Lovell Claims XRRA Season Opener

Lovell Racing continued their two truck effort this past weekend at the XRRA Rock Race in Moab, Utah. Roger Lovell debuted his revamped #32 DirtLogic/AMSOIL Ranger alongside Brad Lovell’s recently constructed #232 Fabtech/AMSOIL Ford. The brothers went up against 40 of the nations top rock racers to see who would rise to the top.

Brad drew poorly and was forced to face the toughest course without the benefit of watching others. The course had the usual jumps and rock climbs but also featured a massive boulder lined trench.

“We flew through the jumps and rock climb then tried to straddle the trench,” recalls Brad, “In retrospect that was a bad idea. We got a tire caught, tried to back up, and rolled. It cost us six minutes and was a horrible start to the season.”

Roger, however, had different luck. He made short work of lane number one setting the fastest time.

"Doing 50 miles of this at King of the Hammers really gave me the seat time to feel confident behind the wheel," said Roger. "We spent a day tuning the air shocks in the dunes and the truck felt great.”

Roger then marked another respectable time by raking the truck through the rock trench that claimed his teammate and was sitting fifth as the afternoon came to a close. During the final race of the day, however, bad luck struck. The bell housing fractured, wedged itself against the flywheel, and immediately disabled the truck. “

Back in #232, Brad and co-driver Mark Hayward were tearing up the track with the 400 HP Pro-Formance Unlimited Ford motor.

“We figured we were out of the running and decided to go for experience and season points,” said Brad.

The formula worked and the #232 was shaving full minutes off of the competition. At the end of regular racing, Roger’s misfortune made room for Brad in the finals as the Fabtech Ford slid into sixth place with less than a 10 second margin.

With no time to develop strategy, Brad and Mark suited up for 2 more rounds of racing. In the first lane, Brad was fast but overshot a double jump that cost precious time. This effort was only a second faster than his previous time. He would fair well in lane 2 with a well paced clean run. Brad finished the day with a total time of 15:52, over 40 seconds faster than second place.

“We came from last place to first place,” adds Brad, “I am amazed by what this truck can do, it is blistering fast. I am exceptionally proud of our team, sponsors, and family for building this vehicle and getting a win our second time out.”

The next competition is only three weeks away at the first round of the WE-Rock series in Perris, Calif. on April 10-12.

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

Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL racing and AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Windham, Grant Podium, Canard Keeps Points Lead

Heading into the first break of the AMA Supercross season, the Torco Racing Fuels/AMSOIL/ Honda team is inching closer to two potential championships.

After winning the first three main events of the season in the Lites East class, Trey Canard carried a 24-point lead in the championship into Minneapolis’ Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. However, a crash in practice left him limping off of the track and missing much of practice. After a midpack start in the main, he worked his way up to a solid fourth-place finish, missing the podium by a small margin.

“I just tried to play it smart,” Canard said of his race. “I think I could’ve hit Martin Devalos and gotten third, but I didn’t want to take a chance on taking both of us out and put myself in a bad position. I did the best that I could. I tried to just work it, and tried to make something good out of something bad. Not every day is perfect, and not everything is always great, and I think today went well. I learned a lot of stuff, and I can’t complain at all.”

Canard now leads Ryan Villopoto by 24 points with three rounds left to run.

One of the big stories for the team in Minneapolis was the re-emergence of star Lites rider Josh Grant. Grant has had a tough go so far this year, but in Minneapolis, he led all but one lap of the main event. Unfortunately, the lap he didn’t lead was the last one. Along with Villopoto, Grant put on a show that most fans will not soon forget, and despite a fall as he attempted to pass Villopoto back for the win over the last jump, Grant finished a solid second on the night.

