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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128384
PHOTO BY MICHAEL CHERVENAK
AFM 2005
Round 2: IntinEOn Raceway
Cabezas Heads Up AFM
Formula Four Class
By LEIGH TAYLOR
SONOMA, CA, MAY 1
n May Day, in the scenic vineyard valleys
of Sonoma, about 400 AFM racers had a
lot more on their minds than the beautiful
spring weather. This was round two of the
AFM's 200S season - the season opener at
their "home track," lofinean Raceway. A
O
favorite of many racers, Infineon's curvy. eleva-
tion-changing 2,n-mile track is always exciting.
The action began with Formula Four, the
class that is starting to be affectionatety known
as "Little Formula Pacific," because it's
beginning to share some characteristics with
the AFM's premier class: diversity in the bikes
and riders, the size of the grid, and even
several of the AFM's single-digit plate holders
out in front. Frequent 600cc Superbike and
600cc Production podium finisher Andy
Carman and 6SOcc Twin champ Brian Long put
in stellar performances in the FIV race, but
both were disqualified from their third- and
fourth-place finishes due to passing on a yellow
flag. Disappointed? Not Carman, who was all
grins after the race, no doubt proud of his
showing - making it to the top three his first
time aboard an SV6S0, and after starting the
race gridded way back in 47th. Top 2003 AFM
Novice Felipe Cabezas won the F-IV race, just
slx·tenths of a second faster than the numbertwo finisher, Timothy Wheeler. The DQ of
Long and Carman pushed Kurt Spencer up to
third place and Michael Lohmeyer up to fourth,
and let Shawn Reilly score a top-five finish
aboard his uncommon (for the AFM) new
steed - a 2003 Buell XB 1200.
In the 600cc Production race, more than
50 riders took to the grid for what was sure to
be an aggressive, cutthroat contest. The tight
right hairpin of Infineon's turn I I would claim
two top racers - Grant Riggs on lap two, and
David Glenn on lap six - but it didn't affect
Carman a bit. Carman ran away with the lead
and easily finished in first with a fast lap of
1:43.017. After getting off the line behind
Riggs, Carman made the pass around the
outside of turn one on lap two.
"I put my head down and ran I:43s for a
couple of laps," said Carman. "Then I got the
sign from the pits that I had a large lead. I
backed off and cruised to the win."
Behind Carman, Berto Wooldridge had a
solid second place, with IB-year-old rookie
Kenny Carlotta taking third.
In the main event, Formula Pacific, there
was a disappointing crash before the race
even began. Longtime AFM fast
guy Ken Hill cartwheeled his
brand·new Honda CBRIOOORR at
the entrance to turn six after his
radiator hose let loose on the
warm-up lap. Hill had been
plagued with mechanical problems
all weekend, and the crash was a
big letdown. It was 2004 AFM
champ David Stanton who took
the Formula Pacific Victory, taking
over the championship points lead
on his 200S GSX-RIOOO.
"I was struggiing to stay in front, Felipe Cabezas exit. Infinean'. tum two with a
commanding lead en route to dominating the
as the back end was doing things
Formula Four class at the second AFM round,
that it wasn't doing in practice,"
in Sonoma, Califomia.
Stanton said. "Mike [Earnest) was
an- (Suz); 2 FeI;pe Cabe>z (Suz); l. K.n Spencer (Suz); •.
riding great; I could hear his motor in every
Brian Lore (Suz); s. Jaoon Buder (Suz). OPEN TW: I. Eric
tum, which was a great motivator:"
GuIbnnsen (Due). 2)ad< Pfeifer (.....); l. 0aiIl Me'- (Due):
•. Brian Lore (Suz): S. Scott Schwanbed< (Han). 150 5/IIK: I.
Earnest earned second place, while third
J<- Shap;ro ~): 2. ~ Htmlr.1 ~); l. ~ Ilenjamn
went to Eric "Go Go" Gulbransen on his
(Hen); •. joe Run (Ap-); S. 5"""" lee ~). 450 5/IIK: I.
Dueati 999R.
eN Tm Wheeler (l(aw); 2 M"o