Douglas Finds Podium in Pomona
Team AMSOIL driver keeps streak alive

With two weekends of intense heat facing the drivers of Championship Off Road Racing, the series received a welcomed cool down as it returned to the Fairplex in Pomona (Calif.) for the fifth and sixth rounds of high-flying, fender crunching action in late June.

In the Pro 4 class, Team AMSOIL driver Scott Douglas was looking for his first win of the year and a chance to take over the top spot in the point’s race. At the completion of lap one Johnny Greaves led the field with Rick Huseman close behind. After the mandatory yellow, Greaves slowed allowing Huseman to run away with the lead and Team AMSOIL driver Josh Baldwin to move into third. On lap 12, Baldwin went wide into the wall, taking him out of the race. This allowed AMSOIL Super Team driver Scott Douglas to move into a three-way battle for third. Huseman took off with the lead to the checkered flag, but behind him, Douglas, Kyle LeDuc and AMSOIL driver Steve Barlow fought for the final two podium spots. The last turn of the final lap had the crowd on their feet as Barlow got past Douglas then made contact with LeDuc who was running in second. LeDuc spun sideways and fell back two positions to fourth. Huseman took first, Barlow took second and Douglas took third. It was the second podium of the weekend for Douglas, who finished second in Saturday’s Pro 4 race. He left the weekend second overall in the class.

Todd LeDuc dominated the Pro 2 class on Sunday, holding the lead throughout the race. Behind him, Team AMSOIL/Red Bull driver Rick Johnson picked up his second runner-up finish of the weekend. AMSOIL Super Team driver Mike Oberg finished sixth overall. Team AMSOIL/Monster driver Jeremy McGrath finished eighth after a third place finish on Saturday. Johnson is second in the class after six rounds, McGrath is third and Oberg sits 12th.

After winning round two in the Pro Lite class, Chad Hord is showing off his speed early in races, but is also having trouble later on. Hord and his AMSOIL truck led the first eight laps of the Pro Lite race. A right rear flat, however, took away all chances of a win for Hord, when he was forced into the hot pits. It was the second day in a row that Hord had to pull off with a flat. He finished ninth on Sunday and is still sixth in the point’s race.

Overall Results

AMSOIL is the Exclusive Official Oil of CORR, which airs on NBC and SPEED. You can catch round six from Pomona on NBC this Sunday. CORR returns to racing in Chula Vista, Calif. on July 26-27.

Douglas, Oberg, Hord Show Off at Crandon
Team AMSOIL cruises to podiums in Northern Wisconsin

Scott Douglas made a last minute decision to travel from his Chula Vista, Calif. home to take part in the World Series of Off Road Racing in Crandon, Wis. in late June and it paid off for the AMSOIL Super Team driver. For AMSOIL Pro Lite driver Chad Hord and Pro 2 driver Mike Oberg, the travel was closer to their Michigan and Wisconsin homes, but just as successful.

Douglas, who decided just days before the event to enter the Chairman's Cup weekend at the Crandon International Raceway, showed off his speed in both Saturday and Sunday's Pro 4wd races. On Saturday, Douglas powered his AMSOIL/Kumho Tires Ford F-150 to a second place finish behind Johnny Greaves. On Sunday, the AMSOIL Super Team driver continued his fast pace around the "Big House", leading for much of the race before having to pull off with just a half lap to go.

"We've been running this motor hard in all of the CORR races this season," said Douglas. "We thought it had a couple more runs in it, but it wasn't meant to be. We came to Crandon looking to test some things, including our cooling system and our brakes. We were happy to be competitive at Crandon and we learned a lot heading into the second half of the CORR series."

Oberg, meanwhile, was racing at his hometown track and was looking to get back on course after an early season on the CORR circuit that was filled with highs and lows. Four was the magic number for Oberg all weekend long. After a great battle with Ross Hoek on Saturday, Oberg finished fourth in the Pro 2wd race. On Sunday, the Eagle River, Wis.~native again finished fourth, this time battling AMSOIL sponsored racer Dan Vanden Heuvel, who picked up a pair of third place finishes on the weekend. In the Chairmain's Cup race, which pitted Pro 2wd versus Pro 4x4's on the same track, Oberg was able to fight through a very muddy track for a fourth overall, but was the top Pro 2wd to finish the race.

