Lets dig up this horse an beat it some more!.. AFM at Laguna?

[Clive]

I'll preface this with saying I haven't had a chance to race but once in the past two years and I'll apologize ahead of time to the under-appreciated, overworked AFM volunteers that this may create more work for.

I haven't been on BARF in many months, so I hope this hasn't been discussed and put to bed already. With the absence of MotoGP and AMA, there might be a void that Laguna Seca might be more inclined to fill with AFM than they have in the past. I know it'll be expensive and it will be difficult to get enough approval for a full grid (35+ riders on the track at once), but Laguna might finally be willing to bargain.

A race at Laguna might be what AFM needs to kick-start some membership.]

Has there been any dialogue with SCRAMP about pulling something like this off in 2014?

I'll close with saying thank you for what you do AFM volunteers!

 

[Old Bike]

I think it would be cool but I think the track will hold fewer and fewer events till it's one of those places you visit with a plack . This one saying this part of the foot path used to be the famous corck screw.

 

[duh_ave]

no. its no the crazy super high track rent either; there is a crapload of peripheral monies that have to go to charities and what not. There's no way the afm can swing this stuff.

If you look back at the races that were available over the last few years, they were very lightly attended. AFM costs would go way up and while many would like to, I think only a few would pay what would be required.

 

[Holeshot]

Dave is correct. That being said, I had a good conversation with a well connected person there (at Laguna) who is a great friend to the AFM and Moto racing in general. He was going to see if there were options, but this would not be an AFM only event. But, all that being said, I'm less than hopeful. Laguna has always been a pipe dream.

 

[KazMan]

Heck MotoGP can't even afford the charities :laughing I keeed I keeed

But being a member back in the early 80's, it was a lot of fun racing there with the AFM. It made me feel like an AMA star!

fun fact: Barb Smith helped me push start my TZ125 after it died on the grid and I had to push it to the side. After about 50 bazillion circles up and down the straight, it finally lit as they were coming down Rainey curve. I rode like I stole that thing and got a 3rd place trophy

 

[b-rider]

if the track was available it could be done. members would have to pay in advance non refundable. the club would have to collect save the money until would have enough to pay for the event.

 

[EastBayDave]

Nobody seems to remember the AFM was tossed out when a new member died during the Sat. "new riders school" in the "old" Turn 3 when he highsided a RD350 into the hill. He was killed instantly...:cry

They never let us back...

 

[Holeshot]

Whoa...when was that Dave?

 

[EastBayDave]

Sometime in the late 70's I think; about 1979'? (my memory of that time period is a bit fuzzy.) It was about the same time Jon Woo was killed in exactly the same spot during a Honda racer tryout (US Honda Racing "test day" track rental), there were several racers who were trying to get a factory Honda AMA ride (I think Mike Spencer got the ride?)

I seem to recall it was considered Turn 3; it was the old fast layout where everyone was really hauling azz there, & losing it in that corner put you right into an almost vertical dirt wall (below the "ring road.") That corner was deleted when they went to the GP layout.

Two riders dying there within a few weeks in the same spot I think was too much for Laguna management at the time. They didn't want anyone else killed, so they never let the AFM back in as far as I know? It explains the 3 decades old lack of AFM races there....

 

[EastBayDave]

Heck MotoGP can't even afford the charities :laughing I keeed I keeed

But being a member back in the early 80's, it was a lot of fun racing there with the AFM. It made me feel like an AMA star!

fun fact: Barb Smith helped me push start my TZ125 after it died on the grid and I had to push it to the side. After about 50 bazillion circles up and down the straight, it finally lit as they were coming down Rainey curve. I rode like I stole that thing and got a 3rd place trophy

Reading this post now I'm totally confused. I think they may have let the AFM back in once or twice, but by the end of the mid-80's, never after then.

 

[IBYS]

What about combining with the Yamaha appreciation event (sound hasn't been an issue at 106db). Yamaha could offer free/reduced entry for Yamaha owners or who knows. They are spending a fortune (I'd guess) to have laguna for the weekend and the high sound limit. What better way than to have a race weekend?

Still a pipe dream, this track is awesome though, what a blast.

 

[gsxrpeter]

Why not have an AMA- AFM weekend at Laguna? Wait that's right this will never happen either.

 

[27007RT]

This is an excellent idea - or the beginning of an excellent idea. I wonder how Yamaha works this out with Laguna.

I would personally LOVE to see an AFM event at Laguna Seca. If there is any way we can possibly make that happen, we will.

What about combining with the Yamaha appreciation event (sound hasn't been an issue at 106db). Yamaha could offer free/reduced entry for Yamaha owners or who knows. They are spending a fortune (I'd guess) to have laguna for the weekend and the high sound limit. What better way than to have a race weekend?

Still a pipe dream, this track is awesome though, what a blast.

 

[thedub]

All I can say is that after having ridden Laguna for the first time this past weekend at the Yamaha event, holy cow, I would sell a kidney to do a race weekend there.

 

[Bassem]

All I can say is that after having ridden Laguna for the first time this past weekend at the Yamaha event, holy cow, I would sell a kidney to do a race weekend there.

Everyone says that, but if you heard how much it would cost to race there you'd change your tune. Shawn and Dave went over the logistics at the Z2 trackday on Friday pre-AFM, and it doesn't look pretty.

Apparently there was a sticky on the old AFM forum about Laguna and why it's not feasible to race there.

 

[Ozymandias]

Just a couple of years ago wasn't there something that went on with AFM guys getting to take the track while MotoGP was there? I think it was only like 1 hour or something but I'll see if I can hunt it up. There was a thread about it here if memory serves.

It would be fun as shit to race there, but yeah, it definitely could be cost prohibitive.

Assholes building houses next to a race track... :facepalm

EDIT: I findededed eet!! <HA!! Dove!>

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=323308&highlight=AFM+laguna+motogp

 

[Holeshot]

Yeah, the uncorked event didn't bring the numbers it was hoped it would bring. That make me think much of the "if they go to Laguna, we'd race there" talk is largely not followed up with action.

Laguna is impossible to race if the club has to pay the charity fee. I would highly doubt Yamaha would give up their appreciation day for an AFM club race, I'm sorry to say.

 

[gsxrpeter]

You know , what are the real money numbers to race there? I think, depending on how high the entrance fees were. That this race would bring so many people out. I know for a fact that my friends in Wera and CCS would all race it. This could almost be an AFM sanctioned National. Really it couldn't cost more than a normal AMA race for racers to race Laguna. Also this might just bring a huge new racer rider count.

Think of all the guys who dream of racing Laguna when they watch Motogp. They go on the internet want to start racing, then find out we are racing B-Willow. Fail!. This would make the AFM explode in new racers not to mention pros and vets that don't have anything better to do.

Berto: can you get the facts so we can go over the prices?

 

[Holeshot]

Pete, I'm working on what I can, but it's a long shot. It always has been a no-shot. But now would be about the best shot we have, is my guess.

 

[scotinexcile]

No point if all motor events are going to be held to 90db.