Me and few buddies from WMRRA want to make the trip to Thunder Hill this October for some racing. It would be a first time for all of us so I am looking for tips and wisdom on how to make the trip as smooth as possible.
Thunderhill is an awesome facility and the AFM is an awesome club. They have their program dialed. For prep, it's no different than racing anywhere else except I usually leave my generator and rains at home. Other than the long drive from WA, be prepared to have a great time.
Micah, You may want to check with Fuzzy or Barry and see what tips they can give you about AFM. Alternatively, you could also contact EDR in Portland and ask them about what to expect there. Have fun!
Good tips. Do I need to engage with anyone at AFM before I sign up to let them know I'm from a different club? Any hotel / lodging recommendation near the track?
You may want to go to Bay Area Rider Forum (BARF) as there's a racer section there. I haven't raced AFM, but many on the BARF have. http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/
Weather in Oct. is usually pretty damn fine. I usually camp at the track; hotels in Willows are all basically on par and typical of I5 stops -- they work, but are very basic. If you are looking for tips to the track, I am pretty sure Ken Hill has turn-by-turn video somewhere, and Tim Scarrott (AFM board member and fast guy) has some similar material. Go over to the Racers Corner section on BARF and ask specific questions -- folks are a good bunch. Contact licensing to get a half-season reciprocity license ($45) -- form is here.
Good club, and great people. There is a race team that actually cooks food Saturday night and you can register and prepay for your meal. Fantastic way to hang out with a bunch of people and eat great food and have great beer. They don't race in the rain. They have a requirement on how many DB's your generator can be. If it isn't a quiet inverter type, you may have to pit in the back 40. They sell fuel at the track and the tire vendors will be there to support you. They have license reciprocity with many clubs. There is a Walmart in Willows, hotels and a fantastic Mexican restaurant, which the name escapes me now.
The Casa Ramos perhaps? Maybe not "fantastic" but pretty darn good nonetheless. For breakfast there is the Black Bear Diner (across the street from Casa Ramos). Or better yet, the Airport Cafe. It's just around the corner, up the road going towards the track and next to the little municipal airport. :up: I've got nothing but great things to say about both T-hill and AFM. Have a good time!
Oh ... and be prepared for heat. It's a dry heat, but it can be damn hot. Are they going to use the full track, all five+ miles? -jim
It will be in October so the weather should be perfect. They won't be using the full track. The new parts are more like Reno-Fernley, tight, narrow and instead of rocky runoff they've added walls and corner worker stations in impact zones.
