2005, A Very Good Year
Team AMSOIL shows strong results during past 12 months

Superior, Wis. ~ With the start of a new year, it’s the perfect time to look back on the past 12 months to see how successful Team AMSOIL actually was.  AMSOIL added a number of high profile corporately sponsored teams during that span, with great success and exposure.  We’ll take a look at who won, who’s new and who’s sticking around for 2006.

Who Won

Terry Rinker returned to glory in 2006.  The 2003 winner of the ChampBoat Series was looking for a win of any kind in 2005 after failing to notch one in 2004.  Rinker, who signed a three-year deal with AMSOIL in the off-season, designed a new boat and stormed out of the starting gates with three wins in his first four races.  Rinker held on to his early season point’s lead for his second career title.

AMSOIL slammed into the world of competitive rock crawling with a championship start in 2005.  AMSOIL signed UROC champions Lovell Rock Racing to a one-year deal last winter.  The Lovell Brothers, Brad and Roger, battled a slow start in the UROC series to win their second straight title.  The team, and the sport, can be seen on ESPN 2 on Sunday afternoons during January and February.

Kevin Windham of the AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda team finished second in the AMA Supercross and Motocross series.  Windham won the season opener last year in Anaheim, Calif.  His success was overshadowed by the dominating run by Ricky Carmichael.  However, Windham and Carmichael teamed up in late September to win the Motocross des Nations in France.  The race can be described as the World Cup of motocross racing.  Windham’s 2005 ended on a sour note as he broke his arm in mid-December during a practice session.  His return in 2006 is tentatively scheduled for late February.

AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports team owner Steve Scheuring has his snocross pilots flying high again.  DJ Eckstrom took second overall in the WSA Pro Stock class and a third overall in the Pro Open field.  To start the New Year, Eckstrom defended his AMSOIL Duluth National title with a win in December.  He also took third in the Pro Stock race.  Teammate Carl Schubitzke picked up his first podium for Team AMSOIL with a second at the Michigan National Snocross in Gaylord, Mich.

Oval Ice racing is making a strong comeback after years on the slide.  AMSOIL hopped on board with one of the sport’s up-and-coming stars in 2005.  PJ Wanderscheid, who has two Eagle River World Championships on his resume, returned to the USSA’s Pro classes with a win in the Pro 440 class and a third overall in the Pro 600 circuit.  Meanwhile, former teammate Shaun Bielke finished first in the Semi-Pro 440 class.  Wanderscheid Racing and AMSOIL have a new deal that will cover the next three seasons.

AMSOIL jumped into the CORR Off-Road Truck Racing scene in a major way in 2005.  AMSOIL formed the AMSOIL/Kumho Tires “Super Team”.  Dan Vanden Heuvel led the way with three wins and four podiums.  Two of the wins came at the highly publicized races in California.  The Flying Dutchman took second overall in the Pro-2 class.  Teammate Mike Oberg took six podiums in the Sportsman 2 class last summer, including one win.  Oberg and Vanden Heuvel will both be running in Pro 2 in 2006.  AMSOIL is currently negotiating with new drivers for the Pro-4 and Pro Lite classes.

Official Oil

AMSOIL grew its Official Oil status in 2005.  The ChampBoat Series was the latest in a successful run of Official Oil sponsorships.  The ChampBoat is the governing body of powerboat racing and the home for Terry Rinker.

AMSOIL is also the Official Oil of the World PowerSports Association (WPSA – Snowmobiling), Rock Maple Racing, Canadian Snowmobile Racing Association and Arena Racing.  AMSOIL is also the Presenting Sponsor of the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals and an officially licensed product of the AMA Outdoor Nationals (motocross).

AMSOIL will also continue as title sponsor for SnowTrax Television, a show that features all things related to snowmobiling.  The show airs in January and February on TSN in Canada and OLN in the United States.  Along with this sponsorship, Team AMSOIL racers can be viewed on major networks such as CBS, SPEED, ESPN2 and OLN. Click Here For a complete list of show times.

Changing Seasons

If you are an AMSOIL Dealer and are looking to sponsor a local racer through the AMSOIL Co-op Race Program, please fill out the G-2074 and send it to 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. Thank you all and good luck.

More from Team AMSOIL

• Racer Neil Cheek took a second place finish in his first 250-Novice race at the Blanchard Motocross event.  Cheek will be competing at the BooKoo Arenacross race coming up in Tulsa, Ok.  Cheek is sponsored by AMSOIL through Sponsorhouse.com.

• AMSOIL Dealer Jason Keranen is happy to report that sponsored rider Nick Erickson is having a good start to his young career.  The youngster is part of Team Wildman and recently had his first race of the 2006 Pro-Ice season.  Erickson notched four, first-place finishes.  Erickson raced in 12 classes and made all but one final.

• Stoffle Racing is gaining some early-season momentum in the Mountain States Snowmobile Racing circuit.  A.J. Stoffle won both the 120 Modified Class and the Jr. 7-10 class.  He also finished third in the Jr. 10-13 event.  Michelle Stoffle, meanwhile, placed fourth in the Jr. 10-13 and ninth in Beginner Women.

• PMK Performance Racing is gaining experience in the Pro Women’s classes of the WPSA this season.  Kristen Leirmoe traveled to Wausau, Wis. last weekend for a regional event.  Leirmoe advanced to the finals after posting a second place finish in her third qualifying heat.  She would go on to finish fourth in the main.  She also finished seventh in the Novice Stock 500 class.  PMK will be racing at round 3 of the Northern Wisconsin Championships (WPSA) in Mercer, Wis.