Grant Nabs National Win

Team AMSOIL motocross rider Josh Grant has always been fast on his Honda CRF 250, he just needed that breakout race to be considered a true contendor. The young AMA "Lites" rider might have found just that at the second round of the AMA Outdoor Nationals this past weekend in Mt. Morris, Penn.

Grant started quickly on his way to his second pro national win. It took Grant only a few turns to take over the lead in the first Lites moto at High Point Raceway. After just a few laps, Grant opened up a comfortable lead over the rest of the field and breezed through for his first win of the season.

With the overall still up for grabs, Grant would need a strong run in the second moto. Grant grabbed the hole shot in the second round. He held the lead for two laps before giving way to eventual race winner Ben Townley. Grant would then battle Supercross Lites champion Ryan Villopoto for second place and the overall win. (Villopoto took second in the first moto, and Grant would need to finish no more than one spot behind him in the second moto for the win.) Despite some pressure from Ryan Dungey, Grant was able to breeze home to a third place finish, one spot behind Villopoto, but good enough for his second national win.

After two rounds, Grant sits third overall with 78 points and is just 13 points behind the leader Villopoto. Grant's teammates are also doing well in the Lites class. Jake Weimer finished fifth and seventh at High Point for a seventh overall. Billy Laninovich finished 17th overall. In the Supercross class, Kevin Windham finished sixth and seventh in his two moto's and is sixth overall in the points race.

The AMA Outdoor Nationals and its Official Oil AMSOIL, will be back on the road in two weeks (June 9-10) in Southwick, Mass. at the Motocross 338 raceway.

Until then, we'll see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer
AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

Dube Opens Sixth Overall

Marco Dube piloted his AMSOIL/KTM to a top ten finish in the first CMRC Canadian National Series (motocross) in Ste-Julie, Quebec.

Dube struggled out of the gate in the first moto. He joined a crowded first turn and came out of the mess in 30th. Within two laps he was able to move into 12th. Just after the mid-point of the race, Dube ran out of tear offs on his goggles and had to ride the remainder of the muddy race with out his goggles. He was able to move into seventh by the time the checkered fell.

In Sunday's second moto, Dube started in fourth after turn one. A bobble pushed him back two spots early on before the dirt once again caused havoc in his eyesight. A chunk of mud was lodged inside his goggles, blurring his vision. While trying to adjust his view, he dropped three more spots to ninth, his finishing position. Overall, Dube finished the weekend in sixth.

"I’m confident," said Dube. "I got the speed, the bike is really good and the shape is there, so, with good starts I’ll get into the front of the pack."

The CMRC Canadian Nationals will continue its series at Gopher Dunes in Courtland, Ontario on June 3.

Until then, we'll see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

AMA Opens With AMSOIL as Official Oil

AMSOIL opened up the 2007 AMA Outdoor Nationals motocross event in Sacramento, Calif. this past weekend as the Official Oil of the AMA Outdoor Nationals. On hand to represent AMSOIL was the AMSOIL/Factory Connection team with Kevin Windham, Josh Grant and Jake Weimer leading the way while Team Sobe/No Fear/Samsung/Honda racer Kevin Windham was sixth.

Windham took part in the 450 Motocross class, and used his technical riding style to his advantage. In front of 25,000 fans, Windham finished sixth overall after scoring a fourth in the first moto and a ninth in the second.

The Motocross Lites division was highly competitive. Grant lead the 40-rider pack off the gate and through the first turn dogleg in moto number one with reigning National Champ Ryan Villopoto nipping at his red rear fender. Grant would hold the point for the first four circuits around the 40-turn track before finally allowing Ryan Villopoto through and into the lead. On lap number eight, Villopoto fell and Grant reclaimed the lead. Villopoto regained the lead and Grant fell back to fourth. In the second moto, Grant finished in sixth and took home a fourth overall. Teammate Weimer also rode strong in Hangtown, finishing 15th in the first moto and improving to ninth in the moto 2 for tenth overall.

The AMA Outdoor Nationals will be back in action this weekend at the High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Penn. The entire AMA motocross season will be airred on SPEED.

Until then, we'll see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

Rinker 2007 Debut on Podium

After a ten year hiatus, F1 style boat racing returned to Augusta for what became a spectacular race.

Defending ChampBoat Series Champion and World Record holder Terry Rinker brought his AMSOIL/Rinker Boats watercraft to Augusta looking to extend his seven-race winning streak. Rinker qualified well, sitting in fifth when the green flag dropped on Sunday's final.. The three time champion moved up two spots by the time the checkered flag fell on the field, starting the season with a podium spot in the third position.

The ChampBoat Grand Prix Series heads north for the 20th annual, Bay City River Roar on June 22-24.

