AMSOIL Racing Blog

AMSOIL Adds New Racing Website

2011-03-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

AMSOIL INC., the First in Synthetics, has launched a new website, www.amsoilracing.com, dedicated to its commitment to various forms of motorsports and event marketing.

The new site, www.amsoilracing.com, highlights the company’s partnerships in the top levels of motorsports, including motorcycle, off-road truck and snowmobile racing. Team profiles, event schedules and up-to-the-minute results and news will showcase the company’s commitment to its marketing partners and its customers

Daily columns featuring insight into AMSOIL sponsored race teams, live streaming video and unique content will give race fans a central place to stay informed on their favorite teams, series and events.

“We have been working for some time to create a catch-all for the wide array of sponsorships that AMSOIL is involved with,” said Jeremy Meyer, AMSOIL Race Program Manager. “While the new site features AMSOIL products, it is more of an entertainment and information center for our marketing efforts. Whether you are interested in our efforts as the Official Oil of Daytona Bike Week or are looking for information on the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series, we now have one centralized location to bring that information forward.”

For more information on Team AMSOIL racing, go to www.amsoilracing.com.
About the company: AMSOIL has been the recognized leader in synthetic lubricants since 1972. For more information about AMSOIL synthetic motor oils, call (715) 392-7101 or contact AMSOIL INC, AMSOIL Building, Superior, WI 54880, or go to www.amsoil.com.

Ready to Ride: Daytona Bike Week

2011-03-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Over the past few years, AMSOIL has associated itself with three major bike weeks: Daytona, Sturgis and Laconia. On Friday, the first of those three gets underway in Datyona Beach.

The beauty about Daytona is the timing. For those of us who live and ride in the Northern United States, we are always looking for a break from the doldrums of what has become a long winter and Daytona Bike Week offers up a little bit of something for everyone.

You can head over to Destination Daytona or cruise Beach Street. If racing is your elixir, then there is nothing greater than the famed Daytona International Speedway. The world's top Supercross stars will race there on March 5, including Team AMSOIL riders Kevin Windham and Justin Barcia. Or you can wait a week for the AMA Pro Road Racing series to begin its season at the Speedway. There you will be able to witness the first race for Erik Buell Racing with Geoff May on top of the #99 AMSOIL/EBR bike. Larry Pegram will challenge May in the AMA Superbike series again this year, riding a BMW for Foremost Insurance/AMSOIL.

But the rally is focused around riding. With plenty of scenic highways and byways, one can ride to countless spots in and around Daytona Beach. Through it all, AMSOIL will be widely recognizable and available for the ten day event. Check in on us at Beach Street. Or Destination Daytona. Or the Daytona International Speedway.

Either way, enjoy the warmer weather and safe riding.

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

Team AMSOIL

The Four Horsemen of Snocross

2011-02-28T13:27:00.000-08:00

If you ever get the chance to attend a 2010-11 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series race in person, you will walk away with one thing: these guys are fast. Especially those guys up front. You know, the guys with AMSOIL across their chests.

Snocross is an extreme racing sport. Heavy machines with lots of horsepower on tracks that change from lap-to-lap. Leading the way in this year's version of the ACSS are the Champion, the Young Gun the Thrasher and the G.O.A.T. All four guys are showing off speeds maybe never witnessed before on a snocross track.

Tucker Hibbert is considered the best to ever ride a snowmobile, and he's proving it week-in and week-out. But the other three guys, Ross Martin, Tim Trembley and Robbie Malinoski are going bar-to-bar with Hibbert this season and all three are starting to see cracks in his armor.

Martin and Malinoski, (along with Ski Doo's Tim Trembley) are the two to focus on with just three rounds remaining. Martin has already taken down the G.O.A.T. twice this year. Once in Fargo (Pro Super Stock) and again in Detroit in Pro Open. The AMSOIL rider, (Judnick Motorsports), is just three points out of the Pro Super Stock lead.

Malinoski, the veteran rider for the AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports team, is back to his old was was and reinvigorating the "Thrasher" mentality that won him two championships a few years ago. In Detroit, Hibbert pressured Malinoski hard for the final five laps, but Malinoski didn't budge and took home the final podium spot in Pro Open.

It's been a long time since Hibbert missed a podium, and he won't miss many more over the final three weekends of racing that start in Hayward, Wis. this Saturday-Sunday. But the pack is gaining ground, and these four riders are putting on one heck of a show. One you might want to see in person.

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

Team AMSOIL

"Superbike Family" Featuring Larry Pegram to Air on HD Theater (Preview)

2011-02-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

Discovery Channel's HD Theater will air six episodes of “Superbike Family” beginning
this Saturday, February 26. The series depicts Team AMSOIL motorcycle racer Larry Pegram and his family-based racing team as they compete on the AMA Superbike circuit.

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Pegram, a career professional motorcycle rider for the last twenty years juggles his time managing the most successful independent Superbike team on the circuit while at the same time raising two young girls with his wife Heather. His dad Jim works full-time at the team shop, while his mother tends to the books and feeds the crew on weekends.

“The show is about my dream of becoming a Superbike Champion. Actually, it’s our dream," said Pegram. "My parents have been helping me race motorcycles since I was a kid and they’re still here at every race working on the crew. My mechanics are the best and are so committed to this team. They do as much if not more than teams who have twice the manpower. We even have sponsors that after writing the check, help out on the weekends working in the pits. It’s definitely a family effort and we’re real proud of what we have accomplished going up against the factory teams. It’s not easy but all of us are chasing our dream.”

The “Superbike Family" will initially air at these following dates and times (ET):

(HD Theater on Direct TV is channel 281, Dish Network 264)

Saturday, February 26th

11am - Superbike Family Ep. 1
11:30am - Superbike Family Ep. 2

Saturday, March 5th

11am - Superbike Family Ep. 3
11:30am Superbike Family Ep. 4

Saturday, March 12th

11am - Superbike Family Ep. 5
11:30am Superbike Family Ep.6

Pegram Racing will start the 2011 AMA Superbike season March 12 at the Daytona 200.

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

Team AMSOIL

Tomac Delivers First Career Win in San Diego

2011-02-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

Team AMSOIL rider Eli Tomac, of Cortez, Colo., captured his first career Monster Energy Supercross victory in the Western Regional Supercross Lites class in a rainy San Diego over the weekend.

As the gates dropped on the Supercross Lites class main event, Tomac grabbed the holeshot and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire with a convincing win.

“The first five laps I just put my head down and pulled away. It was kind of crazy,” said Tomac, who won by more than 10 seconds. “The track was really tricky and slippery. I got a little nervous out (front), but overall it was really good. I’ve learned a lot this season and I’ve gotten a lot better in recent weeks.”

The win moved Tomac closer to the overall points lead as he now sits third overall. Tomac will have to wait a few weeks before racing again as the series heads to Atlanta for round two of the East Coast Lites championship this Saturday.

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

Weekend Action, Auctions and More

2011-02-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

The doldrums of winter have no place at Team AMSOIL. Several race series and teams are in competition this weekend. From Supercross to Snocross, there's a lot going on over the next couple of days.

Monster Energy Suprecross heads back west on Saturday night. AMSOIL, which is the Exclusive Official Oil of the tour, will be highlighted by the return of rookie Eli Tomac and the rest of the West Coast Lites Series. Kevin Windham will also brush off the cobwebs after his gnarly crash last weekend in Houston.

The entire night of racing will air Live on SPEED on Saturday night. Repeats will air on Sunday.

2/19 10:30 PM San Diego - LIVE Supercross and Lites Original SPEED
2/20 1:30 AM San Diego, CA Supercross and Lites Repeat SPEED
2/20 4:00 PM San Diego, CA Supercross and Lites Repeat SPEED

The AMSOIL Championships Snocross Series has the weekend off, but that's not stopping the AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports team from racing. Robbie Malinoski, Willie Elam and Darrin Mees will be racing at the Valcourt des Gran Prix in Valcourt, Quebec. Racing starts Friday at the historical track and run throughs Sunday. The ACSS resumes racing on March 5-6 in Hayward, Wis.

The long qualifying process for the Loretta Lynn's Amateur Nationals presented by AMSOIL starts this weekend. The first area qualifier will be held in Elizabeth City, NC this weekend.

And if you are looking for a piece of off-road racing history with a flair for NASCAR, then check out this auction featuring Kyle Busch's helmet that he wore during his weekend of racing at the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL in Chicagoland.

http://3.ly/kylebusch

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Cup Race on HD Theater Tonight

2011-02-17T07:50:00.000-08:00

The final race of the 2010 Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL was as historic as it was exciting. On Labor Day weekend in Crandon, Wis., the inaugural AMSOIL Cup race was held in front of more than 50,000 off road super fans.

Tonight, the AMSOIL Cup is debuted in prime time as The Off Road Championship will air the Pro 2wd-Pro 4x4 shoot out on HD Theater. (Direct TV channel 281 and Dish Network HD Channel 364).

While it is no secret that AMSOIL Super Team driver Scott Douglas won the inaugural AMSOIL Cup race, how he pushed is AMSOIL/Ford F-150 across the finish line with the world's best off-road drivers breathing down his bumper will be unveiled to the world tonight.

Tonight's show will air at 10:00 p.m. ET (9:00 p.m. CST). Re-airs are available at 1:00 a.m. ET and 5:00 a.m. ET as well as 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday. A final re-air will run at 9:00 a.m. ET on Saturday morning.

The 2011 Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL gets racing April 30-May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

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

Team AMSOIL

Martin Tops In Pro Open, Malinoski Third

2011-02-15T06:28:00.000-08:00

Team AMSOIL rider Ross Martin jumped to an early lead in the Pro Super Stock main, but it was Tucker Hibbert claiming the top step on the podium at the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series event in Pontiac, Mich. on Saturday. Martin held a commanding lead until five laps to go, when Hibbert motored by on his Monster Energy Arctic Cat for the win.

Just as with several events this season, Hibbert did not have the best of starts but was able to create new lines, to race through some heavy hitters and get the win. Martin continues to stay close in the season standings with the second aboard his Jack Link’s/Dupont/AMSOIL Polaris, while Warnert Racing/Foremost Insurance’s Tim Tremblay took a step back when he was black flagged for contact with Logan Christian. Christian had been in a podium position but dropped back to fourth after the contact, allowing teammate Garth Kaufman to get the three spot.

The AMSOIL Pro Open final went down as one of the highlights of the season, with Tim Tremblay getting a massive lead after a first turn pileup induced a restart. Hibbert and Martin then chased Tremblay in a shootout of the current point leaders. When Hibbert went down on the back straight, it looked as if Tremblay may be in line for his first win of the season. With seven laps to go Martin worked by Tremblay and AMSOIL/Air Force/Rockstar rider Robbie Malinoski closed the gap in third. The top three finished in that order with Hibbert racing back through the field to challenge Malinoski at the finish.

The series returns March 5, with the Hayward Powersports/Polaris National at the LCO Casino in Hayward, Wisc.

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

Team AMSOIL

Barcia Wins East Coast Supercross Opener

2011-02-14T07:54:00.000-08:00

With Monster Energy Supercross in Houston, Team AMSOIL rider Justin Barcia won a 15-lap duel with Dean Wilson at Reliant Stadium on Saturday night to put his GEICO/AMSOIL/Honda at the top of the podium for the first time this season

"How was that race to watch?" Barcia asked after the victory. "It must've been awesome because it was so intense to race in."

As glorious as Barcia's night was, the rest of the evening was bittersweet for the GEICO squad. Supercross rider Kevin Windham got the holeshot in his main and led 11 laps before suffering a cartwheeling crash and finished 19th. GEICO Honda's other Lites rider, Blake Wharton, was run off the track while in third place in the Main, but recovered to finish the race sixth.

For Barcia it was a grand way to start the season following a 2010 season that had a lot of ups and downs.

"The bike was putting the power to the ground," Barcia said. "It was such an intense battle. When I was riding I was saying, 'Woah this is gnarly.' We had to watch our back every corner because we didn't know what each other was going to do. It was crazy."

The night was shaping up to be just as stellar for Windham. In the main, he put down a solid start, led for 11 laps, and had as much as a 4.5-second lead over second place (and eventual winner) Trey Canard before disaster struck.

Windham was just past the finish line on lap 12 and had just cleared a small jump when he landed cross-ways in a rut on the track. Bike and rider cartwheeled from there with the bike eventually landing on top of a stunned Windham once it all came to a stop.

The 17-year veteran was roughed up and suffered a slight concussion from the impact, but had no broken bones.

The Monster Energy Supercross Series goes back to the West Coast for a week with a trip to San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium on Feb. 19. Lites West riders Eli Tomac and Jimmy DeCotis will resume their seasons at that venue. Barcia and Wharton won't race again until the Atlanta stop on Feb. 26.

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

Team AMSOIL

TORC on HD Theater (Watch Preview)

2011-02-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

The Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL provides some of the best, most physical racing offered in the world today.

The series is a highlight of HD Theaters Thursday night line-up, and with the final AMSOIL Cup race less than a week away, you'll want to catch all of the action tonight at 10:00 p.m ET. Tonight's show will highlight the final Pro 4x4 race from Crandon International Raceway. Find out if Scott Douglas can bring home the win and a championship.

The 2011 TORC season begins April 30-May 1 in San Antonio.

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

Team AMSOIL

Wanderscheid Crowned U.S. Nationals Champion

2011-02-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

P.J. Wanderscheid continues his ice oval dominance this winter, this time picking up the U.S. Nationals championship in Ogilvie, Minn.

The Team AMSOIL star recently became the first rider in history to win four AMSOIL World Championships at the AMSOIL W.C. Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River, Wis. Since then, he has been winning races non-stop, including the Champ 440 final in central Minnesota.

Wanderscheid also finished second in the Pro Open 600 class behind Dustin Wahl.

The AMSOIL/Arctic Cat driver will head to Weyauwega, Wis. for the Fire on Ice event this weekend.

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

Team AMSOIL

Martin Derails T-Train, Malinoski Rounds Out Podium

2011-02-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

Team AMSOIL rider Ross Martin used a solid start and quick charge to the front to earn his first victory of the season in the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series last weekend in New York.

Martin endured heavy traffic on the opening lap of the Pro Stock final and began to pressure early race leader Dan Ebert

“I got off the start, not the best jump, I was sandwiched between everyone and the snow dust just hung in the air,” said Martin. “I couldn’t really see until we were coming back down the straight toward the finish line. I just kept looking ahead going forward trying to get to the front as quick as I could.”

Roughly one third of the way into the main, Martin passed Ebert and would not be challenged the rest of the way. AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports rider Robbie Malinoksi was battling for a final podium spot on Friday before getting tangled up with another rider late in the competition and finishing tenth.

The win moved Martin into a tie for the overall points lead with Tucker Hibbert, who finished fifth.

Martin and Malinoski were both on the throttle hard again on Saturday night, this time in the AMSOIL Pro Open final. Malinsoki, the number one qualifier on the night, pushed hard and finished third and moving him into fourth in the overall standings. Martin continues to battle with Hibbert for the overall lead, as he racked up his fourth straight second place finish behind the Arctic Cat rider.

The ACSS moves inside this weekend with the fifth round of racing being held at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., just north of Detroit.

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

Team AMSOIL

Third Straight Podium for Eli Tomac

2011-02-07T07:07:00.000-08:00

Team AMSOIL rookie Eli Tomac is hitting his stride thanks to a fast bike and good starts, but it might be his early season patience that his helping him the most in his inaugural Monster Energy Supercross.

Tomac got another great start in Anaheim on Saturday night, putting the young Colorado-native in contention for his first career supercross win. It was an impressive battle between Josh Hansen and Tomac, as both riders took their turns out front. Tomac took the lead from Hansen, only for Hansen to nose his way back into the lead. A regrouped Tomac then delt with rookie Ken Roczen and Brock Tickle for the remainder of the Supercross Lites final. Tomac narrowly beat out Roczen for second, with Tickle just inches behind in fourth.

The West Coast Lites riders get a break this weekend as the Houston round kicks off the East Region Lites campaign this Saturday.

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

Team AMSOIL

Winter X Games Medalists Headline AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series

2011-02-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

Direct from Aspen, Col. and the Winter X Games with precious medals to boot are some of the world’s best snocross racers and freestyle athletes coming to the east coast for the third year in a row to compete in the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series at the Vision KIA Eastern National at Finger Lakes Casino and Racetrack Feb. 4-5.

Tucker Hibbert brought home a gold medal in the X Games Snocross. Team AMSOIL rider Ross Martin took the silver medal and the bronze went to AMSOIL Scheuring Speed Sports star Robbie Malinoski. These athletes competed hard and will be bringing their "A Game" to Farmington.

