El_Diablo_R1M
BARF Racer
ROUND 5 – THUNDERHILL EAST
A Completely Different Thunderhill
Thunderhill East was essentially a new racetrack.The circuit had been completely resurfaced. The cracks, tar snakes, bumps, reference points, and braking markers that we had learned over the years were gone.
That meant arriving early.
I came in Thursday so I could begin relearning the circuit and understanding the new surface.
The pavement was still extremely green, with very little rubber laid into it. Grip levels were exceptionally high which sounds perfect until you realize that a fresh abrasive surface can absolutely destroy race tires.
We were expecting tire wear at roughly twice the rate we would normally experience on a mature racing surface.
Fortunately, Oscar Fernandes and Race Pace Motorsports had already been at Thunderhill for an open track day with another racer. Oscar shared valuable tire-pressure, wear, and setup information that gave us a strong starting point heading into Friday.
Everything seemed aligned for a great weekend.
Except, of course, for that damn autoblipper.
We believed the issue had been resolved following Round 4, but testing an electronic shifting system with the motorcycle sitting on a stand is very different from testing it under actual racing loads.
After trying several adjustments across multiple sessions, Oscar and I eventually decided to stop wasting valuable track time chasing it.
Forget the autoblipper.
It was time to ride.
Breaking the Two-Minute Barrier
Since beginning my AFM racing journey, my personal best at Thunderhill East had been right around the 2:00 mark.By the end of Friday, September 25, I had finally broken through that barrier - 1:58
That alone would have made me happy.
But Saturday changed everything.
By the end of the day, I had recorded a new personal best:
1:54.883
A 1:54.883 at Thunderhill East.That is a lap time I genuinely did not expect to reach this early in my first season as an Expert racer.
I was ecstatic.
And the racing was even better.
Saturday Races
Middleweight Superbike
Grid Position: 12th of 30 ridersFinish: 7th
I qualified 12th in a field of approximately 30 riders.
During the race, I was able to fight forward through the pack and eventually found myself in an awesome battle with Jesse Carter and Jeremy Taubman.
After several hard-fought laps, I crossed the line in 7th place.
Another top-ten Expert finish.
Middleweight Supersport
Grid Position: 8th of 37 ridersFinish: 4th
This was one of the strongest grids of the weekend: 37 riders.
Starting from 8th, I was able to move forward and eventually found myself fighting with Annie Lau for 3rd place.
This was exactly the type of racing I wanted when I moved into Expert, the opportunity to chase faster riders, learn from them, and actually fight for podium positions.
On the final lap, I attempted a pass going into Turn 8.
For anyone familiar with Thunderhill, you already know where this is going.
Turn 8 is fast.
Really fast.
Annie and I had a very close encounter as I attempted the move, and I ultimately ended up taking an unexpected off-road excursion from the exit of Turn 8 before rejoining the pavement approaching Turn 9.
Lesson learned.
There are better places to attempt that pass.
With it happening on the final lap, any realistic chance of catching Annie again was gone.
Still, I crossed the line in 4th place.
Fourth place in a 37-rider Middleweight Supersport Expert field?
I'll take that.
Sunday – Formula 2 Middleweight
I had never raced Formula 2 Middleweight before.But when I looked at the entry list, I noticed something important.
Many of the fastest racers, the riders I watch, learn from, and ultimately want to be competitive with were racing it.
So I figured: Fuck it. I want to try this.
I had nothing to lose and everything to gain from racing with faster people.
Formula 2 Middleweight
Grid Position: 7th of 27 riders
Finish: 3rd
For once, I got a good start.I immediately stayed with the first four riders and, within the opening sequence of corners, found myself working toward a battle for 3rd with Jansher #786.
Then the rider running in 2nd crashed exiting Turn 7.
Suddenly, the opportunity became very real.
There was a podium available and potentially an even better result.
I got a second wind and pushed.
Jansher remained right on my tail.
Then, on the final lap, we caught slower traffic from Wave 1 entering Turn 9.
Jansher didn't hesitate.
He went incredibly late on the brakes and block-passed the group, emerging ahead into Turn 10.
I cleared the two riders in front of me by Turn 11 and immediately went back after him.
I tried another move approaching Turn 14.
By the exit of Turn 15, I was directly on his rear wheel.
I tucked in and tried to use the draft toward the finish.
But the line arrived just a little too soon.
3rd Place.
My first 3rd-place finish racing with some of the fastest guys in the field.
If we had one more lap, who knows?
Regardless, this was easily one of my favorite races I have ever competed in.
The battles, the strategy, the traffic, the pressure, and fighting all the way to the checkered flag that is exactly why I race motorcycles.
Super Dino – One More Medal for the Old Girl
The final race of the weekend belonged to the 2000 R6.Super Dino
Grid Position: 2nd
Finish: 2nd
Pole position belonged to Jon Bawden, aboard a newer Suzuki GSX-R.From the start, I tried to stay with him, but Jon immediately began opening a gap.
By approximately Lap 4, we had caught the American Twins wave and began navigating traffic.
At that point, I had a decision to make.
This was my final race of a long weekend. Jon had established a significant advantage, and I knew I didn't have enough left in the tank to justify risking everything trying to close a gap that realistically wasn't coming back.
So I made the decision to manage the race.
Second place was good enough.
I brought the Old Girl home safely in P2, adding another medal to her collection.
And perhaps one of the most satisfying accomplishments of the weekend:
We broke the two-minute barrier on the 2000 R6 as well.
There is something incredibly rewarding about running those lap times aboard a 26-year-old motorcycle that has spent most of its life being raced and somehow continues to kick ass.
Budman and BARF Racing, thank you again for trusting me with her.
She's still going strong.
And she's still bringing home hardware.
Two Rounds. A Major Step Forward.
Looking back at Rounds 4 and 5, it is difficult not to appreciate just how much progress we have made.
Only a short time earlier, I was sitting at home recovering from injuries, watching Round 3 go by while the motorcycles were still being repaired and upgraded.Since returning, we have achieved:
- Multiple Super Dino victories
- Our first Expert-class win
- Multiple Expert podium finishes
- A 4th-place Middleweight Supersport finish in a 37-rider field
- A 3rd-place Formula 2 Middleweight finish
- Multiple 7th-place finishes in highly competitive Middleweight classes
- A new Buttonwillow personal best of 1:52.7
- A new Thunderhill East personal best of 1:54.883
- A sub-two-minute lap aboard the 2000 Yamaha R6
I started this season knowing I had a massive amount to learn. That has not changed. There are riders around me with significantly more experience, more speed, and more racecraft, and every weekend provides another lesson.
But we are closing the gap.
We are moving forward through the grids.
And now, we are fighting for podiums.
For a first season as an Expert racer, I could not be more excited about where this program is heading.
None of these results belong to me alone.
They belong to every sponsor who helped pay an entry fee, buy a tire, provide race fuel, prepare a motorcycle, cover a practice day, hand me a bottle of water, offer technical advice, loan me equipment, bring forgotten gear to the racetrack, or simply encourage me to keep going.
BARF Racing. O'Malley's Sports Bar. Fred's Place. Tellus Coffee. Race Pace Motorsports. RMC Moto. MouraScape. Andreea. My friends. My family. My teammates at Calderon Racing Team.
Thank you.
You are all part of every lap, every personal best, and every piece of hardware we bring home.
We missed a round.
We came back.
And we came back faster.
Jhonson Moura
AFM Racer #773
JMoura Racing Program
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