Until then, we'll see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

Oberg, Vanden Heuvel Podium In Dual Events

AMSOIL Supports CORR and WSORR In Double Duty Debut

The World Series of Off Road Racing faced a major hurdle last weekend as it went head to head with the NBC backed Championship Off Road Racing series. AMSOIL rolled out its plan to support both series by breaking up the AMSOIL Super Team of Scott Douglas, Dan Vanden Heuvel and Mike Oberg.

Douglas and Vanden Heuvel headed to the west coast for the CORR event in Pomona, Calif. Douglas rolled out his Pro-4, four-wheel drive Ford F-150 for the two rounds of racing. In qualifying, Douglas grabbed the seventh spot as the top eight Pro-4 trucks qualified within two seconds of each other.

In Saturday's Jason Baldwin Cup Qualifier, Douglas started in the middle of the pack and was soon battling for third position. The veteran driver got caught up in lapped traffic and eventually finished in fifth. In Sunday's points race, Douglas qualified again in seventh. In the 14 lap race, Douglas put the Pro Power horsepower to the Kumho Tires. By lap ten, the #7 AMSOIL Ford F-150 was in second place. Douglas was looking to take the top spot away from the leader, Johnny Greaves. Unfortunately, Douglas pressed too hard, got out of shape, allowing three trucks to get by. With time running out, Douglas came home with a well fought fifth place.

"The wholesale changes we made to the truck were right on," said Douglas. "The Kumho Tires worked well, AMSOIL kept our Pro Power engine running cool and strong, and my crew gave me a truck that had a shot at the win. Today was just awesome. There was a lot of passing, everybody raced clean, it was really fun out there today."

Vanden Heuvel, meanwhile, was the talk of the Pro-2 class all weekend long. Vanden Heuvel started sixth in Saturday's point's race. After a red flag restarted the race, The Flying Dutchman tried to gain a spot each lap. He moved to 5th, and was going for 4th with 3 laps left when contact was made with another truck and damage was done to the left front shocks. Not wanting to cause more harm to the truck, he pushed the Pro-2 # 77 as hard as he could on the straight-aways and corners while easing it over the jumps for the last 2 laps. At the checkered flag, Dan came in sixth.

The first event of Sunday was the Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup Qualifying race. Vanden Heuvel started in the pole position and took command of the competition until the 29 truck passed him in turn seven. While they fought for the lead, behind them were two other trucks battling for position and one went over the wall. Shortly after the leader started slowing and Dan saw the opportunity to take back the lead.

The AMSOIL Kumho Tires Pro-2 proved to be a tough truck to pass as they raced side by side for two laps before the #48 truck spun out. Vanden Heuvel quickly pulled away from the field until the mandatory yellow flag on the eighth lap. Vanden Heuvel relinquished the lead on the restart, he held on for the 2nd position at the finish.

“It was great to put the AMSOIL/Kumho Tire truck in the lead for most of the race and I wanted the win so bad in front of the sold out crowd, but getting to the finish line was just as important," said Vanden Heuvel. "We’ll take 2nd and be back here again for the 4th round of Pro-2”

In the next Pro-2 points race, Vanden Heuvel took the lead into turn two as the #10 spun, causing the field a delay in their chase. The 2nd & 3rd position trucks were about five truck lengths behind when one flipped end over end and landed on the wheels. He continued to race while the fourth place truck got by both and chased down Vanden Heuvel. They went back and forth until one lap before the yellow flag when Vanden Heuvel fell to third.

When the green flag waved again, Vanden Heuvel got an incredible jump on the two leaders and had passed both by the end of the front stretch and once again regained the lead. He continued to lead with three laps to go before the #41 truck was looking for a slight mistake by Vanden Heuvel. He bobbled slightly and fell into second, keeping the position through the finish line.

While Douglas and Vanden Heuvel were playing in the California sun, it was their teammate who was picking up four podiums in two different classes in the Midwest. The WSORR held its season opener, The Owantonna Nationals, in southeastern Minnesota. Scott Douglas had fellow AMSOIL Super Team member, Mike Oberg drive his secondary PRO-4 truck in the WSORR event. Oberg and his Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup winning ride are a regular competitor in PRO-2WD division. In a show of support for short-course off-road racing, Douglas arranged for Oberg to represent Douglas Motorsports, and their sponsors, at the Midwest event. Oberg made Douglas Motorsports proud as he took the #71 AMSOIL Ford F-150 to victory in both rounds of racing at the Steele County Fairgrounds.

Oberg also was a top driver in the Pro-2 division, taking his Chevy to a second and third place finish during the two days of racing.

"We felt that it was important to our sponsors and our sport, to find a way to compete at both events this past weekend," said Douglas. "Fortunately, Mike and I have many of the same sponsors, so there wasn't a conflict. Jeremy Meyer, motorsports coordinator for AMSOIL, liked the idea, so we put it in motion. I think I said it before, but there's tradition in this sport that needs to be respected. After the Mickey Thompson series ended, the Midwest off-road promoters really cultivated the short-course version of off-road racing. Now we are back racing on the West Coast, where it all began with Mickey. Hopefully, we can create a huge national traveling series that incorporates all participants."