“It was a good race,” Grant said. “I just got good starts and was pumped with everything that was going on. I had great lines and felt comfortable all day. After second practice, I felt even better, and I just knew that tonight was going to be a good night for me. I felt really comfortable with where we’re at in Minnesota and everyone that’s around – it’s kind of a good atmosphere. It’s good to get our team up on the podium, but it’s just unfortunate that I had to go down on that last jump. This gives me something to work for when we have our next race in three weeks, and we’ll go from there.”

Grant moved back inside the top 10 in points to seventh in the standings with three rounds left to run.

In the 450cc class, Kevin Windham once again managed to take back a bunch of points from points leader Chad Reed, who went down early in the main event and finished seventh. Windham finished third, his seventh podium finish of the season, and he still has yet to finish outside the top five this season.

“It was a disappointing start to a pretty good race," Windham said. “I’m happy with the way things went, ultimately. We made some points, and we’ve got to look at the big picture. We’re closing in, and that feels good. We’re going to have a nice week off, and it’s going to be a good opportunity to look at a few of these things and have some new intensity for Toronto.”

Windham now sits only 17 points behind Reed with seven rounds remaining.

From here, the team takes a weekend off before heading to Toronto, Ontario, and the Rogers Centre for round 12 of the AMA Supercross Series.

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

Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL racing and AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

SPEED Channel Highlights

Martin WPSA Pro Rider of the Year

Team AMSOIL riders finished off an amazing year of snocross racing with some much deserved hardware on Sunday night.

AMSOIL/Judnick Motorsports rider Ross Martin was named the series Pro Rider of the Year after winning the Pro Open class and finishing second overall in Pro Super Stock. Martin entered Sunday's Pro Open final in Lake Geneva, Wis. with a seven point lead thanks to his win on Saturday. Despite falling in the first turn, he was able to regroup and finish fifth. TJ Gulla, who was leading for more than half of the race, couldn't hold on to the top spot and Martin was able to take home the championship by a single point. AMSOIL/Scheuring Speedsports riders DJ Eckstrom and Shaun Crapo finished sixth and eighth overall in Pro Open.

In Pro Stock, both Martin and Eckstrom were taken over in the points race by Tucker Hibbert this weekend. Martin finished second overall and Eckstrom third. Crapo finished seventh overall and was named the WPSA Most Improved Rider at Sunday night's banquet.

Both teams will spend the rest of the spring testing at regional events.

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



Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL racing and AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Wild Weekend on Tap for Team AMSOIL

Team AMSOIL race teams will be vying for championships and looking to continue winning streaks in the Midwest this weekend.

In Minneapolis, the AMSOIL sponsored riders of Kevin Windham, Trey Canard and Josh Grant will invade the Metrodome for round 11 of the AMA Supercross series. The riders will also take part in an autograph session at the AMSOIL Sandbox Arena tonight. The event starts at six o'clock and ends at 7:30. For more information go to: AMSOIL Sandbox Arena.

Windham is coming off is second win of the season after taking advantage of Chad Reed's stalled bike on the rain-soaked track in Daytona, Fla. Windham sits just 23 points away from Reed in the championship race.

Rookie Trey Canard will be looking to keep his impressive winning streak alive in Minneapolis. Canard has started his Lites SX career with three straight wins and holds a commanding lead in the points race.

In Snocross, A double national will help decide the points championships in two pro classes this weekend as the World PowerSports Association heads to the Grand Finale in Lake Geneva, Wis.

Team AMSOIL heads into the weekend with the points leader in both classes after a wild weekend of racing in Brainerd, Minn. Heading into Brainerd, Team AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports rider DJ Eckstrom held a ten point lead in the Pro Super Stock class. After two rounds of racing and two tough crashes in the finals, Eckstrom now sits four points behind Team AMSOIL/Judnick Motorsports rider Ross Martin.

Martin is also the points leader in the Pro Open class after finishing with a pair of fourth place finishes in Brainerd. Eckstrom sits seventh in Pro Open while his teammate, Shaun Crapo moved into eighth after Brainerd. Crapo is seventh in the Pro Super Stock class.