Watch your favorite pros race head-to-head in the pro main events both on Friday and Saturday. This is race number 4 of 8 national events with racers competing for the title of year-end Points Champion. Adding more to the extreme excitement, the ISOC Freestyle Team fueled by Monster Energy will perform sick tricks and stunts both days.

Spectator doors will open at 4 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday. You can watch the entire weekend live at http://www.amsoil.com/.

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

Team AMSOIL

Tomac Continues Podium Streak in Oakland

2011-02-01T06:22:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy Garth Milan/Racer X

Rookie GEICO/AMSOIL/Honda rider Eli Tomac took advantage of a strong start and avoided disaster to land on the podium for the second weekend in row in the Supercross Lites West race Saturday night at the inaugural Monster Energy Supercross event at Oakland Coliseum.

"I was very satisfied to get back on the podium," Tomac said following this third place finish. "Hopefully next weekend it'll all be put it all together and earn my first win.

Tomac's teammates were also able to finish in the top 10 with Kevin Windham seventh in the Supercross main event and Jimmy DeCotis crossing the finish eighth in the Lites West main.

Windham, the lone Team AMSOIL rider in the 450cc class, raced to a seventh place finish during the fourth round of the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross series.

"I need to keep pushing myself," Windham said, "but there's a thin line between pushing hard enough to win and pushing so hard that you're going to beat yourself by crashing and not finishing. I've got to figure out that balance."

The next stop on the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross series will be a Feb. 5 return to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., site of the season opener. AMSOIL is the Exclusive Official Oil of Monster Energy Supercross.

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

Team AMSOIL

Schultz Secures Gold; Martin and Malinoski Also Medal at Winter X

2011-01-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

Mike Schultz doesn't let too much affect him these days. Both on, and off, the track, he is moving forward. More often than not, he comes out on the winning end.

Despite losing his left leg during a pro snocross race three years ago, Schultz has adapted to his new role in life and has been busy snatching up X Games medals. This past weekend in Aspen, Schultz added to his growing resume by winning a Winter X Gold Medal in Adaptive Snocross on top of his AMSOIL sponsored Ski Doo.

Also riding a Ski Doo at Winter X Games this past weekend was Team AMSOIL rider Robbie Malinoski. One of the top pro riders in the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series, Malinoski had to overcome a poor start in the X Games Snocross final to finish with a bronze medal.

Ross Martin, who rides out of the AMSOIL/Polaris trailer, picked up his second straight silver medal in Aspen. Despite jumping the start, Martin was able to push through the field and into second at the halfway point. Tucker Hibbert won his fifth straight Winter X Gold.

Up next for Martin and Malinoski is round four of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series in Farmington, N.Y. on February 4-5.

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

Team AMSOIL

ESPN; CBS Lead Weekend of Coverage for Team AMSOIL

2011-01-28T14:32:00.000-08:00

This is a quick programming note for Team AMSOIL fans: You can watch your favorite racers on CBS, SPEED and ESPN this weekend.

Monster Energy Supercross heads to Oakland on Saturday night. The Supercross 450 class featuring Kevin Windham will air on CBS on Sunday morning. The Lites class, featuring Eli Tomac, will air on SPEED Sunday afternoon.

Winter X Games will be busy all weekend long with snowmobiles flying through the air. Robbie Malinoski and Ross Martin will look for gold on ESPN starting Sunday morning. Justin Hoyer will also try to win Best Trick on Sunday night.

And don't miss the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL on HD Theater. This weeks show will air again on Saturday morning at 9:00 ET. Next week the show will air on February 3 at 10:00 p.m. ET

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

Team AMSOIL

Medal Favorite Hoyer Takes Home Second Straight Silver

2011-01-28T06:09:00.001-08:00

Justin Hoyer teamed up with the AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports team this fall to give him a more reliable sled during his Winter X Games competition. The sleds worked perfectly in Aspen and the defending gold medalist held up his end of the bargain during the opening night of competition on ESPN.

Hoyer was the top qualifier coming out of the first round of eliminations and backed it up with the top score after two rounds. Hoyer, who would flip his 500 pound snowmobile last in the Winter X Games final, needed to beat Daniel Bodin's 91.66 score for a shot at the gold. A small hand check on a no-handed landing might have cost Hoyer the gold, but his 91.00 run was enough for a second straight medal, this time the silver.

That was a battle," Hoyer said. "It was the hardest Winter X ever. We've come a long way and hopefully we can continue to grow. Next year I'm a little nervous though. It's going to get ugly. Real ugly."

Team AMSOIL gets another crack at gold tonight when Scheuring sends out AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series pro Willie Elam for the Snowmobile Speed and Style event. Tonight's final will air live on ESPN. Qualifying will be held throughout the day in Aspen.

Robbie Malinoski and Ross Martin will look for gold in Snocross on Sunday afternoon, while Hoyer will compete for the title of Best Trick on Sunday night. Both events air live on ESPN.

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

Team AMSOIL

Team AMSOIL Ready For Winter X Games: Hoyer Flips In Tonight

2011-01-27T06:23:00.000-08:00

The last weekend of January brings prime time coverage of snowmobile racing and Team AMSOIL will be at the forefront at the 2011 Winter X Games.

Winter X, which starts today in Aspen, Colo., brings the best action sports stars on the planet together to compete for a X Games gold medal. This year, AMSOIL will once again be led by snocross stars Robbie Malinoski and Ross Martin.

But since snocross doesn't start until Sunday, the Freestyle competitions will have to hold you over and AMSOIL will be well represented in those events. Scheuring Speed Sports team owner Steve Scheuring has signed an agreement with 2010 silver medalist Justin Hoyer to run a Rock Star/AMSOIL/Ski Doo in both Snowmobile Freestyle and Snowmobile Best Trick. The Freestyle competition starts tonight and will air on ESPN live starting at 7:00 (ET). Best Trick is scheduled for Sunday night, also on ESPN.

Scheuring will also implement his secondary rider, Willie Elam, into the Snowmobile Speed & Style event. This competition is a mix of snocross and freestyle. That event will be on Friday night on ESPN.

ESPN Broadcast Schedule

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

Team AMSOIL

Tomac Gets Great Start In L.A.

2011-01-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

Round three of Monster Energy Supercross brought the nationwide tour to Dodger Stadium for the first time last Saturday and Team AMSOIL rider Eli Tomac was looking for his first career podium.

Tomac, who has been riding fast in his rookie supercross campaign but was besieged by poor starts in the first two rounds, was quick on the throttle in Los Angeles. The former Loretta Lynn's Amateur champion started third in the West Coast Lites main and after a few turns had moved into second. From there he would pressure race leader Cole Seely, while being pressured from a handful of riders behind him. While Seely extended his lead, Tomac fought off the competition and picked up his first pro podium.

Tomac's teammate James Decotis finished eighth in the Lites class and Kevin Windham finished sixth in the 450 Supercross class.

AMSOIL is the Exclusive Official Oil of Monster Energy Supercross. Round four heads to Oakland, Calif. The Oakland round of racing will air on CBS next Sunday morning.

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

Team AMSOIL

Supercross Report From Phoenix

2011-01-19T06:48:00.000-08:00

"Racer X Films: Phoenix, Tour of the Pits - Racer X Online"

GEICO/Honda/AMSOIL rider Kevin Windham had big plans for the second stop of the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross in Phoenix. Unfortunately for Windham things don't always go as planned.

"I was having a great race," Windham said. "My GEICO Honda was running great. I had a great start but then I got tangled up."

The veteran rider, who is competing in his 17th season, had his 450cc machine off to a strong start in the main event but a crash during lap 12 brought his hopes of winning the race to an end.
"I thought the guy was going to zig, but he zagged," Windham said of the slower lapped traffic he encountered. "I was already in the air and there was nothing I could do about it at that point. It broke the front brake and bent the handlebars of my Honda and that was it for me."

Windham is still hoping to be a major player for the 2011 season and isn't going to let his 19th-place finish in Phoenix ruin his goal of winning the championship.

"That's racing," Windam said, "or at least that's what they tell me. It sure doesn't make it any easier. Tonight was tough but we're going to move on next weekend to LA and hopefully make up for it."

Windham's teammate Eli Tomac ran a very competitive race in the 250cc Lites class, working hard to earn his fifth-place finish.

"Qualifying went really well," Tomac said. "The top of the pack was really tight, and it showed during the main event too."

Tomac's AMSOIL backed teammate was as far back as 11th during the main event but the Supercross rookie was not about to settle for that. He kicked it into high gear and earned every spot on his way up to fifth.

"Unfortunately my start hindered my performance once again," Tomac said. "I definitely know I have more endurance than most of those guys because in the end, when it counted the most, I came on strong."

The rookie is beginning to feel comfortable in the Lites class, and can't wait for the next race to continue improving.

"I feel like I'm totally used to Supercross now," said Tomac, who turned pro last year in the outdoor portion of the season. "No more rookie bugs. I'm ready to come out swinging next weekend."

Replacement rider Jimmy DeCotis' made his debut with the GEICO team at Chase Field and his first race with the team is one that has got everyone in the Lites class looking his way.

"I rode a little tight early in the day," DeCotis said, "but I rode really well in the main, and that's where it really counts. I just have to work on my endurance a little more and we'll be set."

Riding for the injured Wil Hahn, DeCotis earned a seventh-place finish on his 250cc Honda, proving he's not just a replacement rider, he's here to compete.

"I have a great team behind me right now," DeCotis said. "It's going good. We're just going to build on this. I did what I wanted to do and can't wait to get back out here again next race."

The next stop for the Monster Energy Supercross Series is next Saturday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The event will air on CBS this Sunday.

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

Team AMSOIL

Wanderscheid Wins Record Fourth AMSOIL World Championship

2011-01-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

Sunday marked the 48th running of the AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River, Wis., and this one will have the industry buzzing for weeks to come. Team AMSOIL racer P. J. Wanderschied now stands alone as the Derby's only four-time champion after a hard-fought battle with another AMSOIL-backed driver, Gary Moyle. Officials at the AMSOIL Derby Track shook things up this year by changing the format of the WC race from a 25-lap race to a 30-lap race split into two sections. Drivers raced 15 laps, had a five-minute pit session to change carbides, add lubricants and fuel and check the sled over. Then the race resumed with a staggered start according to how drivers finished the first 15-lap session.

Wanderscheid earned the pole position by winning the Sweet 16 race during Friday Night Thunder, but it was Moyle who jumped out to an early lead on lap one with Wanderscheid following close behind. The Houghton, Mich. native led from flag to flag as the first 15 laps closed with no red flags and Wanderscheid only narrowing the gap slightly around lap 13. The race resumed after the mandatory pit-stop and fans were treated to an epic battle between Moyle and Wanderscheid as the two exchanged the lead a number of times until Wanderscheid finally took the lead for good on lap 29 to solidify his place in snowmobile racing history as the first four-time AMSOIL World Champion. Wanderscheid was followed on his Arctic Cat by Moyle and ice oval racing legend Jacques Villeneuve, both on Ski-Doo.

The world championship weekend at the AMSOIL Derby Track also features snocross, where the podium was also dominated by Team AMSOIL drivers. It was an AMSOIL podium sweep in the Pro Stock class during Friday Night Thunder with Scheuring Speed Sports’ Robbie Malinoski taking the checkers followed by Ross Martin and Mike Bauer from the Judnick Motorsports trailer.

Malinoski also took third in Friday night’s Pro Open final behind young-gun Justin Broberg and third-year pro Brett Turcotte. Sunday’s Pro Stock final saw Marin finish on top, followed by Malinoski and Kaven Benoit. Malinoski’s teammate Darrin Mees finished fourth. The Pro Open final featured a fantastic battle between Marin and Turcotte, culminating with an awe-inspiring charge by Martin from the final turn to the finish line for the win. Martin was followed by Turcotte, Broberg and Malinoski. Mees finished sixth.

It was a fantastic weekend for Team AMSOIL with riders on the podium in every final and world championships in snocross and ice ovals. Wanderscheid’s feat is truly special and will solidify his position in history as one of the sport’s best. Congratulations, P.J.

Ready for Racing at the Eagle River Championship Derby

2011-01-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

The track is groomed, the teams are making final adjustments and another exciting weekend of both ice oval and snocross racing is about to get underway at the 2011 Eagle River Championship Derby.

Fans will be treated to a full weekend of racing and the temperatures outside are making for perfect conditions for the event.

AMSOIL Race Program Manager Jeremy Meyer and Vice President Dean Alexander were presented with an award yesterday in recognition of the years of support and sponsorship AMSOIL has provded by Derby Track General Manager Todd Achterburg. This was also the perfect time to announce that AMSOIL will continue to sponsor the event for the next three years.

Be sure to check back for more updates both from Eagle River and the Monster Energy Supercross races in Phoenix as the weekend continues.

A Busy Weekend Ahead for Team AMSOIL

2011-01-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

January is quickly becoming one of the busiest months for the AMSOIL Race Department, and this upcoming weekend is no different.

The 48th running of the AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby starts on Thursday in Eagle River, Wis. The largest, and most popular ice oval race in the world will crown a new champion on Sunday afternoon. Will AMSOIL rider P.J. Wanderscheid take home a record fourth title? You can watch live at the AMSOIL Derby Track website.

Also on tap for the weekend will be round two of the Monster Energy Supercross. Team AMSOIL riders Kevin Windham and Eli Tomac will look for a win at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. The entire night of racing will once again air live on SPEED.

the AMA Arenacross will host a bevvy of riders and fans in Kansas City, Mo. January 15-16. Jeff Gibson took the opening round win in Tulsa and will be hard pressed with riders as skilled as Tyler Bowers and Chad Johnson breathing down his tailpipe.

Finally, the United States Cross Country series heads into its second round of racing in 2011. The Grand Cities 500 will take place in Grand Forks, N.D.

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

Team AMSOIL

Martin and Malinoski Ride High in Salt Lake City

2011-01-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

The AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series brought its traveling show back to the mountains of Utah with a tour stop in Salt Lake City on Saturday.

Inside of Rio Tinto Stadium, the home of the MLS champions Salt Lake Real, Team AMSOIL iders Ross Martin and Robbie Malinoski proved once again they are championship contenders in the Pro classes this season.

In Pro Super Stock, Martin used his smooth racing style to get to the front of the action. As is the custom this season, he would once again battle with Tucker Hibbert for the win. Martin just missed his first win of the year, but finished second to Hibbert. Malinoski also ran a strong race and finished fourth.

In the AMSOIL Pro Open final, Martin literally got stuck on the start as the skis of his Polaris were tangled up with another sled. By the time the two machines were seperated, Martin was a lap down. Malinoski, meanwhile, led for much of the final that went down to the wire. Malinoski finished third for his first podium of the year.

Up next for both both riders is the AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River, Wis. this weekend. Racing starts on Thursday.

Round three of the ACSS will air on Versus Sunday, January 23 at 2:00 p.m. CST.

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

Team AMSOIL

Monster Energy Supercross Opener a Success

2011-01-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

In the company's first foray into its Official Oil sponsorship of Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL can deem the Anaheim opener a success.

The synthetic lubricant manufacturer headed into the first round with a new look and a new message that it was eager to share with the 45,000 plus fans in attendance at Angels Stadium of Anaheim. "Move up to AMSOIL" was the theme inside the hugely successful Pit Party as fans stormed the gates at 12:30 on Saturday afternoon, looking for the latest in motorcycle racing, news and products.

AMSOIL, which will be giving away a race-ridden Kevin Windham Honda CRF 450 this year, was on hand to work with fans of all interest. (Please note that you must attend a Supercross event to find out how to win.)

"The support of AMSOIL at Anaheim was an excellent start to the new year and the new partnership with Feld Motorsports," said AMSOIL Race Program Manager Jeremy Meyer.

Team AMSOIL was also competitive on the track in Anaheim. K-Dub started the Supercross class final in second place and battled with the lead back through the checkered flag, finishing sixth on the night.

Eli Tomac showed off his skill and determination by overcoming a slow start of 19th to finish tenth in the Supercross Lites main on board his Geico/Honda/AMSOIL ride. Wil Hahn was unable to participate after a severe crash during practice.

Monster Energy Supercross and AMSOIL head to Phoenix this Saturday for round two. The entire night of racing will air LIVE on SPEED.

