Wanderscheid Continues Winning Ways
Team AMSOIL picks up three podiums over weekend
Garrison, Minn. ~ Team AMSOIL/Arctic Cat oval ice racer P.J. Wanderscheid was in Garrison, Minn. over the weekend. Wanderscheid took third in two Pro 600 Open finals on Saturday and finished the weekend with the win on Sunday.
The first final was a make-up race from Wausau, Wis. that was cancelled a week earlier due to weak ice. Wanderscheid finished the 10-lap final behind Jim Schmidt and Terry Wahl. The Garrison final started, and finished, much like the one before it. Wanderscheid and Schmidt had nice hole-shots, with Wahl right behind them. Wanderscheid finished the race in third, a good finish after losing a heat exchanger about two-thirds of the way through.
Wanderscheid started Sunday’s Champ 440 final with another strong hole-shot, but was pinched in the first corner. After Wanderscheid came out in fifth and climbed to third after five laps, Wahl’s sled went down and he pulled off. Gary Moyle took the lead until he lost control with three laps to go. After the red flag and the restart, Wanderscheid exchanged the lead with Chris Hortness a couple of times until Wanderscheid took it for good, winning with a half a straightaway lead.
“I’m very happy with the performance and durability of our sleds this year,” said Wanderscheid. “Our sleds are not only showing that we are fast this year, but as the tracks deteriorate, our handling gets better.”
Team AMSOIL/Wanderscheid Racing will be in Garrison again this weekend, February 11 and 12. The race has been relocated there from Park X in Hill City, Minn.
Team AMSOIL at Park X This Weekend
Eckstrom looks to take over points lead
Aurora, Minn., ~ Team AMSOIL snocross riders D.J. Eckstrom and Carl Schubitzke will be competing at Park X in Hill City, Minn., this weekend, February 11 and 12. The WPSA racing action was moved to the northern Minnesota track from Buffalo, N.Y., due to a lack of snow.
Eckstrom is currently in second place in the Pro Open standings and just seven points out of first. He won the season opening round, the AMSOIL Duluth National. He is also fifth in the Pro Stock class. Schubitzke is currently 12th in Pro Stock and 14th in Pro Open. He picked up a second place in the Pro Stock class at Gaylord, Mich.
“Both riders love the track the WPSA has built in Hill City,” said AMSOIL Racing Coordinator Jeremy Meyer. “Both Carl and DJ have found success there this year. They are hoping to use this weekend as a springboard toward a season points championship.”
Brady Smith Roars Into Winter Nationals
Late model driver takes early top tens in Florida
Gibsonton, Fla. ~ Team AMSOIL late model driver Brady Smith has ditched the doldrums of winter in northern Wisconsin for sunny skies and cleared tracks in America’s Southeast. Smith left last week to race in Georgia and then at the popular Winter Nationals in Gibsonton, Fla. Weather permitting, the Solon Springs, Wis. resident will race in 14 events through February 14.
Smith started his winter racing tour at the Golden Isle Speedway in Brunswick, Ga. The UMP sanctioned events ran from February 1 to February 4 and had a collective purse of more than $32,000 to win. A flat tire in the main event during the first night of racing caused Smith to pit early. He would get the flat fixed and head out to finish 21st. The next two nights brought rain to the region, canceling both events. The break, however, would give “The Deuce” a chance to tune up his Chevy Monte Carlo for Saturday’s World of Outlaws (WoO) sanctioned event. Smith made the main and finished 18th.
Sunday meant a day of driving the AMSOIL semi to Gibsonton, Fla. for the annual Winter Nationals held at East Bay Raceway Park. The week-long event is the biggest winter racing series in North America and draws the biggest names in all forms of racing. The NARA sanctioned event boasts more than $44,000 in prize money to the winner. On Monday, February 6, Smith qualified for the B-main, where he would grab an eight-place finish. The racing would get better for Smith on Tuesday night when the young-gun won his heat and went on to a sixth place finish in the main. Wednesday night saw another solid qualifying run from Smith, as he took second in his heat race. He also ran the 14th fastest lap time in qualifying out a field of 87 late model drivers. In the main he finished 14th.
Smith will be racing at East Bay Raceway until Saturday, February 11. He then heads to Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. for a six-race schedule starting on Monday. For the latest results, go to www.bradysmithracing.com.
No Mud, But Sand Sinks Team AMSOIL
Team can’t find groove on new track layout
Anaheim, Calif. ~ Team AMSOIL riders Mike LaRocco, Billy Laninovich and Jake Weimer paid homage to their injured teammate, Kevin Windham, at the third and last Anaheim race of 2006. The three riders all wore the same red, white and blue uniforms that K-Dub wore when he won the Motocross des Nations last summer. Maybe the trio was hoping to gain a winning aura at the fifth round of the AMA Supercross Series.
In the Supercross Lites class, Billy Laninovich started out well, grabbing the holeshot in the main. The track, which for the first time in recent memory, had a tricky sand section added. Most of the riders breezed through the turn with ease. It was, however, a new look for the riders. Laninovich would hang on to finish sixth in the main. He is currently in third overall in the Lites class, just five points behind the leader and four behind second place. Wiemer battled hard but finished the final in 20th.
LaRocco, meanwhile, who is still getting used to the CRF 450 (Honda) that he switched over to just before the season started, got a good start and held on for a fourth place finish. He is currently fifth in the Supercross points race, one slash shy of fourth.
Speaking of Windham, the word from the Factory Connection team officials is that he will begin riding at the practice track in about three weeks. He is expected to return sometime in March, possibly the Orlando race.
Injury news continues to haunt the SoBe/Samsung/AMSOIL team. Juaqium Rodrigues is once again hobbling around the pits. Rodriguez suffered a broken tibia and fibula three weeks ago when he came up short on a triple jump at the Honda test track.
"I had to have surgery to repair my leg," said the Portuguese rider. "They inserted a rod in my leg so it would heal better. I hope to be back in time to race a couple of the last East Coast Lites races, but at this point my main focus will be the Nationals"
The AMSOIL team will be back in action this weekend for the seventh race of the year at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif. The race will air on a tape-delayed basis on CBS on Sunday.
ZBROZ Fights Bear In Idaho
Bear Lake, Idaho ~ ZBROZ Racing went bear hunting in Idaho last weekend, looking to remain king of the hill climb world. Lance, Ryan and Nate found a sluggish start to the weekend at the Bear Lake monster. Friday’s qualifying found Nate in three classes and Anthony in one.
Saturday’s finals proved to be a challenge with Nate making minor mistakes in the Improved 600 and Modified 600 classes, keeping him off the pace of the race leaders. Nate did rebound in time for the Modified 700 class and won by several seconds.
ZBROZ will be back on the hills in two weeks when the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association lands in Elko, Nev.
Co-op Sponsorships
If you are an AMSOIL Dealer looking to sponsor a local racer through the AMSOIL Co-op Race Program, please fill out the G-2074 and send it the AMSOIL Racing Department. Teams who were sponsored last year will need to fill out the form once again. Also, please remember to send in your race results, as they will be included in the Checkered Flag.