Both teams will join the rest of the WPSA field in Lake Geneva starting on Friday, March 14. The Pro Super Stock class will run all day on Friday with one final Friday afternoon and the last Super Stock race on Saturday morning. Pro Open will begin on Saturday afternoon and finish on Sunday.

Brad and Roger Lovell will get their 2008 season under way by attending the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. Brad Lovell was the 2007 W.E. Rock Pro-Mod Western Champion. Roger, in his first year of driving for Lovell Racing, won the XRRA National Championship. The event starts on Monday and runs through Friday.

And Sudden Impact Racing will bring their monster truck squad to Corinth, Miss. for a weekend full of events.

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


Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL racing and AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Windham Wins in Wild Finish, Canard Takes 3rd Straight

The Torco Racing Fuels/AMSOIL/Honda supercross team made history at perhaps the muddiest, sloppiest race ever held, as team riders Kevin Windham and Trey Canard swept both classes, helping the team to become the first-ever non-factory team to sweep both classes in one night.

Supercross Class

The Daytona Supercross is already known as the most demanding supercross of the season, and with heavy rains, it was turned from demanding to ridiculous. Windham got a decent start in the main event, fought through some mud, and then found himself in second by the end of the first lap, trailing points leader Chad Reed. Reed led the majority of the race, even though the inevitable mistakes under the conditions led to the lead swapping more than a couple of times.

Windham was forced to stop for new goggles a few laps in, temporarily giving second to Davi Millsaps. Windham regained the spot and on the last lap, just three turns from the finish, Reed’s Yamaha gave out and Windham splashed his way by to take the victory.

"Daytona is a unique race. Just by the nature of the track, it is by far the most brutal supercross that we run,” Windham said. “Tonight was definitely a race of different elements with the rain and whatnot, but it still lived up to the brutal Daytona deal. I think it was the most brutal race I have been in in my entire life. I think the scorers lost track of who was leading, because I was in the back corner and the flames above the finish line went off. I was thinking Chad just won the Daytona Supercross. In the matter of one straightaway, it was the biggest emotional roller coaster I’ve ever been on in my entire life. I went from thinking I could salvage a second here, still have a couple turns to go, then, ‘Man, I’m going to win the Daytona Supercross.’ It was an emotional roller coaster for me. It was just an incredible race.”

Reed, Windham’s championship rival, was credited with sixth, but then penalized for cutting the track during the race, dropping him to seventh. As it turned out, even if his bike would’ve run to the finish, Windham would’ve won the race by virtue of Reed’s penalty.

Windham now sits only 23 points behind Reed in the championship with seven rounds left to run.

Lites Class

In the Lites main event, it looked as if AMSOIL rider Josh Grant was going to come away with the holeshot, but he was forced wide in the first turn. Canard snuck around the inside of the turn and came away with the lead.

Canard went on to lead every lap, falling only once on his way to a near perfect race considering the conditions.

“Coming into that race, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I just wanted to go out there and do the best that I could,” Canard said. “I did everything I could possibly do during the week, and I think I was as prepared as I could possibly be, so I could give it everything I had, every lap out there.”

Grant’s bad luck continued. After he got forced wide in the first turn, he ended up cross-rutting off of a jump and got buried in a drainage ditch. Grant ended up 19th.

With his win, Canard now maintains a perfect record on the season, winning every heat and main event he has competed in thus far. He has a 24-point lead in the Lites Eastern Regional Championship with four rounds left to run.

Overall Results

From here, the team heads to Minneapolis and the domed Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for the fourth round of the Lites Eastern Region championship and round 11 of the AMA Supercross Series.

Windham, Canard and Grant will also be signing autographs at the AMSOIL Sandbox Arena in New Richmond, Wis. on Friday, March 14 (see below).