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

Team AMSOIL

Watch Live Supercross and Snocross Racing This Weekend

2011-01-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Monster Energy Supercross Series opens Saturday at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., where Team AMSOIL star Kevin Windham and Lites teammates Justin Barcia, Blake Wharton, Eli Tomac and Wil Hahn will begin their quests for championships. Catch all the action live on the Speed Channel at 10 p.m. EST. AMSOIL is the Exclusive Official Oil of Monster Energy Supercross.

The third round of AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series racing action takes place Saturday in Sandy, Utah. Racing starts at 3 p.m. CST, and all the action can be seen live at http://isocracing.com/ as Team AMSOIL/Judnick Motorsports racer Ross Martin looks to continue his early season success and Team AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports racers Robbie Malinoski and Willie Elam look for podium finishes of their own. AMSOIL is the title sponsor and Exclusive Official Oil of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series.

What's New in 2011 For Team AMSOIL

2011-01-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

Last week we laid out all of the great things that AMSOIL Racing accomplished in 2010. From the AMSOIL Cup to the AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship, last year was a very good year of racing and growth for Team AMSOIL.

Now it is time to showcase all of the new opportunities that are coming quickly for Team AMSOIL in 2011.

January is easily our biggest month for unveiling new projects. This weekend actually starts the two biggest ventures for the new year. Supercross is considered the third largest motorsports series in United States. Each year, more than 750,000 fans spin through the gates at the 18-round series to catch dirt bike racing's biggest stars compete. AMSOIL will debut this weekend as the Exclusive Official Oil of the Monster Energy Supercross tour. Along with a longstanding partnership with Factory Connection Racing and top rider Kevin Windham, AMSOIL will be on display at each round of racing and will receive on track and television coverage throughout the year. Each round is aired on either CBS or SPEED. This Saturday's race from Anaheim will air the entire night of coverage live on SPEED.

Kevin Windham Racer X Preview Article

Also getting underway this weekend is the AMA Arenacross Series. Consider this as a lighter version of Supercross. While Supercross plays large venues like Dodgers Stadium, Arenacross heads into smaller arena's like the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday night for tight, bar-to-bar racing. AMSOIL is also the Exclusive Official Oil of Arenacross and the entire series will also air on SPEED. Away from racing, AMSOIL will begin working with a fishing show called the Next Bite. The popular fishing show will help AMSOIL get a foothold in the outdoors market. Hall of Famers and industry experts Gary Parson, Keith Kavajecz and Pete Maina will be getting you on more big walleyes and muskies than ever before. The show started airing on the Versus network last week.

AMSOIL continued its support of snowmobile racing with a new partnership this year. The East Coast Snocross series is replacing the old Rock Maple Racing series as the prominent snocross series on the Northeast. The tour has already had a couple of events, and will join its efforts with the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series for a combined event in New York this February.

Until then, make sure to get out to your local track to help support your favorite AMSOIL driver, and we'll see you at the track,

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Year in Review

2010-12-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

In 2010, AMSOIL pushed past several barriers in both marketing and products. The company introduced successful lines of products, including OE oil and Quickshot. One will open new doors for AMSOIL Dealers, the other will help the power sports industry save their equipment.

Race Marketing also grew in 2010. AMSOIL added the AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship, a USAC owned property which brings in nearly 300 races in five different series each year. The coast-to-coast racing property has one of the most storied histories in all of motorsports, with past champions like Bobby Unser and Tony Stewart.

AMSOIL introduced the Inaugural AMSOIL Cup race, which will be held every Labor Day Weekend in Crandon, Wis. The race is the largest off-road, short-course race in the world and AMSOIL driver Scott Douglas pushed his 4x4 Ford across the line for the first win of the new event.

AMSOIL added the GNCC, a cross-country event that hosts ATVs and Dirt Bikes on the same weekend. The eight race season is a true iron man event, with fans lining the course just inches from a screaming bike. The season culminated with the AMSOIL Ironman event in Indiana.

We watched top racers like Trey Canard, Ricky Johnson and Ross Martin win championships this past year. Bob Teague continued to clean-up trophies in off shore power boat circles, as well.

Circle Track Magazine helped push the AMSOIL name across the pages of its magazine with the AMSOIL Great American Circle Track Tour. Editor Bob Bolles maneuvered his RV to local dirt tracks across America's Southwest, and will do more of the same in 2011.

The Next Bite will help AMSOIL get a foothold in the outdoors market. Hall of Famers and industry experts Gary Parson, Keith Kavajecz and Pete Maina will be getting you on more big walleyes and muskies than ever before.

With everything else we've been working on, including the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series, AMSOIL Dirt Track Series, AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby, Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL, the CSRA, ATVA AMX, USCC, Loretta Lynn's Amateur Nationals presented by AMSOIL, the AMSOIL Sandbox Arena, East Coast Snocross and all of the racers and teams that fall under our awning, you'd think we were busy enough. But 2011 means more adventures for Team AMSOIL, and you'll have to check back on Monday to see what we have up our sleeve for the New Year.

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

Team AMSOIL

Monster Energy Supercross Preview Show Airs Sunday

2010-12-23T12:52:00.000-08:00

With the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross just two weeks away, its time to start thinking about the who, what, where, when and why of the upcoming campaign. CBS sports will host a 2011 Season Preview Show on Sunday December 26 at 5:00 PM ET/2:00 PM PT.

Feld Motor Sports has also announced the broadcast schedule for the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season. The 16-race lineup that will be once again be airing on SPEED and CBS Sports, features seven live races, the most in the history of the championship.

The season gets off to a fast start by showcasing the first two races of the season from Anaheim and Phoenix live on SPEED TV. Following these two live-broadcasts, CBS Sports will showcase the Los Angeles and Oakland races. The remaining live broadcasts take place at San Diego, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Seattle and the season finale from Las Vegas while CBS showcases the world’s best riders at Houston, Dallas, St. Louis and Salt Lake City.

"This is a huge step in the growth of Monster Energy Supercross," said Todd Jendro, senior director of operations, Feld Motor Sports. "Feld Motor Sports, SPEED and CBS have had a strong relationship for many years and this is a sign of the tremendous success the sport has brought to both networks."

In addition to the most complete broadcast schedule in the history of the sport, CBS Sports will also air three one-hour specials. The first CBS Sports special, the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross Season Preview, will air this Sunday, December 26 at 5:00pm ET. Supercross greats Ricky Carmichael, Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Emig, and Jeff Stanton will highlight the highly anticipated story lines emerging as the 2011 season draws near. The second CBS Sports special, AMA Supercross Legends – The Races, is scheduled to air February 27 at 12:00pm ET. And the final CBS Sports special, the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross Season Recap, will air on May 8 (time TBD), following the season finale in Las Vegas.

In the booth, the veteran duo of Ralph Sheheen and Jeff Emig return to provide the color commentary and analysis while Erin Bates brings all the breaking news from the track during each night of action.

2011 Monster Energy Supercross Television Schedule

Air Date Featured Race Network Time
Dec. 26 N/A CBS (Preview) 5:00 p.m. ET
Jan. 8 Anaheim, Calif. SPEED (LIVE) 10:00 p.m. ET
Jan. 15 Phoenix, Ariz. SPEED (LIVE) 9:30 p.m. ET
Jan. 23 Los Angeles, Calif. CBS 12:00 p.m. ET
Jan. 30 Oakland, Calif. CBS 12:00 p.m. ET
Feb. 6 Anaheim, Calif. SPEED 6:00 p.m. ET
Feb. 13 Houston, Texas CBS 12:00 p.m. ET
Feb. 19 San Diego, Calif. SPEED (LIVE) 10:30 p.m. ET
Feb. 26 Atlanta, Ga. SPEED (LIVE) 7:30 p.m. ET
Feb. 27 N/A CBS (Legends) 12:00 p.m. ET
March 12 Indianapolis, Ind. SPEED (LIVE) 7:30 p.m. ET
March 20 Jacksonville, Fla. SPEED 6:00 p.m. ET
March 27 Toronto, Canada SPEED 6:00 p.m. ET
April 3 Dallas, Texas CBS 12:00 p.m. ET
April 10 St. Louis, Mo. CBS 12:00 p.m. ET
April 16 Seattle, Wash. SPEED (LIVE) 6:00 p.m. ET
May 1 Salt Lake City, Utah CBS 12:00 p.m. ET
May 7 Las Vegas, Nev. SPEED (LIVE) 10:00 p.m. ET
May 8 N/A CBS (Season Recap) Time TBD

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

Team AMSOIL

First Look: 2011 Team AMSOIL Supercross

2010-12-22T06:36:00.000-08:00

With the official start to the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross tour just a few weeks away, the AMSOIL-backed GEICO Powersports/Honda team has been busy getting ready for the four month affair.

Here's a sneak peak at the Lites riders that will be racing for Team AMSOIL starting in Anaheim on January 8.

CBS will air a Monster Energy Supercross preview show this Sunday.

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

Team AMSOIL

Wanderscheid Wins in Iowa

2010-12-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Team AMSOIL oval ice racer PJ Wanderscheid already has two weekends of racing under his belt during the 2010-2011 season.

Wanderscheid headed to Manitoba for the opening weekend of racing and Iowa this past Saturday and Sunday for the Oval Racers Alliance season opener. In Manitoba, Wanderscheid finished fourth overall.

Iowa proved more successful for the three-time world champion as he entered the final as the number three qualifier and proceeded to lead the main from flag to flag.

Up next for Wanderscheid will be the USSA season opener in Amherst, Wis. January 1-2. The AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby is scheduled for January 13-16 in Eagle River, Wis.

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series Begins Airing on Versus this Weekend

2010-12-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

The 2010-2011 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series races begin airing on Versus this weekend. Check out highlights of the AMSOIL Duluth National on Sunday, December 19 at 3 p.m. Eastern. See the video below for a preview of the new format show, which offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the series and the top professional snocross racers in the world:

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

Highlights from Fargo ACSS National

2010-12-15T07:17:00.000-08:00

The AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series raced in Fargo, N.D. this past weekend.

AMSOIL riders Ross Martin and Darrin Mees picked up podiums and Robbie Malinoski was in contention both days. Here's a look at the ACSS Fargo National.

And a reminder that the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series debuts this weekend on Versus. The show airs at 4:00 EST on Sunday. AMSOIL was able to preview the show this week and it is one that you will not want to miss. We will have a preview clip of the new show available on Friday.

The next ACSS National is in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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

Team AMSOIL

Kevin Windham Talks with Racer X

2010-12-14T06:50:00.000-08:00

Kevin Windham gets ready for the 2011 Supercross season in this Racer X Films.

Video Courtesy Racer X Films:

Windham will be once again riding the #14 Geico Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda during the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross. AMSOIL is the Exclusive Official Oil of Monster Energy Supercross. The 2011 season starts January 8 in Anaheim, Calif.

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

Team AMSOIL

Martin, Mees and Malinoski Out Front in Fargo

2010-12-13T06:24:00.000-08:00

Photos courtesy Gary Walton

Ross Martin and Robbie Malinoski led the AMSOIL charge in the pro classes at the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series in Fargo, N.D. over the weekend while Darrin Mees continued his early season success in the semi-pro classes.

With temperatures dipping below zero and a heavy snow starting to fall, Malinoski piloted his AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports sled to a number one qualifying position in Friday's AMSOIL Pro Open class. While Malinoski battled for the final podium spot during the 22-lap final, it was Martin who had his chance at knocking of Tucker Hibbert. Just like in Duluth, Martin led most of the final before Hibbert was able to come from behind for his third win of the year. Martin finished second to Hibbert while Malinoski's battle with Tim Trembley netted him a fourth place finish.

In Pro Super Stock, it was the same four riders rounding out the top four for much of the race. Martin again had a solid lead, only to lose it to Hibbert at the end. For his part, Malinoski was in position to garner a third, but an overly-aggressive move by Trembley caused an accident between the pair and Malinoski was knocked out of the race.

In Semi-Pro action, Darrin Mees piloted his AMSOIL/Scheuring sled to another podium finish on Saturday. His third place podium gives him three podiums in the seasons first four races. He is sitting in third place overall.

Up next on the ACSS schedule is Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 8. The AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series premiers this Sunday on Versus.

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

Team AMSOIL

Watch AMSOIL Snocross Live From Fargo National

2010-12-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Wayne Davis Photography

Rounds three and four of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series get underway on Friday afternoon in Fargo, N.D.

The Fargo Nationals will be held inside Newman's Outdoor Field on Friday and Saturday. AMSOIL is once again providing a clean, live web feed of the entire weekend of racing, including Saturday night's AMSOIL Pro Open final.

Watch as Team AMSOIL riders Ross Martin, Robbie Malinoski, Willie Elam, Mike Bauer and Darrin Mees go for gold in Fargo.

WATCH LIVE BY CLICKING HERE

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

Team AMSOIL

Veteran Windham Gets Better With Age

2010-12-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

Story courtesy of Feld Motorsports

After matching a career-best second place finish in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, standings last year, GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda’s Kevin Windham, of Centerville, Miss., is back for his 17th year of professional racing.

At 30 years old, Windham says age doesn’t matter in a sport dominated by youth.

"At this point, no matter my age or the competition, it’s all about staying with what works," said Windham. "The seasons are always long and all we can do is be patient and see how the year unfolds."

While much of the attention is focused on the three AMA Supercross champions – James Stewart, Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey – competing for this year’s title, Windham, who has 18 AMA Supercross class victories and sits ninth on the all-time win list, hopes to fly under the radar and challenge for some wins.

"There needs to be a lot of attention on those guys, but I also think there’s going to be some people this year that creep up from the shadows," he added. "It's going to be an exciting season and it's my job to be one of the guys making things exciting."

This year’s competition goes beyond the veterans in the AMA Supercross class as three AMA Supercross Lites champions graduate into the premier class – Trey Canard, Christophe Pourcel and Jake Weimer. Dungey became only the second rookie to win the AMA Supercross title and, en route, paved the way for the next generation of racers to run up front.

"You never know what to expect from the younger guys coming up," said Windham. "Historically they go fast but they have a tendency to crash. Dungey definitely broke that mold."

In 1996, Windham, who also has 12 career AMA Supercross Lites class wins, claimed the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class championship and has finished runner-up in the AMA Supercross class championship on three occasions. The oldest competitor in the series has won an AMA Supercross class race in eight different seasons and three different decades. He’s been there and done that, and experience will be critical over the course of 17 races.

"My experience has exposed me to almost every situation there is in racing," he adds. "However, there’s always things that can easily catch you if you have your guard down during a 17-race championship. I feel I’m really strong closing out the series but I need to find real consistency during this 2011 season. I'm training hard now to be ready for that challenge."

AMSOIL is the Exclusive Official Oil of Monster Energy Supercross. The 2011 season starts January 8 in Anaheim, Calif. The entire night of racing will air live on SPEED.

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

Team AMSOIL

Martin, Mees Lead AMSOIL Charge at AMSOIL Duluth National

2010-11-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

Ross Martin opened the 2010-2011 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series just like he ended last season by picking up podiums.

Martin, riding for Team AMSOIL out of the Judnick Motorsports trailer, picked up a pair of second place finishes at the AMSOIL Duluth National over the weekend. In a great race during Saturday's Pro Super Stock final, Martin battled for the first half of the race with TJ Gulla. Martin took over the lead at the races mid-point, but then dealt with lap-traffic and a hard charging Tucker Hibbert for the final five laps. Hibbert took the win, but Martin was right behind for second.

On Sunday, Martin got out front and look unstoppable during the AMSOIL Pro Open final. But once again lap-traffic and Hibbert were Martin's Achilles heal. Hibbert snagged the lead with less than two laps remaining, and Martin didn't have enough time to real him back in.

In semi-pro action, Team AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports rider Darrin Mees has quickly adapted to his new. Mees also took a pair of podiums, finishing second on Saturday and third on Sunday in the Semi-Pro Super Stock division.

The ACSS heads to Fargo, N.D. on December 10-11 for the next round of racing. The ACSS will air on Versus starting December 19.

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Duluth National Day 1

2010-11-27T08:41:00.000-08:00

Watch AMSOIL Duluth National Live All Weekend Long

2010-11-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

The 19th Annual AMSOIL Duluth National is underway today in Duluth, Minn. The opening round of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series starts with a full day of racing and freestyle events.

Tonight's action will include the first rounds of qualifying for the 2011 ESPN Winter X Games. AMSOIL riders Robbie Malinoski, Ross Martin and Andrew Johnstad will look to start their championship quests off on the right foot with a win tonight and ACSS points races on Saturday and Sunday.

You can watch all of the action at http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/synthetic-snowmobile-oil.aspx as the ACSS will be streamed live from Spirit Mountain all weekend long.

