The American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM) concluded its Round 3 of the 2026 Championship Series with a weekend of intense competition and unexpected victories. Held at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California on June 13-14, the event took place under extreme conditions, with trackside temperatures soaring to an estimated 105-107 degrees. Despite the heat, both racers and fans turned out in force for the final event before the club’s summer break.
The weekend’s featured event, the Super Hooligan exhibition race showcased a diverse mix of motorcycles with upright ergonomics and spirited bar-to-bar racing. Novice rider Evan Edge made a significant impression by securing the Jeremy Taubman followed closely in second place, while Carbon Merrill claimed the final podium position after a race-long battle.
Dominance and Rivalries in Championship Classes
Across the championship classes, Jason Nelson continued his dominant form on the big bikes, sweeping Formula PacificFormula One and Open Superbike while extending his Formula Pacific points lead. Alex Ricci highlighted the middleweight action with multiple victories and an exciting second-place finish in Saturday’s Formula Pacific sprint after a spectacular pass entering Turn 9.
In the lightweight classes, the ongoing rivalry between Dave Moss and Luke Hiestermann continued to entertain spectators. Novice rider Jaden Damato once again demonstrated exceptional pace by earning
Close Racing in American Twins Classes
The American Twins classes delivered close racing throughout the weekend. Nolan Leupp capitalized on an early incident to take the American Twins Unlimited victory. Meanwhile, Marc LoIzaiah ThigpenPao VangNicholas Renoni and others traded positions repeatedly in the tightly contested 350 classes.
Looking Ahead to the Next Event
The AFM now heads into its summer break before returning on August 29-30 at Buttonwillow Raceway‘s newest configuration, The Circuit. Competitors will also take part in the popular, annual Track-Day Provider Endurance Relay. This unique event brings together riders, instructors, and customers from California’s track-day organizations to compete in a relay-style endurance race that has become one of the club’s signature exhibition races.