The next event on the CORR schedule is the Chula Vista Raceway, just outside San Diego, CA on June 9-10. Stay tuned to the NBC network in your area for the Jason Baldwin Memorial Qualifier race, which will air on Sunday, May 27th 2-3 EST.

Until then, we'll see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

AMSOIL LM Series Opener Rained Out

Tonight’s AMSOIL Late Model Series opener will be postponed until mid-summer after heavy rains caused less than ideal racing conditions at the Superior Speedway.

The six-race series was set to return tonight after a one-year hiatus. The Superior Speedway promoters assessed the track and pit conditions as well as the rainy forecast and decided that the ½ mile oval was not suitable for racing.

“We were all hoping to catch a break in the weather,” said Jeremy Meyer, AMSOIL Racing Coordinator. “but the heavy rain and wind of the lake are too much to overcome. AMSOIL is working with the track on a rain date for the end of June or beginning of July. The Speedway will make that final decision tonight so we’ll be starting the series in Hibbing on June 5.”

AMSOIL Late Model Series schedule
Monday, May 21 Superior Speedway (Rained out)
Tuesday, June 5 Hibbing Raceway
Friday, July 27 ABC Raceway (Ashland, Wis.)
Sunday, Sept. 2 Hibbing Raceway (Labor Day Shootout)
Saturday, Sept. 8 Superior Speedway (Northern Nationals)
Friday, October 5 Proctor Speedway (Proctoberfest)

AMSOIL will be working with media partner Fox 21. AMSOIL will also be adding new sponsors to help improve the end of the year purse, including Superior Beverage, The Shack, Casper Disability, Hannula & Halom, Didrickson Construction, Black Bear Casino, Ashland Ford and Ton Clusiau’s Motors.

Until then, we'll see you at the races,
Jeremy Meyer
AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

Dube Opens With Wins

The 2007 Quebec Arenacross Series continued last weekend in Riviere-Du-Loup with two exciting nights of bar banging action. For AMSOIL that meant a trio of wins on Friday and Saturday night.

Friday night, AMSOIL/KTM rider and home town favorite put on a great show of determination and rode flawlessly taking wins in both the MX 2 Pro Lites and MX1 Pro Open Classes. Dube found the best lines on the soft, rutted arenacross track and negotiated around lappers to take the checkered flag on his KTM 250 SX-F.

Saturday night drew a huge capacity crowd who were ready to watch some great racing, and they were not disappointed. Dube found even more speed on Saturday night picked up his winning ways taking the prestigious Pro Open Win and was officially crowned the King of Riviere Du Loup.

Dube will pilot his KTM in the CMRC Pro Nationals starting May 27 in Ste. Julie, Quebec.

Until then, we'll see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

Smith Takes On Outlaws

AMSOIL Late Model driver Brady Smith continued his 2007 summer tour with a pair of races in the Midwest last weekend.

Smith, a Solon Springs, Wis. native, took part in two World of Outlaws Late Model Series races on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's race was held at Charter Raceway Park in Beaver Dam, Wis. After posting the 16th fastest lap in qualifying, Smithy finished fifth in his heat race. He then rolled off from the 13th position for the $10,000 to win WoO feature event. The driver of the AMSOIL number 2 brought his car home in 14th after the conclusion of the 50-lap A-Main.

On Sunday, Smith headed to the Lincoln Speedway in Lincoln, Ill. Smith finished a respectable fifth in his heat race after timing 19th fastest in qualifying. However, he suffered problems in his B-Main and did not transfer through his consolation event. Smith did receive a World of Outlaws provisional and started 24th on the grid for the A-Main. Smith was able to pick up six spots during the course of the 40-lap affair en route to an 18th place performance.

Smith will be at the Farley Speedway in Farley, Iowa on Friday for an NARA event. He will be in LaSalle, Ill. on Saturday at the LaSalle Speedway.

Until then, see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

Smith Finishes Strong At Last Two Events

With a new Bloomquist chassis under his awning for 2007, Brady Smith is starting to get dialed in as the summer racing season gets closer.

Smith drove his #2 Late Model in Kentucky on May 7 for the 3rd annual '99' at the Kentucky Lake Speedway in Calvert City, Ky. One of the top qualifiers in the 50 car field, Smith finished third in Saturday's heat race and started 12th in the A-main. During the course of the 99-lap feature The Deuce was able to advance his AMSOIL Monte Carlo eight positions en route to an impressive fourth place performance. He had gotten up to as high as second when his right rear tire started leaking air in the final third of the race.