WATCH LIVE STREAM

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

Team AMSOIL

Sneak Peak of ACSS on Versus Show

2010-11-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

With the 2010-11 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series starting this weekend in Duluth, Minn., teams are busy with last minute preps in hopes of starting the season off with a win at the AMSOIL Duluth National.

Also busy getting ready for the upcoming season are the men and women working for the upcoming season of the ACSS on Versus television show. The first show airs Sunday December 19 on the Versus network (3:00 p.m. EST). Here's a look at the new format show, which will offer viewers more behind the scenes look at the series and the top professional snocross racers in the world.

The AMSOIL Duluth National starts on Friday afternoon. The pro classes will take the newly designed track Friday night with the Winter X Games qualifier. Full days of racing will be offered on Saturday and Sunday.

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

Team AMSOIL

Monster Energy Supercross Preview Show on CBS Sports

2010-11-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

Feld Motor Sports announced today that the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season preview show will air on Sunday, December 26 at 3:00 p.m. EST on CBS Sports, featuring a new format. The one-hour preview show will take fans through the highly anticipated story lines that are emerging as the 2011 season closes in on the gate drop of Anaheim 1 Saturday, January 8.

The Monster Energy Supercross season preview show is positioned almost perfectly for fans as it will lead out of CBS Sports’ Sunday NFL coverage.

“We look forward to once again showcasing the best of Monster Energy AMA Supercross on CBS Sports in 2011,” said Rob Correa, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. “We have a long history with this exciting sport and the up-coming season looks to be one of the most anticipated in years.”

To preview what’s being called the greatest season in the sport’s history, a panel of legendary AMA Supercross riders will breakdown the 2011 up-coming season and foreshadow the excitement that fans can look forward to from season opener in Anaheim to the season finale in Las Vegas. Defending AMA Supercross champion Ryan Dungey will stage his title defense against arguably the deepest field in supercross history.

Representing 16 AMA Supercross class championships, our panel of legends, including Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Jeff Emig and Jeff Stanton, will provide their analysis on the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross championship.

McGrath, who is the all-time winningest rider in supercross history with seven titles and 72 main event wins, says he can’t remember a season with a field this talented.

“This is possibly the deepest field in the sport’s history,” said McGrath. “There has not been a season in a long time where so many different riders have the potential to win. I can’t wait to get this season started. I am looking forward to being involved in this ‘new’ preview show format with the rest of the supercross greats.”

Stanton, a two-time AMA Supercross class champion, has high expectations for the 2011season.
“There are so many questions marks this year because you don’t know who will step up and rise to the challenge,” said Stanton. “There is a lot of uncertainty and that makes for a great season of racing. Personally, I hope that these young guys, like Trey Canard or Jake Weimer, surprise the veterans. Last year, Dungey proved he is a champion. Reed and Stewart are both champions and when you add in the rest of the field, it’s exciting just to see how it will all unfold. The season preview show will give fans an in-depth look at what this amazing season has in store for all of us,” Stanton added.

Five-time AMA Supercross class champion Carmichael says that the title chase in 2011 is wide open because anyone can win. Carmichael won the 2005 AMA Supercross class championship, which was billed as the perfect storm.

“This season could closely compare to the 2005 season, but I believe this one could edge it out if everyone stays healthy just because there are more guys that have a chance to actually win straight up and not because of a technicality.”

For more information on the Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com.

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Official Oil of AMA Arenacross Series

2010-11-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

AURORA, Ill. (November 16, 2010) – Feld Motor Sports℠ announced today that AMSOIL INC., based in Superior, Wis., signed a multi-year agreement to be the official and exclusive oil of the AMA Arenacross Series, which begins January 8, 2011 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla.

The multi-year agreement marks the company’s first partnership with the AMA Arenacross Series.

AMSOIL began sponsoring motorcycle racing in 1999 and their dedication to showcase their industry-leading synthetic lubricants to the thousands of AMA Arenacross Series fans is the next step in their commitment to racing.

“The AMA Arenacross Series is a perfect complement to longtime association in motorcycle racing,” said AMSOIL Race Program Manager Jeremy Meyer. “From amateur to the top professional series, AMSOIL is involved with the best teams and series and Arenacross will continue to strengthen our dedication to this industry.”

AMSOIL will showcase their industry-leading product throughout each stop of the 14-round AMA Arenacross Series schedule. While on-track entertainment is the key, AMSOIL will also look to educate enthusiasts on its various products and expand its already substantial presence throughout the industry.

“AMSOIL’s rich heritage has provided the perfect springboard to their involvement in arenacross racing,” said Todd Jendro, senior director of operations, Feld Motor Sports. “Throughout the years they have established themselves as a leader in the motorcycle and off-road industry. Feld Motor Sports is proud to welcome AMSOIL to our family of sponsors of the AMA Arenacross Series.”

With an unmatched commitment to the sport of motocross, AMSOIL’s venture into sponsoring the AMA Arenacross Series is another step into their long history of innovation and leadership.

The 2010 Monster Energy Supercross begins January 8 in Anaheim, Calif.

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

Team AMSOIL

2011 TORC Series Schedule Released

2010-11-16T06:39:00.001-08:00

The United States Auto Club has announced the 2011 race calendar for the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL. The schedule includes three new off-road racing venues and traditional stops at off-road racing’s most historic venues.

In its third year as a racing Series, The Off-Road Championship Series (TORC) will open the season on the red dirt of Cycle Ranch, near San Antonio, Texas. With over 100 acres of rolling terrain, planning is underway to build a permanent off-road course to complement the success of Cycle Ranch’s motocross facility.

TORC will also debut off-road racing at one of the country’s most iconic motocross tracks, Red Bud MX in Buchanan, Mich., home of the Red Bud Nationals. Complementing the success of motocross on July 4th holidays, TORC will bring off-road’s greatest athletes to the new off-road track at the famed facility over Memorial Day weekend in 2011.

Crandon will again be the center of the off-road community, as the Series hits “The Big House” two times in 2011, with the traditional June Brush Run and Labor Day’s World Championship Weekend featuring the AMSOIL Cup, a battle of the PRO 2WD and PRO 4x4 classes on the famed 1.75 mile Wisconsin course.

The Series heads eastward in July with a visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s dirt track for two summer nights of clashing under the lights in North Carolina. With an off weekend of NASCAR on a summer weekend in Charlotte, you just don’t know who may show up to race in front of the home crowd.

In August TORC travels to the upper peninsula of Michigan to another off-road facility icon, Bark River International Raceway. TORC’s Track of the Year in 2009 has been under continuous improvements and features the largest jump on the off-road circuit.

September brings another gem to the schedule...a Thursday night race at Chicagoland’s Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL. With NASCAR’s Chase starting in Chicagoland, all eyes will be on TORC as the opening act for the press filled weekend.

In total, the Series will feature eight race weekends stretching over seven months. A special season ending Championship race will be announced in the coming weeks as details unfold.

The Off-Road Championship is the premier short course Series, featuring off-road’s greatest drivers. The Series can be seen weekly on Discovery’s HD Theatre on Thursday nights with 26 hours of original programming following the Series in an action-documentary format. After concluding the PRO 2WD Championship last week, a special replay of the very first episode from the Cup Race from June Crandon is scheduled for this week. The PRO 4x4 and PRO Light
Coverage begin Thursday, December 2.

2011 TORC PRO DIVISION TOUR

Round 1/2 Cycle Ranch/San Antonio, TX April 30-May 1
Round 3/4 Red Bud MX/Buchanan, MI May 28-29
Round 5/6 Crandon Raceway/Crandon, WI June 18-19
Exhibition Event Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs, CO June 26
Round 7/8 Charlotte Motor Speedway/Charlotte, NC July 22-23
Round 9/10 Bark River Raceway/Bark River, MI August 13-14
Round 11/12 AMSOIL CUP/Crandon, WI September 3-4
Round 13 Chicagoland Speedway/Joliet, IL September 15
Round 14/15 TBD

The AMSOIL Cup race from Crandon, Wis. featuring a nail biting finish with a Scott Douglas win will air next Thursday (Thanksgiving) at 8:00 p.m. EST on HD Theater.

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

Team AMSOIL

Windham Wins Italian Supercross

2010-11-15T06:59:00.000-08:00

With the motocross season wrapped up and the Monster Energy Supercross still two months away, many of the sports top riders are getting their competition fix overseas.

Team AMSOIL riders Kevin Windham and Justin Barcia joined Jeremy McGrath in Italy over the weekend to take part in the Genoa Supercross.

While Barcia and Showtime crashed out on the tight track, Windham found the indoor race to his liking. K-Dub picked up two wins and the overall in Genoa and was a crowd favorite all weekend long. Here are some race highlights, posted on Youtube by VAZ.

AMSOIL is the Official Oil of Monster Energy Supercross. The 2010 season stars January 8 in Anaheim, Calif.

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

Team AMSOIL

Team AMSOIL Preps for AMSOIL Duluth National

2010-11-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

The start of the AMSOIL Duluth National is quickly counting down with just 16 days until the first flag drops on the 2010-2011 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series.

Even with temperatures pushing near 60-degrees, the AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports team is likely the first team to be enjoying some preseason practice laps. The teams practice facility has been making snow for parts of the past two weeks and they were finally able to get some seat time in this week on the man-made track. Pro riders Robbie Malinoski and Andrew Johnstad were joined by newcomers and semi-pro riders Darrin and Garrett Mees for some testing this week.

The AMSOIL Duluth National will be held on Thanksgiving weekend in Duluth, Minn. The ACSS airs nationally on Versus, as well as a free live stream of the entire weekend of racing from Duluth.

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Signs on as Official Oil of Monster Energy Supercross

2010-11-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

AURORA, Ill. (November 3, 2010) – Feld Motor Sports℠ announced today that AMSOIL, based in Superior, Wis., signed a multi-year agreement to be the official and exclusive oil of Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, that begins January 8, 2011 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.

The three-year agreement marks the company’s first partnership with the Monster Energy Supercross championship. AMSOIL began sponsoring motorcycle racing in 1999 and their dedication to showcase their industry-leading synthetic lubricants to the legions of Monster Energy Supercross fans is the next step in their commitment to racing.

“The Monster Energy Supercross sponsorship helps solidify our presence in the motorcycle market,” said AMSOIL Race Program Manager Jeremy Meyer. “Supercross brings exceptional television coverage, competition and a dedicated fan base week-in and week-out. Their fans demand a high-quality product at the track and AMSOIL has an excellent opportunity to showcase almost 40 years of quality products.”

In addition to their on-site presence at the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross championship, AMSOIL will be featured on the CBS Sports and SPEED television package with more the 90 hours of programming.

“AMSOIL’s rich, 40-year heritage has provided the perfect springboard to their involvement in supercross racing for more than a decade,” said Todd Jendro, senior director of operations, Feld Motor Sports. “Throughout the years they have created a relationship with top supercross racer Kevin Windham, and their support to the world’s largest indoor, off-road motorcycling racing championship signifies their commitment to excellence. Feld Motor Sports is proud to welcome AMSOIL to our family of sponsors of Monster Energy Supercross”

The 2011 season starts January 8.

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Duluth National 24 Days Away

2010-11-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

As most Americans are preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday, Team AMSOIL is getting ready for the start of the upcoming snocross season.

The AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series starts in just 24 days in Duluth, Minn. The three-day AMSOIL Duluth National starts on November 26 at Spirit Mountain. More than 35,000 fans will return to the oldest snocross race in North America.

Meanwhile, snow keeps piling up at the home of the AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports team in Aurora, Minn. Planet X will be open in about a weeks time, dependent on the weather. AMSOIL racers Robbie Malinoski and Andrew Johnstad will be joined by semi-pro riders Derrin and Garrett Mees.

Over at Judnick Motorsports, Ross Martin looks to defend his AMSOIL Pro Open championship and Mike Bauer will battle it out for a repeat of his semi-pro title from a year ago.

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Ironman Wraps Up Great GNCC Season

2010-10-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

The AMSOIL Ironman was held in Crawfordsville, Ind. last weekend with a nod to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Along with teams and sponsors getting involved to help support a great cause, there were also a lot of championships on the line for both the ATV and Bike classes. For a recap of the weeks action, you can watch the AMSOIL Ironman GNCC Post-Race Show:

Up next for Team AMSOIL is the AMSOIL Duluth National snocross opener in Duluth, Minn. on Thanksgiving weekend.

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

Team AMSOIL

Teague Wins AMSOIL Thunder on the Gulf World Championships

2010-10-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

Bob Teague has a habit of winning World Championships and that habit continued in Orange Beach, Ala. as he won the AMSOIL "Thunder on the Gulf" OPA World Championship October 23-24.

AMSOIL was the presenting sponsor of this years Thunder on the Gulf event, and Team AMSOIL took home the top honors of World Champion. After two days of testing, Teague took on surprisingly calm waters on Sunday and quickly accelerated to the lead at the start of the first 60-mile heat. Team AMSOIL was able to win both heats and was named OPA Cat Lite World Champion with Team Infinity from Norway in second place.

Up next for Team AMSOIl is the SBI World Championships in Key West, Fla. on November 7-14.

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Ironman GNCC Ready for Record Weekend

2010-10-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

The final race in the 2010 GNCC series will be the Inaugural AMSOIL Ironman event in Crawfordsville, Ind. on Saturday and Sunday.

Although the event has taken place for the past 16 years, this is the first year that AMSOIL will be the title sponsor of the largest GNCC race of the year. GNCC announcer Jason Weigandt has more on the event here.

AMSOIL will be on large display this year, as TORC Series driver Mike Oberg will have his #80 AMSOIL/BFGoodrich Chevrolet on display at this years event. AMSOIL is also supporting the GNCC's to Go Pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Most of the riders will be wearing pink during their races, and those items will be auctioned off next week on eBay with proceeds go towards Breast Cancer Research. Find out more about the event and the auction next week here at the AMSOIL Racing Blog.

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

Team AMSOIL

P.S. - As a gentle reminder, you can still watch the The Off Road Championships, featuring Mike Oberg and Chad Hord on HD Theater throughout the weekend. Click here for show times.

AMSOIL Signs With the Next Bite

2010-10-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Next Bite Television, a world leader in freshwater fishing, has reached a sponsorship agreement with AMSOIL INC., a world leader in the manufacturing of synthetic lubricants. The new, three-year partnership will help position AMSOIL as a leader in the outdoor marketplace. The Superior, Wis.-company has a long standing association within the racing and automotive performance community, and its new partnership with TNB will strengthen its role in the general fishing and hunting marketplaces.

“Quality lubrication is important in whatever you drive, both on the highway and off,” said AMSOIL Race Program Manager Jeremy Meyer. “Since 1972, AMSOIL has offered consumers the highest quality lubricants on the market. Our partnership with The Next Bite will help AMSOIL showcase that quality in everything from boats to ATV’s and whatever you use to tow your toys to your favorite hunting and fishing spot.”

TNB is recognized as the authority in fishing education and entertainment media. A cooperative of three of the nation’s top fishing celebrities: Keith Kavajecz, Pete Maina and Gary Parsons, TNB integrates television, Internet and print into a dynamic platform that gives sponsors a wide range of advertising possibilities. Keith, Pete and Gary and are known internationally for their angling accomplishments with Walleye, Muskie and Northern Pike, as well as being acclaimed authors, educators, promoters and entertainers.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Pete Maina proudly boasts, “We are extremely excited about being able to represent a great company like AMSOIL, with a tremendous reputation and absolute top-of-the-line products that keep everything we outdoors lovers use running smoothly, efficiently and lasting longer. From ice augers, to boats and the trucks that tow ‘em, we’re proud to have this opportunity to spread the word on how well AMSOIL products keep our tools in top shape.”

The show airs on Versus TV starting in January and on WFN in Canada.

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Ironman Goes Pink

2010-10-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

In a first for America’s largest off-road racing series, the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country tour will add a pink theme for the series’ finale, the AMSOIL Ironman GNCC. With nearly 1500 dirt bike and ATV competitors expected, the race will raise awareness and funds for breast cancer care and research and serve as the final round of the 13-stop national tour. The pink livery will make a dynamic contrast to the woods, hills and mud of the Ironman, which takes place October 23 and 24 in Crawfordsville, Indiana, just an hour west of Indianapolis.

"We are honored to be involved in turning this year’s race pink," says Sasha Clements, Communications Coordinator for the FAITH Alliance, a breast cancer resource for Montgomery County, IN. "Most of our board members and their families have attended the Ironman for many years, and it’s a fun weekend that the entire community looks forward to. Almost everyone knows a family member or friend affected by breast cancer, and now the Ironman weekend is our chance to have fun and show support for all the courageous survivors and help the continued efforts to find a cure."

