LaRocco Set To Retire
Veteran rider announces decision at home track

Indianapolis ~ For the past 28 years, Mike LaRocco has been spending his time on the back of dirt bikes at racetracks across the world.  As a seven-year-old in 1978 he competed in his first sanctioned race.  The Rock went on to become the icon of the sport. But a practice lap crash last weekend put an end to the great one’s career.

LaRocco was working on a technical series of jumps during a practice session at the RCA Dome in his hometown of Indianapolis when, after a bobble in a difficult section, he was sent flying over the handlebars. After a visit to the x-ray machine, he was diagnosed with a dislocated wrist. 

The injury refueled the mumblings that LaRocco would retire at the conclusion of the AMA Supercross Series in May of this year.  Then, prior to the races, the Rock made it official to the press. He was retiring from racing.  He was honored for his contributions in a ceremony before the race. A video of his career along with a plaque from the city’s mayor was part of the show.

“I’ve had a long, great career in motocross and supercross, but it’s time to call it quits,” said LaRocco during his press conference.  “Unless you are winning, it’s hard to keep racing."

LaRocco’s weekend wasn’t all about the past or the disappointment of his crash.  He was able to walk his son, Ryder, to the gates for the start of the KTM Jr. Supercross Challenge.  The younger LaRocco started just like his dad, about middle of the pack heading into turn one.  He rode great, but unlike his dad, had to settle for seventh.

Grant Grabs Back-To-Back Podiums
Team AMSOIL Racer Just Misses Second Straight Win

Indianapolis ~ The AMSOIL/Factory Connection team had a look at the future, instead of the past, in the Supercross Lites class last weekend.  Coming off a spectacular win in Atlanta the previous week, Josh Grant had momentum on his side in Indy.

Grant started the qualifying with a slow start.  But the second year rider quickly made up the ground he lost off the gate and stormed to the front of the pack.  With one lap to go, Grant caught the leader and held on for the win.  It marked his second heat win of the year in only three rounds of racing.  Teammate Tommy Hahn finished seventh in the same heat race, transferring directly in the main.

In the final, Grant wasn’t able to grab his second straight holeshot, but was able to quickly pass race leader Kelly Smith.  Grant battled up front with Davi Millsaps, swapping the lead back and forth and putting on a great race for the Hoosier faithful.  The duo pushed the pace of the race ahead of the third place rider.  At the halfway point, Grant had built up a two-second lead over Millsaps, and was pulling away.  On lap 10, however, Grant tangled with a fallen lapped rider, sending him over the handlebars.  He remounted quickly, but the mishap allowed Millsaps to move into the lead for the rest of the race.  Grant finished second for back-to-back podiums in the AMA East Coast Supercross Lites Series.

Team AMSOIL will be back in action this Friday in Daytona.  The event coincides with Daytona’s “Bike Week” and the races will air live on SPEED Channel this Friday night.  Factory Connection officials have hinted that West Coast “Lites” rider Billy Laninovich will be racing in the Supercross class at Daytona.

World Champ Gets Season Title
Wanderscheid wins WPSA points races

Beausejour, Manitoba ~ PJ Wanderscheid needed a good, but not a great, weekend of racing in Beausejour, Manitoba to wrap up his second straight championship season.  The Sauk Centre, Minn.-native doesn’t normally run well in Beausejour, but the weekend was more of a big picture focus for the three-time Eagle River World Champion.

The track in Beausejour is the biggest oval track Wanderscheid races each year.  It doesn’t offer much in the way of banking, but it is fast.  To add to the challenges, Wanderscheid also had to compete with a bigger field as the Eastern Pro Tour had the weekend off from racing and many of the big-name racers from the U.S. and Canada showed up in Manitoba for the WPSA event.

The race sported two Pro 600 finals on Saturday, with one of the races being a make-good for the missed WPSA Flip Merwin race earlier this year.  Wanderscheid started his first final with a poor holeshot, but good top end speed.  The big track allowed everyone to be fast, and Wanderscheid settled for fifth place finish.

The second final also brought a less then expected start from the young rider.  Being behind the race leaders was again a disadvantage in the Pro 600 final, as Wanderscheid had to settle for a sixth in the second race of the day.

Sunday the focus switched to the Champ 440 class.  Again the team had to find a way to create hole shot power without sacrificing straight away speed.  In the final, they couldn’t find the balance and settled for a sixth place finish.

