AFM’s New Weekend Format Gains Momentum Heading Into Round Two
By Clive Savacool
The American Federation of Motorcyclists is heading into the second round of its 2026 season with momentum after a successful opening weekend at Thunderhill Raceway Park. With increased attendance at the first round, strong spectator interest in the new exhibition events, and several format changes aimed at improving the overall racer experience, the AFM is hoping to continue building energy heading into this coming weekend.
Anyone who has been around club racing over the last decade has probably heard plenty about the “good old days” of packed grids and overflowing paddocks. While the reality of modern club racing has changed, the AFM has started the 2026 season experimenting with ways to evolve the race weekend format while still preserving the atmosphere and competition that built the club over the last seventy years.
One of the biggest changes this season is the revised race schedule format, with most classes now racing both Saturday and Sunday. The goal is to maximize track time and value for racers while also creating fuller race weekends for crews, families, and spectators attending the events. Instead of concentrating nearly all racing into a single day, the updated structure spreads the action across the full weekend and keeps the paddock active from Friday through Sunday afternoon.
The AFM is also continuing its plan to feature rotating exhibition races throughout the five-round season. The opening round at Thunderhill featured the club’s first ever Supermoto exhibition race, held on a modified 0.8-mile course built using sections of Thunderhill Raceway Park along with a specially constructed dirt section. The event quickly became one of the highlights of the weekend, with riders backing motorcycles into chicanes and transitioning onto dirt sections in front of packed fence lines of spectators.
That success helped reinforce the AFM’s broader goal of bringing variety and entertainment back into club racing weekends. Additional exhibition races planned throughout the season include a Super Hooligan race, an endurance race at Buttonwillow Raceway Park, and a Trackday Provider Instructor relay style race that will bring together instructors from several organizations in a fun team-based competition, fighting for bragging rights rather than points.
At the same time, 2026 also marks the official return of Sidecar racing to the AFM championship schedule. Unlike the exhibition races, Sidecars are now a full part of the five round championship series and have already brought a level of spectacle and curiosity back into the paddock that many racers had not experienced in years.
Heading into the second round of the year, the AFM is hoping to continue the increased level of attendance seen at the opening event. With a forecast of perfect weather, a New Racer School (NRS) scheduled for Friday practice, and reciprocal licenses accepted from organizations including the Chuckwalla Valley Motorcycle Association (CVMA), California Roadracing Association (CRA), and Utah Superbike (UtahSBK), the club is anticipating another strong weekend of racing.
More than anything, the AFM’s 2026 season has focused on finding ways to make race weekends feel exciting again, not only for longtime racers, but also for newer riders entering the sport. Judging by the response to the opening round, the formula may already be working.
A full AFM race calendar and registration links can be found at https://afmracing.org.