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and GNCC racers and fans are encouraged to get in on the action. GNCC Racing will relax number-plate background codes for the race and encourage riders to run pink backgrounds, available via PowerSports GrafX at ridepg.com. A $22.95 pink front number plate background will result in a $5 donation, and a full set of front and side backgrounds retails for $69.95, and includes a $10 donation. Ridepg.com will also sell exclusive GNCC breast cancer awareness race stickers for a minimum $2 donation. Pink wrist bands will also be sold at the track for a $1 donation. Donations will go to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in Indianapolis and the FAITH Alliance.

The race facility will be adorned in pink, including a special pink podium backdrop, which will be autographed by each podium finisher during the weekend and then auctioned off on eBay. In addition, pink-themed trophies, awards, t-shirts and plaques will ensure a memorable scene. The famous pumpkins lining the Ironman entrance gate will even be painted pink.

The GNCC Racing family always steps up for a good cause, and racers and spectators can get in on the fun by bringing and wearing pink clothes, riding gear, graphics and decorations. Combine the pink theme with the traditional AMSOIL Ironman fun—a superb cross country race track, great fall weather, and championship battles, and the weekend has the potential to be the biggest in AMSOIL Ironman GNCC history. For more information, log on to www.gnccracing.com

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

Team AMSOIL

Trey Canard Covers Racer X

2010-10-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Fresh off of his AMA MX Lites championship and a win with Team USA at the Motocross of Nations last month, Trey Canard is being awarded again for his efforts.

The GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda rider will once again grace the cover Racer X for the magazine's December issue. Canard will be featured riding his MXoN bike from September. Canard's last Racer X cover was in July.

The AMA Supercross Series starts January 8, 2011 in Anaheim, Calif.

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

Team AMSOIL

Team AMSOIL Offshore Wins National Championship

2010-10-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Team AMSOIL Offshore competed in the SBI Clearwater Super Boat National Championship races last weekend in Clearwater, Fla.

Bob Teague and driver Mike Defrees knew it would be a challengeas rough seas engulfed the 4.5 mile race course in the Gulf of Mexico.

Team AMSOIL took the early lead down the first straight-away and increased their lead steadily during the race. The Team AMSOIL number 77 Skater performed perfectly in good balance carrying good speeds over the rough and sloppy seas. Team Stihl, in their 388 Skater, ran in a strong second place position the entire race. Team AMSOIL finished the 80-mile race with the second overall fastest time of all classes, only 47 seconds behind the supercharged Superboat Unlimited Class winner.

Next stop for AMSOIL team is the OPA AMSOIL/GEICO Thunder on the Gulf World Championships in Orange Beach, Alabama on October 13-17.

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

AMSOIL Race Department

Windham Signs Extension With GEICO Powersports Honda

2010-10-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

Racer X Online - Windham Signs Extension With GEICO Powersports Honda

Story courtesy of Racer X Online

CORONA, Calif. -- Supercross and Motocross rider Kevin Windham has signed a two-year extension to stay with the GEICO Powersports Honda race team, owned by Factory Connection founder Rick "Ziggy" Zielfelder, Jeff Majkrzak, and Mike Grondahl.

"It's already been a wild off season with all the rumors going around of where riders are going so it's cool to get this deal done now," Windham said. "I'm really happy to be staying with this team. It's home. These were the guys that gave me a second chance when I came back from my broken femur in 2002 and it just feels right to stay here.

"For this team to step up and give me a two-year deal is special. We won't have to sweat going through negotiations next year. Now we're looking at a place where I'm going to end my career. I couldn't be with a better group of guys."

The 32-year-old crowd favorite from Centerville, Miss., is coming off an impressive 2010 campaign where he finished as runner-up to the Supercross championship with two wins. Additionally, Windham scored an overall race win in the Motocross series filling in for injured Honda rider Davi Millsaps.

"It's funny because there's talk of my age and of my pending retirement but in many ways I feel like there are parts of my riding where I'm just reaching my prime," Windham said. "I feel great on the bike and we showed this year we could win. The entire team had great success, with Trey (Canard) winning the 250cc championship in Motocross, and everyone else scoring wins. We put forth a great team effort and that's what it takes.

"I don't think my riding is in decline in any way. I fully expect us to be contenders next year. I'm looking forward to the challenges. We're a very tight family and I feel like this is the best team I've ever been with. They're always there for the riders, to help us excel and make us better, and that's a good feeling.

"GEICO Powersports also has been a key to our success. They are a great company to ride for and they understand the sport so well."

Windham will ride the team's lone 450cc entry, which will once again be flanked by four 250cc rides. Majkrzak says having Windham as his team's leader is a perfect scenario for a multitude of reasons.

"K-Dub's an excellent rider, probably the smoothest guy many of us have ever seen on a motorcycle, and he certainly has championship potential every season," Majkrzak said. "The fans love him. He always gets some of the loudest cheers during rider intros.

"What most people probably don't know about Kevin is the positive influence he has on our younger riders. He's the one that shows them not only how to compete and excel at this level, but how to be a good person, respect the other riders, take care of your sponsors, and stay true to yourself. He's an exceptional representative of our team and we plan on having him on our team until he decides to hang up his boots."

Windham will line up at the opening round of the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross on January 8 in Anaheim, Calif.

Until then,

We'll see you at the races.

Lovell Racing Fights Back For Podium Finish

2010-10-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

Brad and Roger Lovell combined to enter and race in 27 events in 2010 and recently hit their 11th event in as many weeks. From rock racing to the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL, the brothers accomplished quite a bit this summer. The last event, however, returned the Colorado natives to their roots: rock crawling.

The We-Rock Grand Nationals were hosted by Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Brad Lovell guided the #232 AMSOIL/Ford Ranger around the highly technical course with the complete confidence in Roger’s guidance.

On the first course, the truck got wedged into a notch and twisting the drive shaft. They were able to finish the course, but more bad luck found them on the second course. This time, the #232 found itself on its hood after a carefully planned maneuver went wrong. Despite early troubles, they duo found their confidence and scored the lowest on four of the next six courses.

Heading into the final round in fourth and had to have a perfect run to get back into podium contention. The first two sets of gates were an insane cross-sloped hump that already spilled two trucks down the rocks. The Lovell's were forced to formulate a plan on the fly and narrowly perched the Ranger on top of a tall slope. They then shimmied clear of the cones and let the BFG's grab hold and not let go when just an inch of slip would have rolled the truck 20’ down the course. They got back on track and climbed from eighth to finish third and received another Torchmate constructed trophy for the effort.
"It wasn’t the repeat championship that we hoped for but a strong finish and a positive end to the season," said Brad Lovell. "I feel privileged to have raced all over the country in a wide variety of disciplines – desert, rock racing, hillclimbs, short course, and rockcrawling. In fact, my mind is still racing with crashes, near misses, and plenty of zero gravity moments. I am very grateful and humbled to all those who helped our team."

The team does have one more event to go in 2010. Brad will be heading south of the border for the Baja 1000 in mid-November, navigating the Torchmate/AMSOIL Class 7 truck in the epic race from Ensenada to La Paz.

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

Team AMSOIL

Trey Canard Helps USA win Motocross of Nations

2010-10-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Vital MX

GEICO Powersports Honda Team rider Trey Canard has added Motocross of Nations Team Champion to his list of accomplishments as he and teammates Ryan Dungey and Andrew Short raced their way to first place at the 2010 Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations at Thunder Valley MX in Lakewood, Colorado.

Canard started off the weekend in fantastic form, with a qualifying win. In the MX1/MX2 moto, Canard went down in the first turn. He got back in the race quickly however, moving from 38th place after the fall all the way up to twelfth by the end of the race – enough to earn him the third MX2 placement in the race. In the MX2/MX3 moto, Canard again had the top gate pick, but got a bit stuck in the middle of the pack on the start, but held strong and moved up throughout the race, finishing a respectable seventh. Canard earned third place overall in the MX2 class.

“It was unbelievable – once again, I am in shock and so thankful for all that has happened the past few weeks” said an elated Canard, “Standing on the Team USA podium and hearing the National Anthem was the highlight for me – it was unreal!”

Canard came to Motocross of Nations on the heels of winning the 2010 AMA Pro Motocross Lites Championship two weeks ago in Pala, California. Canard had put in an impressive string of moto wins and podiums the second half of the 2010 season, and carried great momentum heading into the prestigious Motocross of Nations. Joining forces with 2010 450-class Champion Dungey, and perennial favorite and holeshot master Short proved Team USA a tough one to beat.

Trey Canard starts the 2010 Supercross season on January 8 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California – where he will make his much-anticipated debut in the 450 Supercross class. In 2010, Canard raced six races as a fill-in for Andrew Short on the Honda Red Bull Racing team in the 450 class. He landed a podium spot five of those six times.

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

Team AMSOIL

Rough Seas Can't Slow Down Team AMSOIL

2010-09-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

Team AMSOIL Offshore traveled east to Long Island to attend the popular Battle on the Bay.

After extensive testing on Saturday, Bob Teague and Paul Whittier had to make major adjustments for their race on Sunday after a major storm blew through the region.
The start of the their race was delayed as storm fronts continued to pound the race course. While the race conditions didn't improve after the race started, the AMSOIL team battled five foot waves and took the early lead over the field and held on for the win. It was the second win in a row that Team AMSOIL has earned at Patchogue. They also remain undefeated in the OPA Miss Geico Series in 2010.

Next stop is the OPA/GEICO Race in Atlantic City on September 17-19.

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

AMSOIL Race Department

Canard Crowned Champion at MX Finale

2010-09-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

Pala Raceway proved a perfect spot to crown an new champion in the AMA Outdoor Nationals 250 class and just about everything went right for Team AMSOIL rider Trey Canard.

After gaining ground all season long, Canard needed to make up seven points on rival Chris Pourcel of in the final two moto to bring home his second career points championship.

A strong day of riding and a little bit of luck, (good for Canard, bad for Pourcel), put the championship talk to rest in the first moto. Even though Canard crashed, so did Pourcel and the Frenchman's was much worse than Canards. A dislocated shoulder took Pourcelout of first race, and caused him to miss the second.

After finishing fourth in moto one, Canard ran with race leader Dean Wilson for much of the second moto before going on cruise control and enjoying his first outdoor championship and finishing third overall on the day.

Watch Race Recap

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

Team AMSOIL

Trey Canard Wins Again

2010-09-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda rider Trey Canard swept both 250cc motos at Saturday's Steel City National to pull within seven points of the AMA Motocross championship points lead with one race left on the 2010 schedule. The impressive outing yielded Canard's fifth overall title of the outdoor season, by far the most of any rider in his class.

Canard shared the spotlight with his AMSOIL teammates Kevin Windham and Brett Metcalfe, who finished 1-2 on the day in the 450cc category. Windham won the first moto and was runner-up in the second, while Metcalfe bagged second and third-place finishes.

"Right from the start today we were good," said Canard. "My first practice was strong. The second one was even better. The first moto was just awesome. I was really stoked with the way I rode. I was just solid. It was close the whole race and (points leader Christophe Pourcel) was right behind me the whole time but I kept him there."

Thirteen points behind Christophe Pourcel at the start of the event, Canard fought hard to hold off the defending series champion in both motos.

A mid-season replacement for injured Honda pro Davi Millsaps, Windham's moto win and overall title were his first of the outdoor season. He led seven laps on the day.

"I practiced great and stayed near the front either in first, second or third, so we got off to a great start and went from there," Windham said. "Winning the first moto was fun. It was a great race going back and forth with my old teammate Metty. We were all giving each other some ribbing all day and that made it a lot of fun."

Metcalfe's hard riding moved him around Honda rider Andrew Short for second in the championship standings. He is now five points ahead of Short with one race left. The 450cc title has been secured by Ryan Dungey, who won the day's second moto.

"Awesome day," Metcalfe said. "To pick up a second and a third and gain all those points is exactly what we needed. The bike was strong. Everything was really clicking for me today."

Team riders Eli Tomac, Justin Barcia, and Blake Wharton remained in the mix with top-10 finishes of their own. Tomac finished fourth in Moto 1 and fifth in Moto 2 for an overall ranking of fourth. Barcia rebounded from a 10th-place result in the first moto to a sixth-place finish in Moto 2 to end the event sixth. Wharton was seventh and ninth in the two races, which equaled a seventh-place overall result.

The championship will be decided next Saturday at Pala Raceway outside San Diego.

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

Team AMSOIL

Scott Douglas Wins Inaugural AMSOIL Cup

2010-09-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

CRANDON, Wis. – The 2010 Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL season ended Sunday with the crowning of its champions as Johnny Greaves (PRO 4WD), Ricky Johnson (PRO 2WD), and Casey Currie (PRO Light) earned titles in their respective classes. In the final event of the weekend, Scott Douglas brought home the newly-christened AMSOIL Cup, an annual battle pitting the best PRO 4 and PRO 2 drivers against one another.

In the final race of the TORC Series season, the PRO 2s were given a 12-second head start, but it wasn’t enough as Douglas, the runner-up for June’s Crandon Cup, began knifing through the field. NASCAR driver Robby Gordon took the hole shot for PRO 2s, but was unable to complete a lap as his drive shaft broke, giving the lead to Jeff Kincaid, the 2010 Crandon Cup winner.

Douglas, in his AMSOIL-sponsored Ford, was third overall on the third lap and was reeling in Kincaid and Rob MacCachren, running second. Rick Huseman, however, was still fast and was able to make the pass for the lead at the stripe, but the lead didn’t last long as mechanical issues struck, giving the lead to Douglas.

“It was just an awesome race,” Douglas said from the Winner’s Circle. “The track was prepped perfectly. I knew I had to commit and get through the PRO 2s quick. I had a lot of fast competitors running and this AMSOIL/Kumho F-150 was just right there. It just handled awesome.”

Steve Barlow, who would finish second, along with newly-crowned PRO 4 champ Johnny Greaves were able to catch up to Douglas, threatening his lead. In the last turn before the line, a dangerous corner all weekend, Barlow got loose and made contact with Greaves. Douglas appeared to have an easy lap to take the checkered flag, but Barlow came up to Douglas’ bumper at the Traxxas Launch Zone. In the final corner, Barlow threw his truck in deep, but Douglas’ lead was too strong and he took the checkered flag in first with Barlow literally pushing him across the line. Greaves was able to bring home a third-place finish.

At the AMSOIL Cup Winner’s Circle, Douglas showed his respect for Jack Flannery, the late off road legend who lost his battle with cancer earlier this year.

“I did it the way Jack Flannery would’ve did it,” Douglas said, beaming. “Wide open, throw it in every corner, total commit, and don’t worry about nothin’ and that’s the way we did it!”

The Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL airs on Thursday nights on HD Theater at 8:00 p.m. EST and again at 11:00 pm EST.

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

Team AMSOIL

TORC finale features Inagural AMSOIL Cup Race

2010-09-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

The 2010 TORC Series season finale is this weekend. Get down to The Big House in Crandon to see who will take home a championship this year. Team AMSOIL is poised for a big weekend with Scott Douglas fifteen points out of first in the Pro 4X4 class and Ricky Johnson vying to best last year's second place finish in Pro 2WD.

The final weekend culminates with the inaugural run of the AMSOIL Cup in which the sport’s top Pro 4X4 and Pro 2WD drivers hit the track together in one big fight to the finish. Don't miss this historic race starting at 4:30pm Sunday night.

You can catch all of the action through TORC's live stream.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH.

Check back on Monday for race results.

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

Team AMSOIL

Douglas Shines In Chicago; Team AMSOIL Readies for AMSOIL Cup

2010-09-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

AMSOIL Super Team driver Scott Douglas moved closer to a season points championship while Pro 2wd driver Chad Hord returned to the podium in an exciting two days of racing at the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL at Chicagoland Speedway last week.

Douglas picked up a pair of second place finishes in the Pro 4x4 class. Douglas, who was driving with a U.S. flag in his truck that had been flown during missions in the Middle East (see video below), capitalized on the points leaders bad luck each night to move to just seven points out of first place with just two rounds of racing left in the 2010 season.

Hord, meanwhile, battled Red Bull/AMSOIL driver Ricky Johnson to the finish line on Thursday night. While Hord just missed the win, but finished second to follow-up his fourth place finish on Wednesday night. The Upper Michigan driver now sits fourth overall in the points standings and is the top Pro 2 rookie this season.

Up next for the series is the final weekend of racing at the Big House and the Inaugural AMSOIL Cup. The AMSOIL Cup race will take place on Sunday night at the Crandon International Raceway (Wis.)and will feature the sports top Pro 4x4 and Pro 2wds in a winner take all format.

