Buttonwillow went well for me. I had raced there earlier this year but this time we raced the track the opposite direction. The back straight was one of the fastest of the year and my Champ racing Roseville Cycle Honda CBR600RR ran great. We started off the weekend with Saturday and with a few minor adjustments the bike was working great, I was ready for Sunday.

My first race of the weekend was 600 superbike in which I had to start from the fifth row since AFM grids by points and it was only my second AFM race of the year. I didn’t get the best start and was run wide in the first turn; I think I was about 15th. On the second lap there was a red flag due to a crash so the race was re-started. After the first lap of the re-start I was able to work my way up to eight place. There was a lot of traffic and I had someone to pass every lap. This allowed two guys at the front to get away so I knew I had to ride pretty hard to catch them. With two laps to go I finally had some clear track and I was able to close the gap to second place rider Jeff Tigert. On the final lap I tried to draft by him for second place but came up a half a bike length short. So I ended up finishing third claiming the final spot on the podium.

My second race of the day was 600 production and again I was gridded on the fifth row. I made a decent start and spent a good part of the race fighting my way through traffic. By the time I had moved up to third position two guys had gotten away. I put my head down and I was able to close the gap to second place with one lap to go. My Pirelli tires were working so good I was able to go underneath the second place rider and claim the position with only two corners to go. It was my second podium finish of the day.

In my third and final race I would ride my Honda CBR600RR in the 750 production class. For this race I was gridded on the fourth and I knew I would have my hands full trying to pass 750’s with my 600. However my Champ racing Roseville Cycle Honda was up to the challenge I made a good start but it took me awhile to make my way though the 750’s. By the fourth lap I had made my way up to second position and had my sights set on first. With two laps to go I had closed the gap to first place but I was still two seconds behind. Once again I put my head down ran my fastest lap of the race and caught the first place rider. Going into the last corner I was able to out brake him, turn underneath and take the position. Surprisingly the 750 couldn’t draft by me and I held on to win the race.

At the end of the day I had competed in three races and stood on three podiums. 6oo Superbike 3rd place, 600 production 2nd place and 750 production 1st place.

I really want to thank all of my sponsors, Honda, Pro Honda Oils and Chemicals, Roseville Cycle Center, Champ racing, Pirelli tires, Dainese leathers, Arai helmets, Leo Vince exhausts, Rod Lake and the Roseville Cycle Performance Center for giving me a winning bike.

Thanks to everyone the weekend was a success.

Garrett Willis #981

Tags: Garrett Willis by Garrett Willis
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AFM at Thunderhill was a lot of fun. We had some issues with my race bike on Friday practice so once again I found my self on the back up bike for the race weekend. Saturday was AFM practice and I got the chance to run with some fast guys and figure out a few little things I could do better.

AFM doesn’t do qualifying before the races so the grids are based on points, since AFM isn’t one of our regular series we would have to start on the back row. Fortunately they have a rule called KFG (known fast guy) which states that if you can run within three seconds of the fastest lap of the previous race you will be able to start on the fourth row.

Sunday was race day and the grids were packed, around 60 people in each race. My first race of the day was 750 production, in which I had to start on the fourth row. I got a good start and got up to eight or so by the end of the first lap. I worked my way up to third and set the fastest lap of the race with a 1:52.977. I made up a little ground on first and and second (who were both on 750’s) but the race just wasn’t long enough to make up all the distance. So I played it safe and got a podium finish with plenty of room between me and fourth place.

My second race of the day was 600 superbike and again I was on the fourth row. I got a better start this time and was up to third by lap two. We had switched tire compounds between races and I was having a difficult time finding traction. My fastest time was about a second slower then my fastest in the first race so again I played it safe and got another podium.

The third and final race of the day was 600 production and I felt that I had a g really good chance of running with the top two. I got off the line fairly well and was out of traffic by lap three. I set my sights on the front two who were about three seconds ahead of me. Every lap I could see that I was gaining a little and with two laps to go I was within a couple bike lengths. The last lap we came down the front straight and I was close enough to get in there draft and was planning were I could make a pass. They began racing each other and got in to a turn a little hot and had to scrub off a lot of speed. I saw my chance to make my pass and went around the out side of second place. He tried to get on the gas early and took me wide, we almost made contact and I was forced on to the curbing and he got the position back. At the line less then a second separated us and I also set the fastest lap of the race with a 1:52.474.

All to gather it was a good weekend and I was on the box in all my races and really got the bike figured out.

Tags: Garrett Willis by Garrett Willis
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