With the top 10 finishes in both classes, the Team AMSOIL rider was able to capture the season long points championships in both the Pro Formula and Pro Champ classes in the WPSA Ice Oval Association.  In 2005, Wanderscheid won the United States Snowmobile Association’s Oval Ice Series championship and is a three-time winner of the Eagle River Snowmobile Derby.

"We continue to make good strides in Beausejour,” said Wanderscheid. ”We started a few years ago when trip to Canada meant a long weekend of racing and breakdowns. Starting this year, we are putting together sleds that will generate the speeds that are needed at this big straightaway oval. It was great to finish first in points in the top two categories in WPSA this year. Wanderscheid racing was able to have another great year because of crew’s dedication, our sponsor’s great support, and the fans that come out and support us every week. Thank you everyone.”

Beausejour, Manitoba was Wanderscheid’s last race of the season.  He will be in attendance at the second annual Arctic Cat Snow Blast in West Yellowstone, Mont., this weekend.

Eckstrom Closes Gap In Points Race
Duluth rider closing in on Pro Open Championship

Green Bay, Wis., ~ Team AMSOIL snocross rider D.J. Eckstrom barely missed winning two World PowerSports Association championships in 2005.  The Duluth, Minn.-rider is making a late season run at the Pro Open title in 2006.

Eckstrom, and Team AMSOIL teammate Carl Schubitzke, made the trip to Green Bay, Wis. last weekend to take part in the third annual Lambeau Leap.  A large crowd turned out at the historic Lambeau Field for the eighth round of professional snocross racing.

Eckstrom, who has three podiums in the Pro Open class this season, including the win at the AMSOIL Duluth National, won his first qualifying heat and qualified on the front row for the 24-lap main event.  Eckstrom was running in second with two laps to go when a bobble threw off his rhythm, allowing two riders to pass him.  Eckstrom finished in fourth in the final and sits in the fourth position for the season points race.  He trails leader Robbie Malinoski by just 29 points and is only four points behind third place rider Dave Allard.

In Pro Stock, a mid-air collision in Eckstrom’s third heat forced him to the Last Chance Qualifier to make the final.  After finishing in the final transfer spot, Eckstrom faced a tight track inside Lambeau Field.  He would finish 11th in the final.  Eckstrom is currently in seventh in the Pro Stock class.

Schubitzke, meanwhile, had a bad crash in his first race of the day.  He hit a deep hole in the first round of Pro Stock qualifying, ramming his chest into his handlebars.  He was able to race all day, but was unable to make the finals in both classes.  Tests revealed a cracked rib and broken bone in his hand.  Schubitzke is undergoing more tests this week to determine his availability for the remainder of the season.

Look for Team AMSOIL on the podium at the next WPSA event at the West Yellowstone Snow Blast in West Yellowstone Park, Mont., this weekend.  The Lambeau Leap will air on ESPN2 on Tuesday, March 24 at 4 p.m. EST.

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.

More From Team AMSOIL

• PMK Performance Racing out of Beloit, Wis. took part in the Lambeau Leap event last weekend.  Kristen Liermoe drove her Polaris in the Junior 14-15 class at the national event.  She took a first and a fourth in her heat races and transferred to the final.  Under the Lambeau lights, she held her own and ended up with an eighth place finish.

• AMSOIL Dealer John Coffey has to be happy with the results of AMA road racer Jason Baldwin.  Baldwin, who competes in the South Eastern Mini Road Racing Association, recently took part in round one at the Palmetto Karting Track in Elgin, S.C.  After winning the pole by only two tenths of a second, he pulled the holeshot in his heat race and won by more than six seconds.  He also dominated the field in the main, lapping all but three riders.

• 

  Nick “The Wildman” Erickson had a great weekend of racing in Webster, Wis. The event marked the final race of the Pro-Ice season on Saturday and the start of his Snocross and Hillclimb season on Sunday.  On Saturday, Erickson went undefeated in Formula 1 MOD Kitty Cat qualifying and then nailed the holeshot in the final on his way to his first Formula-1 win this season.  On Sunday, Erickson used his momentum to his advantage in Cable, Wis.  He went undefeated in qualifying in the Champ 120 class, and picked up his first win of the season.  He also won the King of the Hill Champ 120 class later that day.  Jason Keranen of AZSynthetics sponsors Erickson.