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

Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL racing and AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Canard, Windham and Grant at AMSOIL Sandbox Arena

Coming off a win for the ages, Kevin Windham will be at the AMSOIL Sandbox Arena this Friday to sign autographs alongside rookie supercross sensation Trey Canard and Josh Grant.

The AMSOIL teammates will be at the AMSOIL Sandbox Arena, the premier indoor motocross track in the Midwest on Friday, March 14. The AMSOIL sponsored team is in the Twin Cities for the March 15 AMA Supercross race at the Metrodome.

Windham and Canard are coming off impressive wins at the mud-soaked track in Daytona. It was Windham's second win of the season and Canards third win in a row. For Canard, it was the third win of his career in just three races.

The autograph session will be held on Friday, March 14 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. More
information can be found at amsoil.com or AMSOIL Sandbox Arena.

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

Canard Wins Second in a Row

The Torco Racing Fuels/AMSOIL/Honda squad continued its assault on the 2008 AMA Supercross Championships last Saturday night, as round nine of the 450cc series and round two of the Lites Eastern Region Championship saw the team once again up front at the end of the night.

Lites Class

For the second week in a row rookie Trey Canard stole the show. The 17-year-old Canard grabbed the lead off the start, but lost it when defending champion Ryan Villopoto crashed while attempting a pass on him, causing Canard to fall momentarily as well and hand the lead over to Branden Jesseman.

It sounds amazing, but the one lap that Jesseman led before Canard retook the lead is the only lap in the first two races of the East Coast Lites series, (and in Canard’s SX career, including Heat races), that he hasn’t lead. Canard opened up his lead over Villopoto and Jessman and walked away with his second straight win.

“I’m pumped,” Canard said. “It’s going really well so far. I’m trying to keep my head down and keep focused. I know it’s a seven-race series, and I want to be as prepared as I can possibly be. Mistakes happen, obviously, every now and then. I made probably 10 or 12 mistakes in that main event, but like I said, I just want to give it everything I’ve got every time I’m out there.”

Canard leads the East Lites points standings with a perfect 50 points, 14 in front of the next rider with five rounds left to run.

Teammate Josh Grant’s night started well with the second fastest lap times in practice. That changed early in his heat race after he had a run-in with Ben Coisy. Grant was able to recoup and transferred into the main with a ninth place finish. Another crash in the main caused Grant to work his way from the back of the pack, eventually finishing 12th.

Supercross Class

In the Supercross class, Kevin Windham was impressive all day. In his heat race, K-Dub chased Chad Reed throughout. With the pressure he was able to put on Reed throughout the at race, Windham came into the main event full of confidence, and was looking for his second win of the season. After a start at the tail-end of the top five, Windham quickly went to work, passing his way through to third, and then going to work on Andrew Short for the second spot. However, the intensity with which he was going after the win as he watched Reed pull away from Short caused Windham to tighten up as they approached the middle of the race, and from there, he was powerless to continue to charge toward the front and eventually finished fifth.

Windham still sits second in the points, well clear of third, with eight rounds left to run.

From here, the team heads to Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. for the third round of the Lites Eastern Region championship and round eight of the AMA Supercross Series.

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

Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL racing and AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Eckre "Crowned" Champion

Thanks to the AMSOIL Triple Crown series, DJ Ekre and Ryan Simons can both add more “firsts” to their racing resumes.

Simons took home the Pro 600 checked flag in the first running of the Hayward 300 presented by the LCO Casino in Hayward, Wis. While Ekre only finished fifth in the race, he was crowned as the inaugural champion of the AMSOIL Triple Crown series. Ekre had first place finishes in both the Mille Lacs 200 and the BIR 200 making a seventh place finish or better necessary to win the AMSOIL Triple Crown.

“The track was fun,” said Ekre, “and the support of the fans and community for the first time event made it a blast for the racers and our team. We’re already talking about next year.”

All races of the AMSOIL Triple Crown driven by Polaris will be televised and featured on Sled Head 24/7.

Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL racing and AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

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