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AMSOIL Re-signs with Factory Connection Racing AMSOIL INC, The First in Synthetics, and Factory Connection Racing have come to agreement on a one-year contract extension for the 2009 Supercross and Motocross seasons. AMSOIL has been the official oil provider of Factory Connection racing and the GEICO Powe  rsports/Honda racing team since 1999. In 2009 The GEICO Powersports team will be led in the Supercross class by star rider Kevin Windham. The Lites class will boast one of the top teams in the sport, led by defending 2008 East Coast Lites Supercross champion Trey Canard. Joining Canard will be Dan Reardon, Blake Wharton and newcomer Brett Metcalfe. AMSOIL will also take over as title sponsor of Factory Connection’s amateur program. Top amateurs Eli Tomac and Justin Barcia will lead the AMSOIL team in 2009. “For the past decade, AMSOIL and Factory Connection have had a successful relationship,” said Jeremy Meyer, AMSOIL Race Program Manager. “Not only have we been successful on the pro level, but also on the amateur program. Factory Connection Racing has done a great job of cultivating young racers, bringing them through the lower ranks and giving them a chance to succeed on the professional level.” “Factory Connection Racing is thrilled to continue its long-standing relationship with AMSOIL, said team owner Jeff Majkrzak. “AMSOIL’s superior products and support of our race team has been at the foundation of our success. We hope to continue this relationship for many years to come.” Windham, along with Lites riders Canard and Metcalfe, will open up the 2009 Supercross series in Anaheim, Calif. this Saturday, January 3. SPEED will air the opening round live, starting at 10:00 pm EST. |
AMSOIL Shock Therapy 2008 World Champion The AMSOIL Shock Therapy Monster truck has become a fan favorite across North America, and now, the autograph lines will be getting longer as the title of World Champion has been added.
AMSOIL Shock Therapy driver Jon Zimmer took home the Monster Madness World Finals Racing Championship Trophy on September  27, 2008. in Calgary, Alberta with two impressive rounds of freestyle and racing.
On Saturday, Zimmer pushed the AMSOIL Shock Therapy to the limit by taking on everything that the Calgary Stampede could throw at him. Zimmer would edge past Public Disturbance, resulting in becoming the 2008 World Finalist Racing Champion.
On Sunday Zimmer returned with the AMSOIL Shock Therapy and again pushed his way to the finals, attempting to win the World Finals Championship in Monster Freestyle. As Zimmer suited up and climbed back into the truck after his introduction, he would put on an impressive "Freestyle". As the crowd watched Zimmer pull away to start, they saw teammate Killenger return in the Excaliber Monster Truck and park it just in front of the massive car, van, bus stack. John Killenger climbed out of the Excaliber truck and ran off the floor. The crowd seemed confused and did not expect the following to happen. In the blink of an eye, Zimmer blasted back out into the arena and noticed the Excaliber Truck parked in front of the bus stack. He then returned back towards the pit area and slid the truck around toward the bus stack. Zimmer hit the gas and proceeded with full momentum towards the stack, resulting in clearing not only the stack that contained two buses, vans and cars, but the Excaliber Monster Truck as well. The crowd went wild, Zimmer finished up his freestyle with huge air and crazy donuts.
"John Zimmer is one of the finest gentlemen in the business and one of the best monster truck drivers in the business today and it gives me great pleasure to announce after tallying up all the results from the shows this year that John Zimmer is the undisputed 2008 Monster Madness World Champion." Ralph Moore, President of Edge-Motorsports.
"We would like to thank AMSOIL for their support this year," said Sudden Impact Racing team owner Brandon LeGarde. "By using AMSOIL products, we are able to keep our trucks on the track, and out of the garage."
Sudden Impact Racing and the AMSOIL Shock Therapy will have a full schedule of racing in January, including a Checkered Flag production in Winston-Salem, N.C.
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Scott Douglas on the Mend, Race Ready It has been two and half months since the horrific practice crash in Chula Vista, Calif. that broke the left leg, knee and ankle of AMSOIL Super Team driver Scott Douglas. The doctor's prognosis made it sound as if his 2008 season would be over. Then, the suddenly the financial problems of CORR ended the season prematurely with the cancellation of the final two weekends of the season. Undaunted, Douglas stayed focused and worked endlessly at his rehab schedule.
 By early November, he made a public appearance at the SEMA Show representing Kumho Tire at their track side display. His rehab was showing progress as his leg and knee had healed well enough for him to drive a street car and walk for limited amounts of time.
Thanksgiving weekend was another test for his healing leg as Scott and his wife Jackie went to the dunes with their sand car. The strength was coming back in his left leg enough to put his V8 powered buggy through the paces.
This past weekend Douglas was on hand at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Orlando, Fla. making the rounds through the massive convention center. His ability get back to business as usual has amazed his family and friends.
The question that crosses everyone's mind is, 'If there was the final CORR race weekend in Chula Vista, would he be in the cockpit of the #7 AMSOIL Kumho Tire Sycuan Casino KC Hilites Ford-F150?'
 "Definitely. Without a doubt," remarked Douglas during a recent interview from his El Cajon, Calif. home. "The doctors kept me on a tight rehab schedule, Jackie kept my spirits up, and suddenly I found myself getting around on my own. I've got quite a bit of titanium keeping everything together. I'm not 100%, my ankle is still very stiff, but after driving my sand car, I knew I could go out and compete for the PRO-4 championship. Unfortunately the CORR season ended prematurely. It's a shame because Bill Smith and Jason Schampers really worked feverishly to get our primary truck ready to race. The damage the truck sustained was incredible, but the truck was race ready by mid-October."
Officially, Douglas ended the 2008 CORR PRO-4 season with the second most points in the division, but finished third in the championship standings as Carl Renezeder and Rick Huseman tied for the top spot. Officially Renezeder was named the PRO-4 champion.
The 2008 race season saw Douglas Motorsports on the podium in eight out of twelve rounds of racing, including two wins, one runner-up and five third place finishes. Throughout the entire season, he qualified in the top three for every round of racing he started. The AMSOIL truck was consistently one of the fastest PRO-4 trucks all year long.
Douglas Motorsports also made the trip back to Crandon, Wis. for the traditional BorgWarner Labor Day weekend event. The familiar #7 AMSOIL Kumho Ford took the victory in Round 12 of the WSORR season, as well.
Scott, Jackie and the entire crew at Douglas Motorsports wish everyone a Happy Holiday season.
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Wanderscheid Finds Podium in Rock River The temperature in Rock Rapids was hovering around 38 degrees, so things were melting and track conditions became sloppy. In the  first heat of 600 open qualifying, PJ Wanderscheid ended up third and finished the second heat in fifth. Track conditions were quickly deteriorating with the warm weather so race officials decided to call it a day. The track was down to dirt in spots, causing damage to the studs and carbides. With colder weather in the forecast, everyone hoped Sunday would be a better day for racing.
Sunday morning arrived and so did the cold. The temperature was around five below and about a ¼ inch of ice covered the region. The first heat of the day in Champ 440, Wanderscheid ended in second behind the Wahl sled driven by Brandon Johnson. The third and final round of 600 qualifying was the next race on the board, and PJ crossed the line in third. That qualified the AMSOIL sled seventh for the 600 Open final.
The second heat of the 440 Champ class brought some extra tuning by and they were able to cross the finish line first. The third and final heat of the day, Wanderscheid grabbed the hole shot and lead until two laps to go, when Dustin Wahl got around the #28 sled.
In the 600 open final, Wanderscheid grabbed the hole shot and came out of turn 2 with the lead. The #38 of Matt Schultz shot by us on the inside and the #22 of Brandon Johnson went by us on the inside. We hung close the #22 sled for most of the race but the 600 sleds are just to much for our 440 Champ sled to overtake. We ended the final in third.
"We are very happy with this finish considering out 440 was running in the 600 open class," said Wanderscheid. "The 600's have a distinct advantage, having about 20 more horsepower than our 440 sled. But we use this as a test for the AMSOIL World Championship Derby, where we will all have to run the 440."
Due to the oncoming snow and cold, the WSA decided to call off the 440 Champ final. That race will be rescheduled at the next event in Forest Lake, Minn. Wanderscheid qualified second for that final.
Wanderscheid won't race again until January 10-11 in Plymouth, Minn., his final tune-up before the AMSOIL Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby.
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Eckstrom, Carey Lead AMSOIL Charge in Ironwood Semi-Pro rookie Ryan Carey is off to a great start on the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series and the second round in Ironwood, Mich. vaulted him into the championship mix.
 Carey, who hails from nearby Channing, Mich., delighted a hometown crowd by finding the podium in the Semi-Pro Super Stock final. Carey had his work cut out for him after he finished seventh in the first round qualifier. Heading into the last change qualifier, Carey went to work early, leading the field through the finsih line for the win. In the final, Carey got a great start and battled in the front before finishing third, his first podium of his semi-pro career. His podium finish moved him into  seventh in the points race.
Carey wasn't the only Team AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports rider to find the podium on Saturday. DJ Eckstrom took care of business in the Pro Super Stock class. The Duluth, Minn. rider took third in his heat race,  advancing directly into the final. Once there, Eckstrom rode his best race of the year and pushed the leaders to the end for a third place finish and his first podium of the year. Eckstrom is now fourth overall in the Pro Super Stock class.
Eckstrom's teammate Shaun Crapo ran well, finishing sixth in the  Pro Super Stock final and ninth in Pro Open. Eckstrom finished 13th in Pro Open. Carey also competed in the Semi-Pro Open class, finishing sixth.
Team AMSOIL/Judnick Motorsports pro rider Ross Martin kept pace in both pro classes. Martin finished fifth in the AMSOIL Pro Open final and is second overall in the championship chase. In Pro Super Stock, Martin finished fifth and is seventh overall.
The AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series will take the holidays off and will return to the national schedule January 9-11 in Shakopee, Minn. You can buy advance tickets for the event, and receive a five dollar discount. Until then, we'll see you at the races. |
Wanderscheid Second in Manitoba The opening of the oval ice racing season in Beausejour, Manitoba has annually been unkind to AMSOIL rider PJ Wanderscheid. But the 2008 event was anything but usual for the three time world champion.
 Wanderscheid and his team headed north the past weekend to take part in the annual Canadian Power Toboggan Championship opener on Saturday and Sunday. Wanderscheid took part in the Champ 440 and the Pro Formula 600 classes in Manitoba.
In the 440 class, the same class that Wanderscheid has won three AMSOIL World Championship rings, the 25-year-old proved that his switch back to Hooper Engines will be beneficial this season as he finished the final in second.
"We always us this track to see where we are and where we need to go," said Wanderscheid. "We are excited to head home knowing that the changes we made this off season are paying off early and we are closer to winning our fourth AMSOIL Eagle River World Championship than we have been for the past couple of years."
Wanderscheid also finished sixth in the Pro Formula 600 class. Wanderscheid is schedule to take part in the World Snowmobile Association race in Rock Rapids, Iowa December 13-14.
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Ask Kevin Windham a Question Racer X Illustrated offers a monthly feature called 10Q in their month print version. The feature allows ten readers to conduct an interview with a top personality in the world of motocross and supercross.
 Racer X Illustrated has lined up GEICO/AMSOIL/Honda's Kevin Windham for their March 2009 issue, and they need your questions. Here's your chance to contribue to the next issue of Racer X by posing a question to Kevin.
It's easy. Just think of a great question and submit it to Racer X. If you really want your question to have a chance of making the cut, be respectful, keep it short, and come up with something really unique or interesting.
Got a question for Kevin? Click here to ask.
AMSOIL is the Official Oil of the GEICO Powersports team. Windham will be on the starting line for the opening round of the Monster Energy Supercross series January 3 in Anaheim, Calif.
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AMSOIL Amateur Wins Three Titles at Mini O's AMSOIL/Factory Connection rider Justin Barcia displayed an aggressive riding style on his way to three titles at the 2008 Winter National Olympics (Mini O's) at Gatorback Cycle Park in Alachua, Fla. last week.
 Barcia, one of the top amateurs in the United States, swept the 250 A/Pro-Am Stock class, winning both moto's. In the 250 A/Pro-Am Modified class, Barcia won his first moto, but a crash in moto 2 put him fourth overall.
The Cairo, Ga. native also raced in three supercross classes last week, winning twice. Barcia won all three of his heat races and won both the 250 A/Pro-Am Stock and Modified finals. He wrapped up the weekend with a fifth in the Open A/Pro-am Modified final. 
Barcia is also joined in the AMSOIL trailer by young Eli Tomac. The Cortez, Colo. native was dominate in the youth ranks and is now finding success in the amateur classes. At the Mini O's, Tomac raced in three motocross classes and three supercross classes.
 In motocross, Tomac took two moto wins, one each in the 250 B Stock and the 250 B Modified classes. A second place finish in the stock race gave him a second overall in that class. He finished 12th in the second moto of the modified race for 9th overall. In the Schoolboy (14-16), Tomac went 2-3 for third overall.
In supercross, Tomac piloted the #43 AMSOIL/Honda to a second in the 250 B Modified main, a third in the Schoolboy (14-16) final and a fifth in the 250 B Stock class.
Tomac and Barcia will both be looking for a return trip to Loretta Lynn's Amateur Nationals presented by AMSOIL. Area and regional qualifiers begin in February 2009. |
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