From there, Smith headed towards Iowa and the Davenport Speedway for a World of Outlaws Late Model Series event. He set the seventh fastest qualifying time and took a second in his heat race. Starting seventh in the feature, Smith took home his second top-five finish in a row with a fifth.

The next event will be another World of Outlaws show on Saturday, May 12 at the Charter Raceway Park in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

Until then, we'll see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

Teague Debuts AMSOIL Boat in Tennessee

Pickwick, Tennessee

Veteran off-shore power boat racer Bob Teague unveiled the brand new AMSOIL power boat this past weekend in Pickwick, Tenn. The weekend marked the second round of racing for the Off Shore Super Series. It was the first competition of the year for the AMSOIL powered 38' catamaran in the OSS Cat Lites class.

Due to qualifying rules, Teague started the AMSOIL boat on the end of the eight-boat starting line. By the second turn, AMSOIL had taken over half of the field and was sitting in fourth. AMSOIL battled in fourth for half of the race and was able to move into third at the mid-point of the 15-lap race. While the AMSOIL team of throttle man Bob Teague and driver Paul Whittier were looking for a podium, a miscalculation on lap-14 made the duo slow the boat down, thinking there race was over. Once they figured out they had one lap to go, they had dropped down to sixth, but brought home the fourth fastest time of the day.

Teague and Whittier will drive the boat to AMSOIL University in two weeks. The next scheduled OSS race is in June.

Until then, we'll see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

Supercross Season Wraps Up In Vegas

Las Vegas

The Supercross season wrapped up this past weekend in Las Vegas. On hand for AMSOIL was the entire Factory Connection team including Kevin Windham in the Supercross class and Josh Grant, Jake Weimer and Billy Laninovich in the Lites class.

In the Supercross class, Kevin Windham continued his strong riding that placed him on the podium last week in Seattle. K-Dub capitalized on Ivan Tedesco's fall in the heat race to move into second behind Chad Reed. The second place finish moved him directly into the final where he was fourth out of the first turn. Windham pushed past Tim Ferry for the third spat after a few laps were completed. At the halfway mark, Windham closed in on Reed by only a bike length, eventually making a pass on Reed. The Yamaha rider passed him right back to take over second again. From there, Reed managed to hold Windham off for the remainder of the race. K-Dub finished third.

"It felt great I was making a great run on Chad, but I had a couple bobbles and he was able to open up the gap between us," said Windham. "Vegas has always been good to me; I love this town and this race."

Windham finished third in the AMA Supercross points standings behind James Stewart, Chad Reed and Tim Ferry.

In the Lites class, AMSOIL rider Jake Weimer was a surprise rider in the main event. Weimer finished third in his heat race, while teammate Josh Grant finsihed sixth in the same qualifier. Teammate Laninovich had to make the final through the LCQ. Lano took the holeshot and battled for the lead with Martin Davalos and Jason Lawrence. Laninovich was able to cross teh finish line ahead of Lawrence for the win.

In the main, Weimer got into the mix early as two riders suffered mechanical problems and moved Weimer into second. Three spots behind him sat Grant. Weimer held on for a comfortable second place finish while Grant dropped back to sixth.

The AMSOIL sponsored team will be heading towards the Outdoor Nationals in two weeks as the AMA opens up the motocross season May 19-20 in Sacramento, Calif.

Las Vegas Final Results

Until then, we'll see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator

AMSOIL Coming Attractions

AMSOIL sponsored teams continue racing this weekend

It should be a good weekend to get out and see AMSOIL sponsored teams in action. This weekend, the annual Pickwick Challenge will be held in Pickwick, Tenn. Team AMSOIL off-shore power boat driver Bob Teague will be unveiling his new Cat Lite boat. The Off-Shore Super Series event gets underway on Saturday with testing and time trials and the races will be held on Sunday.

The AMA Supercross Series wraps up this weekend in Las Vegas at Sam Boyd Stadium. The Supercross series will include superstar Kevin Windham and the Lites classes will combine the East and West Coast riders for one shot at overall supremecy. AMSOIL riders Josh Grant, Jake Weimer and Billy Laninovich will take part in that race. The race will air on CBS on Sunday, May 6.

Autumn Woods Racing continues its participation in the Special Events 4-Wheel Jamboree Series. Watch past champion Jeff Dedick and teammate Ricky Brantley battle for the top spots in Springfield, Mo. starting on Saturday, May 5.

Late model driver Brady Smith will be back on tour starting Friday May 4 for a two day event at the Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert, Ky. For a complete schedule, go to http://www.amsoil.com/bradysmithracing/index.aspx.

Lovell Rock Racing will be taking on the fast pace of the XRRA this weekend. The Lovell Brothers will be competing in the rock racing event being held in Cortez, Colo. The Lovell’s are multiple champions of UROC, a rock crawling circuit.

Until then see you at the races,

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator