bell was able to take over the lead, with Chuck Sorenson and Rob Mesa both pulling off the track in the early laps with mechanical issues. Bell went on to take the win, with James Randolph taking second and Corey Sarros third. “All the hard work at the nationals has really paid off,” explained Bell. “I have to thank James Randolph for helping me with the setup. Because of that, I kicked his ass twice!” After his fast lowside in Open Superbike, Hill came back take a decisive win in the Pacific Tracktime 600 Superbike race. Bobby Fong battled for the lead early but lowsided his Net Moto Racing R6 in Turn 14, allowing Mario Bonfante to inherit second. Bonfante gave chase on his Honda CBR600RR but Hill was on a mission, clearing off in the distance to take the win. With regular 600 class front runners Jeff Tigert and Chris Siglin at the AMA national in Utah, some new faces were able to score their best finishes to date, with Bonfante crossing the line in second and Rick Corey third. “Both my Roseville Cycle Hondas were working great!” said Hill. “I was able to get into the 51s (on the 1000) in the Open SB race I just wish I could have ridden it in Formula Pacific, as I am sure I would have had something for them! The 600 was working well – I was able to win one 600 race, and place pretty well in FP against all the liter bikes.” Later in the day, Fong came back to take his first AFM win in the Keigwins@theTrack 600 Production race, with Hill completing his day of ups and downs with a second place finish. With Mario Bonfante lowsiding out of the race in Turn 3 in an attempt to take the position from Hill, Rick Corey was able to take home his second trophy of the day, crossing the line in third. “I was trying really hard,” explained Fong. “I thought Ken was right behind me the whole time, so I just kept pushing! With this new Carry Andrew motor, things have just been going really well for me.” Hawaiian Garry Combs scored his first AFM victory that weekend, taking the win in 750 Superbike after passing his teammate Liko Miles for the lead late in the race. Robert Campbell finished second with Kim Nakashima in third, as Miles dropped from first to fourth in the last lap before lowsiding in Turn 14. Eric Gulbransen had a day of ups and downs, taking wins in the Scuderia West Formula 1 and Desmoto Sport Open Twins classes on his Moto Italiano Ducati 999. Gulbransen’s hopes of another strong finish in 600 Superbike ended early in the race, when problems with loose bodywork forced him to retire from the race early. Craig Sanders’ perfect record in 450 Production came to an end last weekend, with Mark Elrod taking the win on his 400cc grey market Honda. Also losing his first race of the season was Twin Works Factory’s Kurt Spencer, who ran off track in the Cyclone after tangling with a lapped rider late in the 650 Twins race. With Spencer’s off track excursion, veteran racer and former 250 Production champion Tom Dorsey was able to take the win. Kurt Spencer rejoined the fray to finish second, with David Civiello in third. “After he tangled with the lapper I thought, ‘Man, that sucks’,” Dorsey explained. “Then I realized I was in the lead! I was going to just cruise home, but when I saw Kurt in the dirt, I just put my head down. It feels great to win again!” The 500 Twins race saw its fourth winner in four races this season, with Joe Sickle taking the win on his Twin Works Factory SV500. AFM president Kevin Smith was leading until the final turn of the last lap, when the motor on his Gibson framed EX500 surrendered to the heat with a puff of smoke. As Smith coasted up the front straight, Sickle zoomed past to take his first win of 2006. “El Presidente was moving,” said Sickle. “I don’t think I would have caught him if he didn’t have motor problems. Still, I had a good race, and ran some of the fastest times I’ve ever turned out here.” In one of the last races of the day, Zoom Zoom Trackdays head instructor Shawn Reilly took the win on his 2003 GSX-R1000 in the Teresa McKinney Realtor Formula 40 race, despite a little confusion on his part regarding the number of laps left in the race. John Turmell crossed the line in second, riding a 2006 GSX-R1000. “I thought the race was over,” Reilly explained, “but then I looked around and noticed that the cornerworkers didn’t look as happy as the normally do after a race. Around that time was when Turmell came bombing around the outside of me. I thought to myself, ‘Either we’re still racing, or this is the fastest cool-down lap in AFM history!’ After that I just put my head down, set up for the drive out of the last corner, and took it by a wheel.” Young gun Tommy Aquino took his second win of the season at Thunderhill, riding a Foster Enterprises backed Honda RS125. Throughout the race, Aquino exchanged positions with Tyler Reiswig, whose last lap draft and pass move to the checkered flag came up just short. Third went to Carlos Neves, who managed to stay close in the early laps before losing touch with the youngsters at the front. “That was one tough race,” said Aquino. “He made it past me a few times, but I kept getting him on the brakes. On the last lap, I was able to outbrake him into 9 at the top of the hill from there, I just took it home!” The next round of AFM action takes place on July 16 at Thunderhill. Unofficial Results AFM Round 4 Thunderhill Park June 18, 2006 European Motorcycle Accessories / PVM Wheels Formula Pacific 1. David Stanton (Suz 1000) 2. David Bell (Suz 1000) 3. Michael Earnest (Suz 1000) 4. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 5. James Randolph (Suz 1000) 6. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 999) GP Frame and Wheel Open Superbike 1. David Bell (Suz 1000) 2. James Randolph (Suz 1000) 3. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 4. Martin Szwarc (Suz 1000) 5. Kim Nakashima (Suz 1000) 6. Peter Doyle (Suz 1000) 750 Superbike 1. Garry Combs (Suz 750) 2. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 3. Kim Nakashima (Suz 750) 4. Peter O’Sullivan (Suz 750) 5. Dan Sewell (Suz 750) 6. Josuf Zobairi (Suz 750) Pacific Tracktime 600 Superbike 1. Ken Hill (Hon 600) 2. Mario Bonfante (Hon 600) 3. Rick Corey (Yam 600) 4. Zenzo Tazawa (Suz 600) 5. Kenny Carlotta (Suz 600) 6. David Sadowski Jr. (Yam 600) 450 Superbike 1. Michael Lohmeyer (Hon 400) 2. Jose Quintanar (Yam 400) 3. Mark Elrod (Hon 450) 4. Greg Becker (Hon 400) 5. Craig Sanders (Kaw 400) 6. David Wallis (Hon 400) Kilowatt 250 Superbike 1. Shawn Herrera (Yam 250) 2. Andrew Duafala (Yam 250) 3. Johnny Radavero (Yam 250) 4. Cliff Farrar (Yam 250) 5. Joe Rust (Yam 250) 6. Thomas Higgins (Apr 250) Take it 2 the Track Open Production 1. David Stanton (Suz 1000) 2. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 3. David Kunzelman (Suz 1000) 4. Andy Carman (Suz 1000) 5. Martin Szwarc (Suz 1000) 6. James King (Suz 1000) Suzuki of Oakland 750 Production 1. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 2. Garry Combs (Suz 750) 3. Kim Nakashima (Suz 750) 4. Liko Miles (Suz 750) 5. Danny Yamasaki (Suz 750) 6. Dan Sewell (Suz 750) Keigwins@theTrack 600 Production 1. Bobby Fong (Yam 600) 2. Ken Hill (Hon 600) 3. Rick Corey (Yam 600) 4. Zenzo Tazawa (Suz 600) 5. Kenny Carlotta (Suz 600) 6. Harley Barnes (Suz 600) 450 Production 1. Mark Elrod (Hon 400) 2. Craig Sanders (Kaw 400) 3. Greg Becker (Hon 400) 4. David Wallis (Hon 400) 5. Gwyn Lewis (Yam 400) Aftershocks 250 Production 1. Michael Corbino (Kaw 250) 2. David Crone (Hon 250) 3. Vlastimil Kotyza (Kaw 250) 4. Adam Klinger (Hon 250) 5. Susan Urquhart (Hon 250) 6. Frederik Alkdal (Kaw 250) PowerStands Open Grand Prix 1. David Bell (Suz 1000) 2. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 3. Martin Szwarc (Suz 1000) 4. Robert Mesa (Suz 1000) 5. Michael Lohmeyer (Suz 1000) 6. Peter Doyle (Suz 1000) Scuderia West Formula 1 1. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 999) 2. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 3. Garry Combs (Suz 750) 4. Jeffry Hanford (Hon 250) 5. Liko Miles (Suz 750) 6. Tyler Reiswig (Hon 250) Mazda Technologies Formula 2 1. Jeffry Hanford (Hon 250) 2. Tyler Reiswig (Hon 250) 3. Dan Cook (Yam 250) 4. Shawn Herrera (Yam 250) 5. Richard Denman (Hon 250) 6. Tommy Aquino (Hon 125) Formula 3 1. Tommy Aquino (Hon 125) 2. Tyler Reiswig (Hon 125) 3. Carlos Neves (Hon 125) 4. Steve Magri (Hon 125) 5. John Fosgate (Yam 125) 6. Elaine Ou (Hon 125) Zoom Zoom Trackdays Formula 4 1. Kurt Spencer (Suz 650) 2. Tom Dorsey (Suz 650) 3. Michael Lohmeyer (Suz 650) 4. David Civiello (Suz 650) 5. Michael Metcalf (Kaw 650) 6. Ian Gillies (Suz 650) Desmoto Sport Open Twins 1. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 999) 2. Craig McLean (Duc 999) 3. Patrick Blackburn (Duc 999) 4. Scott Schwanbeck (Apr 1000) 5. Bud Anderson (Hon 1000) 6. Matthew Green (Duc 999) 650 Twins 1. Thomas Dorsey (Suz 650) 2. Kurt Spencer (Suz 650) 3. David Civiello (Suz 650) 4. Michael Metcalf (Kaw 650) 5. Jay Kinberger (Suz 650) 6. Ian Gillies (Suz 650) 500 Twins 1. Joe Sickle 2. Jonathan Forman 3. Leonard Barker Jr. 4. Kevin Smith 5. Eric Karl Schiller 6. RObert Clifford Formula Singles 1. Chris Keane (Hon 450) 2. Gerry Piazza (Yam 660) 3. Dale Baugh (KTM 525) 4. Michael Harmon (KTM 660) 5. Chris Stone (KTM 620) Super Dinosaur 1. Neil O’Reilly (Suz 750) 2. Paul Kieffer (Suz 750) 3. Michael Nishita (Yam 400) 4. Andrew Boehm (Suz 750) Teresa McKinney Realtor Formula 40 1. Shawn Reilly (Suz 1000) 2. John Turmell (Suz 1000) 3. Jeff Gruetter (Hon 1000) 4. Patrick Blackburn (Duc 999) 5. Dan Cook (Yam 250) 6. Bud Anderson (Hon 1000) Clubman Heavyweight 1. Tad Koklich (Suz 1000) 2. Ben Ratliff (Yam 1000) 3. Richard Serne (Apr 1000) 4. William Bouch (Suz 1000) 5. Jeremy Breton (Yam 1000) 6. James Hendricks (Suz 1000) Clubman Middleweight 1. Michael Arenella (Suz 750) 2. Jason Garibaldi (Suz 600) 3. Ramon Milano (Suz 600) 4. Matthew Sadowski (Yam 600) 5. Tim Schultz (Yam 600) 6. Max Marhenke (Hon 600) Clubman Lightweight 1. Adam Bartlett (Suz 650) 2. Brian Esslinger (Bue 1200) 3. Black Wicker (Suz 650) 4. Andrew Clay (Suz 650) 5. William Fox (Suz 650) 6. Jeff Wilson (Suz 650)