The Traxxas TORC Series will also be airing the first HD Theatre show of the season on Thursday night at 8:00 pm EST and 11:00 pm EST for the West Coast audience. Check with your cable or satellite service provider for channel information and availability.

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

Team AMSOIL

Two Wins For Team AMSOIL MX; Canard Closes Gap

2010-08-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

Riders from the GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda team won both of the 250cc motos on Saturday at the Moto-X 338 National (Mass.), and secured two of the three podium spots.

Trey Canard won the first moto of the day and finished third overall. Justin Barcia won moto 2 and was second overall to Tyla Rattray, who finished second in both motos and ended with a better combined finish. Barcia said conquering the shifting sands of Southwick was a real challenge.

"This is the hardest track we race on all year," said Barcia. "The bumps and the holes – I almost lost it so bad in the second moto. The sand moves and the lappers crash and blow out the turns, so it's different every lap."

For Canard, his seventh podium finish of the season represented a mixed bag on the day. In the second moto, Canard fell after he touched wheels with Dean Wilson. While he rallied to finish ninth in that race, Canard's streak of four consecutive event wins was broken.

"You expect a lot of crazy stuff to happen here at this track," Canard said. "That second moto wasn't a good one, but it wasn't a disaster, either. I came out of there healthy.

A bright spot for Canard was that he shaved three points off of Christophe Pourcel's lead in the 250 class. Canard trails by 13 points with two events – worth 100 points total – left in the season.

Rookie Eli Tomac had another strong day, finishing seventh overall after finishes of sixth and seventh at Moto-X 338.

The AMSOIL team is right back at it on September 4 at the Steel City National outside Pittsburgh.

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

Team AMSOIL

Watch TORC Live Tonight

2010-08-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL returns to action today and Thursday as the top off- road truck drivers in the world battle it out at Route 66 Raceway in Chicagoland, Ill.

In Pro 4x4, AMSOIL Super Team driver Scott Douglas is coming off an excellent weekend of racing in Bark River, Wis.where he nabbed another podium finish and earned the holeshot award. Douglas is currently third in the season points standings, sitting just behind Monster Energy/AMSOIL driver Johnny Greaves and Rick Huseman at the season’s midpoint.

The AMSOIL Pro 2wd class is set to be an exciting show with a tight points race involving AMSOIL Super Team drivers Mike Oberg and Chad Hord. Oberg has maintained a spot in the top five and is looking for another victory to push him into the top three in points. Meanwhile, Hord currently sits in sixth and hopes to crack the top five by the end of the day tomorrow.

Monster Energy/AMSOIL Pro 2wd driver and former motocross legend Jeremy McGrath is looking for a repeat coming off his history making first off-road career win in Bark River.

Perhaps the biggest news surrounding the Chicagoland races comes from NASCAR great Kyle Busch, who will make his TORC debut tonight in an 850 h.p. Traxxas/AMSOIL Pro 2wd truck.

You can catch all of the action through TORC's live stream.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH.

Check back on Monday for race results.

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

Team AMSOIL

Trey Canard to Represent USA at Motocross of Nations

2010-08-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda rider Trey Canard was named to AMA Team USA for the 2010 Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations. Ryan Dungey and Andrew Short will join him in representing the USA at the September 25-26 race at Thunder Valley MX in Lakewood, Colo.

Motocross of Nations (MXoN) is one of the highest profile motorsports events in the world and has run consecutively for more than 60 years. MXoN features teams competing by nationality to earn combined scores, which determine the overall winning team. Team USA has the strongest track record of any country at Motocross of Nations, with 20 wins to their credit.

“It’s such a huge honor to be selected for Motocross of Nations” said Canard, “I’m so thankful to be able to represent the USA with Ryan and Andrew – they’ve done some great racing this year and I’m looking forward to working with them and giving it my all!”

Canard will race the MX2 class for Team USA aboard his AMSOIL sponsored Honda CRF250R, while Dungey will race the MX1 class, and Short the MX3 open class.

Canard will go for his fifth overall win a row at the next round of the AMA Outdoor Nationals in Southwick, Mass. on August 28.

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

Team AMSOIL

Douglas Nabs Another Podium; McGrath Takes Career Win Number One

2010-08-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Scott Douglas continued his championship quest with another podium at the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL last weekend in Bark River, Mich. Meanwhile, another AMSOIL sponsored driver, Jeremy McGrath, took home career win number one.

In the Pro 4x4 class, the late season title push is getting physical. While clean racing has highlighted the 2010 TORC season to date, Bark River brought out a rougher style of driving. Douglas, who led at times during both Saturday and Sunday's races, was able to get a third and fourth place finish out of the weekend to stay within reach of class championship.

"It’s a shame that almost every pass today was made on heavy contact," said Douglas. "The hood and fenders have been on this truck for the past five races, we don’t drive that way. These trucks are $250,000 pieces of art and they are out here driving like we are in demolition derby cars.”

In the AMSOIL Pro 2wd class, Mike Oberg found a pair of top five finishes in his AMSOIL/BFG truck, moving him back into the top five overall and just a few points out of third. The story of the weekend was the first career win by Monster Energy/AMSOIL driver Jeremy McGrath. McGrath has been on the podium numerous times during is TORC career, and was excited on his first win.

“I gotta say thanks to the whole Greaves team," said McGrath. "I mean, all you guys have put in a lot of work for me and have been patient and I appreciate that. This is a weekend I’ve been waiting on for a long time, so what better place to have it than Bark River!”

Jeff Kincaid also picked up a win for Team AMSOIL in the Pro 2wd class on Sunday. Chad Hord was running in a podium spot on Saturday before getting tangled up with Ricky Johnson.

In Pro Lite, Andrew Caddell pushed his Traxxas/AMSOIL truck back into the winners cirlce. One of the best runs of the weekend came from AMSOIL Super Team member Brad Lovell. The rookie and champion rock racer has been learning the ropes in TORC this summer and finished with a pair of fourths in Bark River.

Up next on the TORC schedule is a mid-week showdown at Chicagoland Speedway. NASCAR star Kyle Busch will be strapped into an 850 h.p. Traxxas/AMSOIL Pro 2wd as he makes his TORC debut next week, August 25-26.

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

Team AMSOIL

Team AMSOIL Sweeps Podium at Unadilla MX

2010-08-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

Team AMSOIL 250cc rider Trey Canard has been the hottest thing on two wheels over the past six weeks. The championship contender headed into the Unadilla round of the AMA Outdoor Nationals with three straight overall wins and had closed the gap on points leader Christophe Pourcel to 38. Canard, and the rest of the GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL team, put on a racing clinic at the New York track this past weekend.

In the first moto, Canard's teammate Justin Barcia took the early lead after battling with race leader Dean Wilson. Barcia's time out front would only last a few laps before Canard caught, and passed him for the win. Meanwhile, Pourcel had to drop out of the race after a few laps, and tightening up the overall points race with Canard.
Canard wouldn't be a lone wolf on the podium this time around as his teammates were right on his tail. Blake Wharton was able to pass Barcia for the second podium spot, while Barcia rounded out the box in third. Rookie Eli Tomac, who won the opening round, found his confidence again, finishing fourth in the first moto, giving the AMSOIL sponsored riders the top four spots in moto one, the first time in the teams storied history.

"Sweeping the podium with my teammates was awesome," said Canard. "I am so excited for everyone, and it was a great day for our team. Hopefully we can keep this going."

In the second moto, the battle to the finish between Canard and Pourcel went down to the final jump. Pourcel picked up the win, but the overall damage had been done. Canard, who won his fourth straight overall (1-2), closed the championship gap on Pourcel to just 16 points with four rounds left to race.

"I feel like I'm on right now," said Canard. "I try not to think too much and just go out to do my thing. I see what I can do at each race, and I'm so happy I've been able to keep this momentum. Hopefully I'm a contender for the overall title."

Even though the rest of the GEICO team failed to podium in moto two, they all ran strong races. Barcia finished second overall after finishing fifth in the second moto. Wharton went 2-9 for fifth overall and Tomac went 4-6 for sixth overall.

The team heads to Southwick, Mass. on August 28 for the tenth round of the AMA Outdoor Nationals.

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

Team AMSOIL

Watch TORC Live This Weekend

2010-08-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

The Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL returns to action this weekend as the top off- road truck drivers in the world will battle it out on the 1.5 mile track in Bark River, Mich.

AMSOIL Super Team member Mike Oberg picked up his lone win of the season in Bark River last month, while fellow AMSOIL and Pro 2wd driver Chad Hord will look to impress his hometown crowd.

In Pro 4x4, AMSOIL Super Team driver Scott Douglas is coming off an excellent weekend of racing in Oshkosh (Wis.) that put the veteran driver into second place in the championship standings. Douglas sits just behind Monster Energy/AMSOIL driver Johnny Greaves at the seasons midpoint.

While a packed crowd will be sitting on the Bark River hillside this weekend, you can catch all of the action through TORC's live stream.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH.

Check back on Monday for weekend results.

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

Team AMSOIL

NASCAR Star to Battle Team AMSOIL in TORC Series

2010-08-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

He is arguably the best stock car racer in the country and now, he’s going head-to-head against the best racers in the world. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch is scheduled to make his Pro 2WD off-road racing debut in the Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL Aug. 24-25 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.

The 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion will face Team AMSOIL drivers such as seven-time AMA champion Ricky Johnson, Chad Hord and Mike Oberg. Many drivers have raced in off-road prior to their careers in NASCAR, Brendan Gaughan and Jimmie Johnson to name a few. Busch has previous dirt racing experience, driving a dirt late model in the annual “Prelude to the Dream” race founded by NASCAR champion Tony Stewart.

“I’ve always wanted to try out one of the Traxxas TORC Series trucks, so being able to race one at Chicago is going to be a lot of fun,” Busch said. “Racing an off-road truck has been on my list of vehicles I wanted to try out before my racing career was over, so I have to thank Traxxas for giving me a chance to come out and race one of these short course trucks for the first time.”

The event, held the same week as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ and IZOD IndyCar Series’ events at the speedway, puts the The Traxxas TORC Series and its drivers right in front of a whole new group of enthusiastic motorsports fans. It’s an unprecedented week of “must see” horsepower and action. Chicagoland provides an incredible backdrop for the series’ television show, “The Off Road Championship,” premiering on Discovery’s HD Theater Sept. 2.

TORC Season Preview from race dezert on Vimeo.

“The Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL is the premier short course off-road series offering incredibly exciting racing at iconic venues, but it's the class of drivers that make our series so special,” said Kevin Miller, president of the series’ sanctioning body, USAC. “When you add someone like Kyle Busch into the field, not only does it draw new fans to our sport, but it raises the game of every driver in the field. No one wants the new guy to come in and win and I think anyone who knows Kyle knows he’s not coming in to Chicago with the intent of just racing. He's there to take home a victory and leave with the trophy."

For ticket information for this event, call Chicagoland Speedway at 815-727-RACE or visit TORCSeries.com for online advance ticket purchases.

The TORC Series continues with two rounds of racing this weekend in Bark River, Mich. You can watch it live on www.amsoil.com.

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

Team AMSOIL

Team AMSOIL Offshore Second at Great Lakes Grand Prix

2010-08-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

More than 100,000 fans came out to the second annual Great Lakes Grand Prix last weekend and Team AMSOIL racers Bob Teague and Mike Defrees were in the middle of all the action.

Race day conditions proved rough with winds close to 20 MPH whipping up Lake Michigan and making prop selection critical for success. Once the green flag dropped, it was evident that the Team Stihl 388 Skater had an edge with their set up. Team AMSOIL worked hard to keep within striking distance but couldn't get past Team Stihl, finishing second in the 80 mile race.

Team AMSOIL is currently in first place position in the SBI National Standings and OPA/Geico Series. They will be back on the water in Patchougue, N.Y. on August 20-22.

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

AMSOIL Race Department

Loretta Lynn's Wrap-up

2010-08-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

Heat and humidity. Heartache and heroes. Those words always seem to fit the week-long saga known as the AMA Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn's presented by AMSOIL.

More than 1,400 of the top amateur riders embarked on Loretta Lynn's Ranch last week for six days of sweltering heat and bar-to-bar racing action. Future pros like Jason Anderson and up and comers like Cooper Webb all battled the 100-degree heat to be crowned champions at the largest amateur race in the world.

Watch MX SportsCenter from Loretta Lynn's

AMSOIL was at hand all week at the Ranch, offering oil changes, checking in on sponsored riders and offering the complete line of AMSOIL products to the thousands of racers and fans in attendance.
While some of these kids will become household names, many more will be able to say that they raced at Loretta's, which annually showcases the top five percent of amateur riders in the United States. So, AMSOIL extends a mighty congratulations to their success and we'll see you at the Ranch in 2011.

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

Team AMSOIL

Rinker On Top in Memphis

2010-08-04T04:55:00.000-07:00

Terry Rinker returned his new-look, black-and-white power boat to the winners circle in Memphis last weekend.

Rinker took part in the Powerboat Superleague event held on the Mississippi River. Rinker, racing in the Formula 2 class in Memphis Riverfront Regatta, took on pole sitter Donnie McDowell for the 30-lap final. Rinker, who switched from his trademark yellow boat to a new black version, pushed his AMSOIL sponsored boat to the win over McDowell and the rest of the F2 field.

It's Rinker's first win of the year. Rinker will be in Aurora, Ind. on August 21-22.

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

Team AMSOIL

Amatuer Nationals Presented by AMSOIL This Week

2010-08-02T19:21:00.001-07:00

When the final checkered flag waves to signify the end of each day of competition at the 2010 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship presented by AMSOIL, there is only one source for the inside scoop on the motos and highlights of the day's action: MX Sports Center. Hosted by AMA Pro Motocross Championship television announcer Jason Weigandt and DMXS Radio's Kevin Kelly, MX Sports Center is the exclusive daily highlight show of Loretta Lynn's and has now become a staple of the legendary event.

Since the online show's 2005 inception, MX Sports Center has brought viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship presented by AMSOIL. Whether broadcasting from the track, the AMSOIL Arena, or any of the varied hangouts at Loretta Lynn's Ranch, MX Sports Center will utilize the flexibility afforded by its mobile studio to bring something unique to the masses.

"Our whole goal of MX Sports Center is to simply bring something different to the viewer," Weigandt says. "We want to cover the full scope of Loretta's, not just the racing. That means we need to showcase the hundreds of other things that are available to everyone during the weeklong event outside of what takes place out on the track. However, the racing is the backbone of both the show and the event itself, and we make sure to cover everything major that happened during each day's motos."

Beginning on Wednesday, August 4, fans at home can catch recaps of each day of competition at Loretta Lynn's. The videos will be hosted at MotorcycleUSA.com and links can be found on both the Racer X and MX Sports websites. The videos are produced by Racer X Films, the same talented group behind the Racer X Motocross Shows for the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

The first motos of the 29th Annual AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship presented by AMSOIL kick off Tuesday, August 3, from Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. For information about the event, log on to MX Sports Center Returns for 2010 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship.

The first motos of the 29th Annual AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship kick off tomorrow, August 3, from Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. For information about the event, log on to the official site of Loretta Lynn's.

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

Team AMSOIL

Trey Canard Interview; New Team Videos

2010-07-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Trey Canard has been the hottest rider in pro motocross recently. The AMSOIL backed rider has won three straight overall titles in the 250 class. His last year on the smaller bike could conclude with his second pro championship and his first outdoor version.

Racer X took a few minutes to talk with the red-hot, red-head in their weekly 5 Minutes With... article. You can read it here.

Also, Revalved TV has put out a pair of new videos. One features GEICO/AMSOIL rider Brett Metcalfe, who currently sits third overall, and talks about being part of one of the most successful MX/SX teams in the world.

The second video highlights rookie Eli Tomac and his run through the pro ranks, including his win at the opening round of the AMA Outdoor Nationals.

Teams will be arriving at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in the middle of Tennessee this weekend for the start of AMA Amateur Nationals presented by AMSOIL. More than 1,300 amateur riders will compete in 35 classes of the toughest amateur race in the world. Team AMSOIL will be on hand all week for rider support and on-site promotions.

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

Team AMSOIL

Teague Wins Twice

2010-07-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

Bob Teague and Paul Whittier continue their 2010 summer of dominance after picking up a pair of wins in July

Team AMSOIL raced in Harrison Township, Mich. on July 17-18 in the third race of the OPA GEICO Series. Lake Saint Clair waters were rougher than usual providing a great show for the fans at the Beacon Cove Marina grandstands. Along with the win, the race also proved to be a good testing opportunity for Team AMSOIL for the always hotly contested Saint Clair, Mich. race on this past weekend.

The annual Saint Clair River Offshore Race, held July 23-26, drew huge crowds from hundreds of miles around. Team AMSOIL started on the outside of lane one, and by rule, were forced to maintain their position through the first turn. Heading into turns three and four, Team AMSOIL took advantage of Team Phoenixparts.com's wide turn, darting inside and taking the lead. The move gave Team AMSOIL the momentum, and they pushed to a substantial lead for the remaining 15 laps.

As a result of the wins at Harrison Township and Saint Clair, Team AMSOIL is in a dominant first place overall high points position in the OPA Geico Series, having won four out of four races.

Next stop for Team AMSOIL is the SBI/OSS Michigan City Grand Prix, Michigan City, Ind. on August 8-6.

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

Team AMSOIL

Douglas Wows Hometown Crowd With Win

2010-07-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

The only competitive sport the Oshkosh Speedzone Raceway seemed prepared for Thursday night was fishing. A mere 24 hours later, the Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL put on a show for the ages with a track expertly prepared for two rounds of spectacular racing. AMSOIL Super Team driver Scott Douglas, who has a race shop nearby and whose wife, Jackie, was born just minutes away from the facility, took his first checkered flag of the year in front of a packed house on Friday night.

It was an eventful PRO 4 race as Rick Huseman ended up on his lid not once, but twice. In a display one can only witness in the TORC Series, Huseman fired it back up both times and stayed competitive and on the lead lap, finishing fourth. Johnny Greaves finished second with Steve Barlow bringing home third.

In PRO 2WD, former AMA Supercross champion Ricky Johnson put on a clinic with his victory. Behind him, however, it was a side-by-side battle between another former dirt bike champ, Jeremy McGrath, and current class points leader, Rob MacCachren. McGrath was able to earn runner-up honors after starting eighth with MacCachren rounding out the podium in third.

Douglas would follow-up his win with another podium finish on Saturday night. During the Pro 4x4 race, Douglas, Mike Jenkins, Johnny Greaves and Rick Huseman all held the lead at one point. In the end, Jenkins took home his second career win in the Traxxas/AMSOIL truck, followed closely by Douglas, who raced the final laps with a leaking front tire.

In Saturday's PRO 2wd race, Johnson was able to stay just ahead MacCachren for his second win of the weekend.

The Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL now heads back to Bark River, Mich. for rounds seven and eight.

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

Team AMSOIL

Canard Sweeps at Washougal, Wins Third Straight Overall Title

2010-07-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Chris Pourcel may be the 250cc class points leader in the AMA Outdoor Nationals, but Team AMSOIL rider Trey Canard has been busy closing the gap the past three weekends.

At last weekends race in Washougal, Canard came out of the gates in a hurry. He grabbed the hole shot in the first moto and extended a sizeable lead en routhe to his second straight moto win and set himself up for his third straight overall.

In the second moto, Canard once again grabbed the hole shot. While Pourcel was able to move up to second, he never got close to Canard. The Oklahoma-native celebrated his second win of the weekend and now has the most overall wins in the 250 class this year and sits second in the season long points race.

Up next for the Geico Powersports/AMSOIL team will be round 9 at Unadilla (N.Y.).

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

Team AMSOIL

Pegram Podiums at Mid-Ohio

2010-07-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Team AMSOIL pro road racer Larry Pegram thrilled his local fans by taking the lead into the first corner at the AMA Pro Road Racing event in Ohio last weekend.

The Ohio-native lead for the first lap before Tommy Hayden took over, passing Pegram on lap two and proceeded to lead the next six laps. By this time, Josh Hayes had passed Pegram and was shadowing Hayden's every move for the remainder of the race.

Pegram was able to take what he felt was a satisfying third place finish ahead of Saturday's second-place finisher Ben Bostrom. As with the first two, Bostrom kept the pressure on Pegram all day but just couldn't find a way by the AMSOIL rider.

After another strong start to the race, Jake Zemke with his National Guard Jordan Suzuki found himself battling with teammate Canadian Brett McCormick on the #23 Jordan Suzuki. These two ran nose-to-tail for the last part of the race and McCormick continued his nice progression in the sport by passing Zemke on the last lap.

AMSOIL is the Official Oil of AMA Pro Road Racing and the presenting sponsor of the Daytona SportBike class. Up next on the AMA schedule is the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Montery, Calif.

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

Team AMSOIL

Canard Wins Second Straight Overall

2010-07-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

AMSOIL sponsored motocross star Trey Canard won a moto and finished second in the other Saturday at the Spring Creek National in southern Minnesota to claim his second straight overall title in the 250cc class of the AMA Outdoor Nationals. It was the third time this year that a rider from the GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda stable claimed an overall title as Eli Tomac earned one at the start of the outdoors season.

"This was the best outdoor race I've ever had," said Canard, who dominated the second moto by leading all 15 laps. "Even in practice I was just on it, finishing two and one, I think. Juts a great day.

Teammate Justin Barcia also had a tough run in the first moto, finishing 16th, but managed to reach the podium in Moto 2 with a great ride that ended with him in third place.

A steady day netted Blake Wharton fifth and seventh place finishes, while rookie Tomac was 13th in Moto 1 and 11th in Moto 2.

Up next, the series travels to the Great Northwest for next Saturday's Washougal National in southern Washington, just over the border from Portland, Ore.

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

Team AMSOIL

Watch Mike Oberg's Win, From Bark River

2010-07-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

AMSOIL off-road racer Mike Oberg picked up his first win in nearly two years during round three of the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL. Chad Hord was close behind for much of the AMSOIL Pro 2wd race on Saturday.

TORC, through its sanctioning body of USAC, streams all of the races live. Below, you can watch Oberg's big win and check out all of the action from the Bark River rounds of racing.

Oberg, Hord and Scott Douglas will follow the TORC series to Oshkosh, Wis. on July 23-24 for rounds 5 and 6.

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

Team AMSOIL

Oberg Wins in Bark River

2010-07-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

As the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL returned to Bark River, Mich., AMSOIL Super Team driver Mike Oberg returned to the winner’s circle for the first time this year.

Oberg started on the pole for Saturday's Pro 2wd race and pushed the AMSOIL/BFGoodrich Chevrolet to the front coming out of turn one. He led at the midway point, and swapped positions only once when Jeremy McGrath moved by him for less than one full lap. It's Oberg's first win under the TORC series banner and moves him into fifth overall.

“It was a tough battle out there,” Oberg said. “I was a little apprehensive because I got all these rabid dogs behind me trying to chase me down. This is a great win for my team and for AMSOIL, which has been with me for a long time. (The truck) was hooking up. I was planting that outside tire in every corner and it really worked out.”

Rob MacCachren finished second and Chad Hord took the final podium spot after getting by Jeff Kincaid on the final lap.

In other action from the weekend, Scott Douglas picked up a third place finish in Saturday's Pro 4x4 race. Johnny Greaves took the weekend sweep in that class, with Steve Barlow, Mark Jenkins and Rick Huseman rounding out the podium finishes.

TORC heads to Oshkosh, Wis. on July 23-24.

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

Team AMSOIL

TORC Heads to Bark River, Watch Live (New Video Posted)

2010-07-09T06:44:00.001-07:00

The Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL, heats up in Michigan this weekend. Rounds 3 and 4 will be held at the historical Bark River Raceway in Bark River, Michigan.

Scott Douglas will be looking for his first Pro 4x4 win of the season and is coming off a near win at the Crandon Cup in June.

Chad Hord and Mike Oberg have been tweaking their AMSOIL Pro 2wd trucks, looking to put more horsepower to the ground after a combined three top five finishes in Crandon.

You can watch the entire weekend of race from Bark River at http://www.amsoil.com/ as TORC will be streaming every class live. Racing starts Saturday morning and runs through Sunday afternoon.

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

Team AMSOIL

Teague Crowned Champion in Sarasota

2010-07-09T06:26:00.000-07:00

For 26 years the Superboat Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix held on the 4th of July weekend in Sarasota, Fla. has become one of the sports most popular races. The week-long event involves the entire community, which has now risen over $14 million dollars to support local children’s charities.

After a day full of fan interaction on Friday, Team AMSOIL tested over 100 miles on Saturday in the calmer than normal conditions for the Gulf of Mexico. A great set up for the conditions was developed for Sunday's race.

A morning rain storm on Sunday, in combination from swells coming in from a tropical depression in the Gulf, resulted in a significant change in the conditions compared to the day before. When band Mike Defrees took the AMSOIL Skater to the Gulf for the first race of the day, it was immediately apparent that it was going to be a tough day in a boat that was set up for calmer conditions.

When the green flag dropped, Team AMSOIL got stuck in traffic going into the first turn and one of the boats in the pack crossed in front of Team AMSOIL and took out the turn buoy. The new Stihl 388 Skater had a cleaner line on the outside and took the early lead in the Super Cat class. From that point on, there was a close deck to deck battle between the Stihl team and Team AMSOIL which ended up being one of the most exciting races of the day. Team AMSOIL was able to catch and pass Team Stihl and extend a lead of about 11 seconds. As the nearly 90-mile race progressed, Team AMSOIL was slowed a couple of times while lapping traffic and took a couple of huge flights in the rough conditions which enabled the Stihl team to come within a boat length heading into the final outside turn of the race. Team AMSOIL hit a large rogue wave which caused the boat to hook violently and end up on the wrong side of the turn buoy. Team AMSOIL was then forced to go back and “make up” the turn, allowing Stihl to cross the finish line first.

Post race inspections revealed that Team Stihl’s propellers did not meet the required specifications for thickness resulting in a disqualification for the Stihl team. Team AMSOIL was then awarded the checkered flag with Team Popeye’s placing second, and Team Dark Dog Energy Drink, running their new MTI, finishing in third place.

Next stop for Team AMSOIL is the OPA/GEICO Race in Harrison Township, Mich. on July 16-18.

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL New Title Sponsor of Dirt Nationals at Elko Speedway

2010-07-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Elko Speedway in Elko, Minnesota is proud to announce that AMSOIL INC. will be the Official Title Sponsor of the 2010 Dirt Nationals, now know as The AMSOIL Dirt Nationals at Elko Speedway. The event, in only its year, broke most speedway attendance records during its incredible inaugural running.

“Adding a nationally recognized company such as AMSOIL is exciting to the event and to Elko Speedway” said track owner Tom Ryan. “It is our goal to make this event one of the marquee events in dirt racing, and adding AMSOIL as a title sponsor in only the second year I think is the next step to accomplishing that goal! We welcome AMSOIL and look forward to a bright future together in building this event.”

After the success of the 2009 event, this year’s AMSOIL Dirt Nationals at Elko Speedway covers three full weekends and officially opens on Thursday July 8 with a charity NASCAR Night presented by 3M, Best Buy, General Mills, & Great Clips, as Elko Speedway “Gives Back to the Community.” Proceeds from all tickets sales will go to Minnesota Military Families charity, Victory Junction Camp and the Greg Biffle Foundation. NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Greg Biffle, AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, and Jason Leffler will be the first to take laps on the Elko clay, and the night will feature the “Minnesota-Iowa-Wisconsin Late Model Invitational” which will include the “AMSOIL Top Performance Challenge.”

The following two weekends of July 16-17 and 23-24 feature USMTS Modifieds & IRA Sprints respectively. support classes include Elko “B” Mods, 360 sprints and micro sprints.

“We have had a long-standing relationship with the performance and racing industry," said AMSOIL Race Program Manager Jeremy Meyer, "and we saw this as a great opportunity to be associated with the beginning of a great event and an amazing facility that is second to none in short track racing.”

The Superior, Wis. based company formulated the first 100% synthetic motor oil to meet the requirements of the American Petroleum Institute in 1972. AMSOIL now produces more than 100 high performance lubricants and products, distributed by a network of AMSOIL Dealers.

A complete schedule of the AMSOIL Dirt Nationals can be found at www.amsoil.com.

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

Team AMSOIL

Canard Tops at Red Bud; Three AMSOIL Riders in Top 5

2010-07-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

On the strength of his win in the second 250cc moto of the day, GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL rider Trey Canard won his class Saturday at the AMA Pro Motocross Championship RedBud National.
Canard finished fourth in the first moto and had the same average finish as Dean Wilson, who finished third and second. However, it was Canard’s win that made the ultimate difference. The key moment was his pass of Wilson late in the second moto, which sealed both the moto and overall victory.

“I knew Wilson was riding really hard,” Canard said. “I wasn’t sure he could keep that pace because he was really pushing it. I just tried to stay calm and make sure I made it through the moto.

The victory is the first of the outdoor season for Canard, who pulled to within seven points of third place in the season standings.

(Racer X Interview with Canard)

All of the AMSOIL sponsored riders improved from Moto 1 to Moto 2.

Justin Barcia finished fifth and third in his 250 motos to wind up fourth overall. He nearly captured second place in that second race during the moto’s waning minutes.

Blake Wharton suffered a busted lip after a rock from the track came up under his helmet and hit him in the mouth early in the second moto. He rallied to finish fourth in, two places higher than his first moto, and he ended fifth overall on the day.

Rookie Eli Tomac finished 10th overall on the day after finished of 12th and ninth, respectively.

On the 450cc side, Brett Metcalfe finished fifth and fourth for an overall finish of fifth on the day. He did slip to third in the season standings, but he’s only three points out of second.

The AMA Pro Motocross Championship takes a week off before resuming is schedule on July 17 at the Spring Creek National in Millville, Minn.

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

Team AMSOIL

Lovell Third Quick up Pikes Peak (Watch)

2010-06-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

Having always lived in the shadow of Pikes Peak, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has always been part of Brad Lovell's life, even though he's never taken the 12-mile trip up the mountain. After building a formidable racer for the TORC Series presented by AMSOIL, this year was different.

"I never thought the V-8 powered AMSOIL Pro-Light would be competitive in the Pikes Peak Open class but I knew I needed seat time" said Lovell. "Especially after two tough rounds of racing at Crandon."

Lovell rushed back home to Colorado from Crandon, Wis. only to complete tech and make the drivers meeting with two minutes to spare. There are no breaks for latecomers at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Even a poor sole from Hungary was turned away after his car was stuck in customs during the practice days. The Pikes Peak Open class for the 88th running consisted of nine vehicles including a modified Cobra, a dedicated hill climb car from New Zealand, a WRC rally car from Luxembourg, and a Honda Ridgeline outfitted for Baja.
"I can’t say too much about the run itself as I was really trying to concentrate," said Lovell. "At one point I got to jerking the wheel around way too much and needed to slow my hands. I could feel tension in my body and several times told myself to relax and focus. On the narrow exposed turns it occurred to me that my tires were actively saving my life."

After getting through some early nerves, Lovell finally reached the pavement near the top and knew there wasn’t much holding him back. He rounded the last corner to see the checkered flag and a third place trophy. His total time was 13:17 over 12.42miles with an elevation gain of 4,720 ft and average speed of 56 mph.

Pikes Peak is an amazing race. It is the second oldest race in the country and has been sustainable longer than most of us have been alive. It has big names and unknowns, record setters and adventure seekers.

"I was there for seat time in my new truck but fell in love with a phenomenal local race that I have neglected my whole life," continued Lovell. "It has the same airs of adventure that attract people to the Baja. I don’t care if they pave it, I almost now welcome it. Either way, I can’t wait to get back up the mountain next year."

Lovell will bring his AMSOIL Pro Light to rounds 3/4 of the TORC Series July 10-11 in Bark River, Mich.

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

AMSOIL Race Department

Canard and Metcalfe Podium in Thunder Valley

2010-06-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

The GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda team placed riders on the podium in both the 450 and 250cc classes on Saturday at the Toyota Trucks Thunder Valley National in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

Trey Canard finished third and second in his two motos to finish second overall in the 250s and Brett Metcalfe rode to a pair of fourth place finishes in 450 motos for a third place overall finish.

Up until Saturday, Canard had been disappointed with his finishes thus far this season. At Thunder Valley, Canard said he felt more like his usual self, particularly in the second moto where he got the hole shot and led a significant portion of the 30-minute race.

"From the past few weekends, it's a big improvement for me," Canard said. "I'm excited, hopefully I can keep the momentum going and try to have fun with it."

With his finish, Canard moves to fourth in the season 250 standings.

Metcalfe, riding in the 450 class this season, stayed out of trouble on the starts and used consistency to run to his third place finish.

"The track was really, really rough and super narrow in some of the sections," Metclafe said. "Being consistent is paying off for us. Now we just have to work on being more consistently in the top three.

It's another podium on the year for Metcalfe, who is now second in the season points.

Blake Wharton finished fifth overall by finishing sixth then fifth in his two 250 motos and is now eighth in the season points.

Justin Barcia got caught up in a first turn melee in the first moto but battled his way to a 16th place finish. In the second, he steered clear of trouble and rode to a seventh place finish, good for 10th place overall on the day. For his efforts, Barcia won the Muscle Milk Recovery Award.

Rookie Eli Tomac said he was also hampered by rough starts. He finished seventh and ninth in his motos, good enough for eighth on the day.

Next up for the AMSOIL sponsored team is the Red Bud National in Buchanan, Mich. July 3.

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

AMSOIL Race Department

Lovell Tackles Pike's Peak, Watch Live on Sunday

2010-06-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

Less than one week after making his rookie debut in the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL, Brad Lovell is working on another first.

Lovell, who raced in the Pro Light class at Crandon International Raceway last weekend, is making his first trip up Pikes Peak at the annual Pikes Peak International Raceway this weekend. Lovell is actually racing his AMSOIL V8 Pro Light truck in the Pikes Peak Open class and was second in qualifying as of Thursday morning.

Pikes Peak is the second oldest motor sports race in America. AMSOIL has used the "Race to the Clouds" as a proving ground for its products since the late 1960's when Bobby Unser was setting records on the mountain.

AMSOIL, through its partnership with the United States Auto Club, will present Live Racing Coverage from Pikes Peak on Sunday, June 27, starting at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time.

WATCH LIVE

The next TORC race will be in Bark River, Mich. on July 10-11.

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

Team AMSOIL

TORC Opens With Bar-to-Bar Racing

2010-06-23T06:54:00.001-07:00

The much anticipated opening weekend of the 2010 Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL brought out the best in the worlds top off road drivers. Team AMSOIL racers helped set the tone early in what will be an action packed season.

Scott Douglas piloted his AMSOIL/Kumho Tires Ford F-150 to a pair of third place finishes in the Pro 4x4 class. Douglas, who led for much of Sunday's race before getting "bumped" out of the top spot by Steve Barlow, was also the story in Sunday evening's Crandon Cup race. The Cup race features Pro 4x4 and Pro 2wd trucks going head to head on the 1 1/2 mile track. Douglas was able to catch Jeff Kincaid on the final turn, but couldn't push past the Traxxas/AMSOIL driver and just missed the $15,000 payday by less than two feet. Douglas now sits second overall in the points race.

AMSOIL Super Team Pro 2wd drivers Mike Oberg and Chad Hord had up and down weekends. Oberg finished fifth in Saturday's race, despite being down on power with a frayed spark plug wire. Oberg broke a drive shaft on Sunday. Hord's weekend started with a spectacular crash on Saturday. He found his grove on Sunday finishing fourth in the points race and fourth in the Cup race. Oberg finished sixth in the cup race.

Other AMSOIL sponsored teams finding success at the Big House:

Johnny Greaves (Monster Energy) first on Saturday and third in the Cup race.

Jeff Kincaid (Traxxas/AMSOIL) wins Crandon Cup and Sunday's class race.

Andrew Caddell (Traxxas/AMSOIL) wins Saturday's Pro Light race and sets new class track record.

Ricky Johnson (Red Bull) wins Saturday's Pro 2wd race.

The next TORC race will be in Bark River, Mich. July 10-11. AMSOIL will once again stream all of the action live on http://www.amsoil.com/.

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

AMSOIL Race Department

Watch TORC Opener On-Line (Live)

2010-06-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL is finally upon us. The top off-road truck racers in the world will embark upon the legendary Crandon International Raceway on Saturday and Sunday for rounds one and two of the 2010 season.

Team AMSOIL stars such as Scott Douglas, Mike Oberg and Chad Hord will be pushing more than 850 h.p. around the 1-1/2 mile short course, located in northern Wisconsin. If you are unable to attend this weekends race, but don't want to miss any of the action, AMSOIL will be streaming every race, from Sportsman to Pros', live at http://www.amsoil.com/.

Starting at 10:30 on Saturday morning, and finishing up with the Crandon Cup race on Sunday evening, you will be able to keep up with all of your favorite Team AMSOIL drivers, both on the track and behind the scenes with live interviews.

The Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL will also air 26 straight weeks of coverage on HD Theatre starting Thursday, September 2.

Meanwhile, if you are looking to cure your racing blues, you can watch round three of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series on-line now. (Watch Now). AMSOIL is airing the entire ACSS on-line, with a new episode posted each Wednesday.

(Up Coming Events)

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

Team AMSOIL

TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL Opens Saturday

2010-06-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL is finally upon us.

This Saturday, you can catch AMSOIL Super Team stars Mike Oberg, Scott Douglas, Chad Hord and TORC rookie Brad Lovell in action at the Crandon International Raceway.

This year, TORC will be moving its programming to 26-weeks of coverage on HD Theatre. The series will also stream the entire weekend of racing live to www.amsoil.com.

Here's a quick look at the revolutionary HD Theatre programming that will begin airing September 2.

Racing begins at 10:30 Saturday morning with the Crandon Cup ending the weekend on Sunday evening.

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

Team AMSOIL

AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series Replays On-Line

2010-06-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

AMSOIL Re-airs Snocross Series Online

Superior, Wis. ~ Team AMSOIL snocross rider Ross Martin dominated the 2009-10 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series. If you missed any of Martin’s 14 podiums this past season, don’t worry, they are coming to AMSOIL.com.

AMSOIL INC., along with the International Series of Champions (ISOC) and Long Haul Productions, is re-airing the entire AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series online at http://www.amsoil.com/racing/video/ISOC_videos.aspx. The original eight shows aired on Versus earlier this year and are available in their entirety beginning Wednesday, June 2. AMSOIL will replay one new, one-hour show every Wednesday.

“The ACSS is the premier snowmobile circuit in the world,” said AMSOIL Race Program Manager Jeremy Meyer, “and some fans and race teams might have missed some the original broadcast, so we are giving them a chance to watch the entire season online at amsoil.com.”

ISOC has positioned itself to be the premier North American snocross sanctioning body. ISOC sanctions races throughout North America, including races in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and Utah. These events feature the sport’s top riders, including Ross Martin, Robbie Malinoski and Tucker Hibbert.

WATCH NOW

The 2010-11 ACSS season kicks off Thanksgiving Weekend in Duluth, Minn.

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

Jeremy Meyer
AMSOIL Race Program Manager

An AMSOIL Resurrection

2010-06-01T14:05:00.001-07:00

Over the Memorial Day Weekend, we received severl e-mails from AMSOIL Dealers regarding the recent sighting of an AMSOIL relic.

This sled is being featured on vintagesleds.com. Originally, this oval ice racer was a part of the AMSOIL/Team Aaen program. It is fresh out of restoration from Olav Aaen and is a 1979 Tim Bender Team Aaen RXL special.

It was on display at the St. Germain (Wis.) Vintage Show and, rumor has it, will be moved to the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain for permanent display.

Only 217 days until the AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River, Wis.

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

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Race Program Manager

Lovell Unveils New Pro Lite

2010-06-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

Brad Lovell is considered one of the most versatile off-road drivers in North America. He has won championships in rock crawling, rock racing and has recently piloted a top running team in the Best In The Desert series.

In 2010, Lovell will look to tackle the short course world. He will be racing alongside AMSOIL Super Team members, Scott Douglas, Mike Oberg and Chad Hord in the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL.

Lovell will put his new AMSOIL Pro Lite through the paces at Crandon International Raceway this week. Lovell sent us a picture of the new Pro Lite, which will debut at the TORC opener on June 19-20 in Crandon.

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

Jeremy Meyer
AMSOIL Race Program Manager

A Look at the Summer Racing Season

2010-05-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend usually signals a shift in America's love for all things fast. Yes, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will proudly display one of the world's greatest events, but in every corner of motorsports world, the summer racing season gears up for another unforgettable run.

This is no different for Team AMSOIL, so we thought we would take a look at some of the major series, events and teams that will be flying the AMSOIL logo at racetracks nationwide over the next few months.

Motocross: Who's the new kid?

Eli Tomac stole the show as the 2010 AMA Motocross Series kicked off in Hangtown last weekend. The newest Geico Powersports/Honda rider led his first professional moto for a few laps, won the second moto and took the overall points lead over a very talented field. Could this 17-year-old be the next big thing? Maybe, but he still has to beat out fellow AMSOIL riders and teammates Trey Canard, Blake Wharton and Justin Barcia. All three of these guys have won on the professional level, and Canard is looking to wrap up his 250cc career with an outdoor title to match is indoor Supercross championship.
The Outdoor Nationals return to action June 5 in Wortham, Texas.

Off Road Truck Racing: Fender to Fender at the Big House
If you love motocross and you stop in awe when you hear the hum of high horsepower, you'd better turn to the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL. Watching these 850 hp trucks are plowing through turns and jumps at more than 100 mph is tough to beat. If the lose a fender, or a tire, or a hood in the process? That's just practice.

AMSOIL is once again the presenting sponsor and Official Oil of the TORC series. The 2010 season starts June 19-20 in Crandon, Wis. (Note: there is a sportsman series race June 5 in Antigo, Wis. and several pro teams will run an exhibition). AMSOIL has once again put together the AMSOIL Super Team. Scott Douglas brings his two BorgWarner Cup titles back to the Pro 4x4 class. Four time World Champion Mike Oberg is dialed in for another run at the Pro 2wd title. He will be rubbing paint with former Pro Light champion Chad Hord, who is debuting his new Pro 2wd Boss Plow/AMSOIL truck this summer. Finally, an old name will make a new start in the Pro Light class this season. Brad Lovell will take time away from his championship rock crawling and desert racing teams to chase the Pro Light title. Along with top drivers like Johnny Greaves, Ricky Johnson, Jeremy McGrath and Scott Taylor, TORC will once again showcase this growing sports top teams.

Road Racing: Pegram's Push

With one win under his belt, Team AMSOIL rider Larry Pegram is making a strong push to win the American Superbike title in 2010. Pegram will return to action on June 4-5 at Road America (Wis.) in fifth place. Remember, Pegram pushed is Ducati to the win at Elkhart Lake in 2009 and is coming off of two straight podium finishes. This fast paced racing is only at its season midpoint and Pegram is getting comfortable. AMSOIL is the Official Oil of AMA Pro Road Racing and the presenting sponsor of the Daytona SportBike class.

Spring Cars: Coast-to-Coast with USAC

AMSOIL is aligned with of some of the fastest racing in the world, non-winged sprint cars. The AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship has been running for the past few months, but with more than 200 races nationally, racers are just starting to find their groove. Whether you are in California or Indiana, USAC offers race fans five competitive series to watch 900 h.p. cars rip around the track.

Dirt Track Racing: Circle Tracks and Beyond

Not only did AMSOIL resign with the WISSOTA Promoters Group this spring to continue as the title sponsor of the AMSOIL Dirt Track Series, it also brought back the AMSOIL Race of Champions. The ROC is a major invitational for all of the WISSOTA classes held in conjunction with the WISSOTA 100 in September. To get invited to the AMSOIL ROC, each driver must win a ROC qualifier at one of the 55+ WISSOTA tracks.

Along with the AMSOIL Dirt Track Series, AMSOIL has partnered up with Circle Track Magazine on a revolutionary idea to bringtechnology experts to local race tracks. The AMSOIL Great American Circle Track Tour is hitting 25 tracks in the Southeastern United States this summer. Senior Tech Editor Bob Bolles is driving his AMSOIL sponsored motor home to each track and working with local drivers to improve everything from handling, motor set-up and tires. Along the way, Bob will spread the word about AMSOIL products. This four-year endeavor will move coast-to-coast and be reported in Circle Track Magazine as well as a daily blog from Bob.

ATV Racing: From MX to Off Road

AMSOIL has been heavily involved in dirt bike racing for more than a decade, but we have only started our relationships with two of the top ATV circuits running in the United States.

The AMA ATVA MX series is motocross on four-wheels. The ATV series is actually one of the few series that will race on Memorial Day Weekend as it heads to Delmont, Penn. As the Official Oil, AMSOIL gets access to the top ATV MX riders in the world. These guys are fast and determined and you can catch all their action on-line, or you can watch the new AMSOIL sponsored show ATV 24/7.

ATV is more than motocross, and the GNCC has been an off-road proving ground for years. This summer, AMSOIL entered into a three-year deal with the GNCC as the Exclusive Official Oil. Variety is the spice of life for the GNCC as they run a full day of ATV racing on Saturday followed up by a full day of dirt bike racing on Sunday. Through trees, waterholes and clouds of dust, GNCC riders are showcasing the same bikes you can buy at your local dealer.

On The Water: Teague and Rinker All Out

When it comes to racing power boat racing, AMSOIL has two of the best. Bob Teague is not only the tech editor for Power Boat Magazine and owns one of the top engine shops in the world, he is also unbeatable in his #77 AMSOIL Skater. Teague has one just about every race and championship over the past few years and will now be a featured racer on the GEICO Series television show that will air on Versus later this year. Teague will race in Ocean City, Md. this weekend.

From big inboard motors to high end outboards, we turn to Terry Rinker for titles. Rinker, who has won championships four of the past six seasons, will run an open schedule in 2010 after the dissolving of the Champ Boat Series. Rinker finished second in points in 2009, and will be the headliner at the Bay City event June 26-27.

Along with all of that, you can also find AMSOIL at the AMA Amateur Nationals presented by AMSOIL, Sturgis Bike Rally, Laconia Bike Week and all of the AMSOIL Shock Therapy Monster Truck shows. Oh, and please don't forget the Diesel Power Challenge, the AMSOIL Street Rodder Tour, the National Street Rodder Tour, the Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge and the Top Truck Challenge.

As you can see, it will be a busy summer for Team AMSOIL. Until then, we'll see you at (all) the races,

Jeremy Meyer
AMSOIL Race Program Manager

AMSOIL R/C Trucks Get Military Polish

2010-05-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

Partnerships behind the scenes in racing are just as important as putting a logo on the side of a car, truck or bike. AMSOIL is lucky to work with great series partners and people that promote our products and brand at events away from the track, many times they are at events that have nothing to do with racing.

Robi Powers has worked on our behalf in snowmobile racing over the past five years and is also a dedicated partner with the U.S. Military. Robi has announced live sporting events (AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby), major U.S. sporting events and the Winter Olympics. He also coordinates celebrity visits for our troops serving overseas.

Powers recently brought a pair of Traxxas R/C Slash trucks to military visits with Armed Forces Entertainment in Washington, D.C. and Wright Patt Air Base in Dayton, Ohio. The AMSOIL and Traxxas trucks were a big hit with the troops. AMSOIL will be working with Powers to bring the AMSOIL themed trucks oversees in the future, bringing great promotion to the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL, as well as a small piece of home style racing to our troops abroad.

(Buy an AMSOIL Slash.)

The 2010 TORC Series kicks off June 19-20 in Crandon, Wis. Until then, we'll see you at the races.

Jeremy Meyer
AMSOIL Race Program Manager

http://www.thewarriortours.com/

Rookie Tomac Wins Motocross Debut

2010-05-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

The 2010 AMA Motocross Lites class is very, very deep. So deep, that the mere thought of a 16-year-old rookie landing on the podium, let alone winning the overall title at the Hangtown opener would be out of the box thinking. Way out of the box. Unless that 16-year-old is GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda rider Eli Tomac.

Tomac made his professional debut memorable with a victory Saturday at the 42nd annual Hangtown Motocross Classic. The win, coupled with a third-place finish in the day's first 250cc Moto, places the heralded newcomer into the points lead of the AMA Motocross Championship.
After a quick start in Moto 2, Tomac needed to only pass two riders, including teammate Trey Canard, to assume the lead. He then managed to hold the spot for the remainder of the 16-lap race to earn the top spot and the overall win.

"This goes beyond anything I could have hoped for," Tomac said. "We came in here not really knowing what to expect. You hope you'll match up with everyone but until you get out there in a real race you never know. To win this race, my first with this team, is really something."

Canard, who finished seventh in Moto 1 and second in Moto 2, leaves Hangtown third in the points after the first of 12 races in the outdoor season. GEICO teammates Justin Barcia finished fifth overall and Blake Wharton 16th.

Brett Metcalfe made his 450cc debut in Hangtown and finished fourth overall, finishing fifth and fourth respectively in his moto's.

The AMSOIL sponsored team will be back on the track after Memorial Day on June 5 in Wortham, Texas.

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

Jeremy Meyer

AMSOIL Race Program Manager