For Pro Light driver Chad Hord, the weekend started strong with a second place finish on Saturday despite having to start from the second row and trying to catch Jeff Kincaid. On Sunday, Hord again had to start from the back row because he did not race the first weekend of the WSORR schedule. Heavy rains turned the course into a mud pit and Hord was only able to make his way up to sixth on the single-racing line track.

Other Team AMSOIL members had mixed success in Crandon. Mike Jenkins pushed the Traxxis/AMSOIL truck up on the podium in both Saturday and Sunday's Pro 4x4 races. Matt Gerald was able to pull the holeshot both days in his Buggy class races, picking up two wins along the way. Gerald now leads the class points race by 12.

The WSORR will return to racing in Bark River, Mich. on July 13-14. CORR, which AMSOIL is the Exclusive Official Oil, will return to racing on July 25-26 in Chula Vista, Calif.

Crandon WSORR Results

Lovell’s Just Miss XRRA Win
Rock crawling brothers miss opportunities in Colorado Springs

It was an unusual third round of racing at the XRRA event in Colorado Springs for the Lovell Rock Racing team June 14.

Brothers Brad and Roger Lovell received back-to-back positions in the running order, causing logistical challenges. But it did not stop the brothers from bringing in respectable times for their first runs, (Brad was only nine seconds off of the fastest time set by Shannon Campbell). Brad tried to push his AMSOIL Ford in the second run, but crashed of a ledge, brutalized the tires and wheels on boulders, and had little regard for the drive train when landing. While they were fast, they were unable to register an official time as a clunk in the rear end signified a broken gear set.

As soon as Roger’s second run was complete, (this one his fastest yet), the team headed to the pits. They we pulled the gears out, and with no visible damage, the team had the truck back together in less than 30 minutes.

Brad then lined for his Achilles heal, the dreaded gap jumps. Taking them head on, Brad punched the gas and sailed over the empty air as the FABTECH Ranger landed smooth on the other side. As soon as we crossed the finish line, news came in that Roger’s truck would not start and after the 60 second window ran out, they were forced to take a DNF.

With Roger out of contention for the finals, Brad made his final run and discovered he had nearly a 40 second cumulative lead. All he needed to do was be smart and play it safe. In the first round of the finals he picked up another ten seconds on second place. On the final run, he ran a fast line and was consistent until he got a difficult climbing section. With all his efforts and experience, the champion driver could not get the truck to transition in the huge holes. He kept trying spot after spot and finally spun up to the top, only to get tangled in a banner. He finished the course, but had run out of the allotted time trying. When the final times were tallied, the FABTECH/AMSOIL Ranger ended up in third.

Exhibition Success for Lovell’s
New courses add exposure for rock crawling brothers

The Lovell Racing team just finished their third race in as many weeks, two of which were a two truck effort. With some luck and plenty of hours in the shop, both AMSOIL Rangers were in top order for the ROC Race at the RAM Off-Road Park in Colorado Springs.

This was the first race of its kind – a roughly two mile course of sandstone climbs, rocks, gap jumps, and short course style dirt track. Each driver ran three timed laps starting in one minute intervals. The fastest combined time won.

Brad's day would start well. After having an opportunity to pre-run the course twice with his co-driver, (wife Natalie), most turns and challenges were committed to memory. The FABTECH/AMSOIL Ranger was lighting fast off the start line and up the rock climbs and into the dirt. The rehearsed run through the dirt went error free and the pair zoomed back into the rocks. Up the boulders, down the drops, over the jumps and back to the XRRA course that was set-up from a previous event; the Dirtlogic Shocks easily ate up all the destructive boulders and #232 flew across the finish line. The couple posted a 7:29 run which was one second faster than rival Shannon Campbell and would stand as the fastest official lap time of the day. On the second run, however, luck ran out. Brad was forced out of the race, however, after a transmission gasket blew while they were running their fastest pace.

While Brad had a win or break type of day, Roger did his best to test the limits of the #32 DIRTLOGIC/AMSOIL Ranger while remaining in control. Fellow wheeler and friend Chris Richardson served as Roger’s co-driver and helped keep an eye on the vehicle while Roger focused on the course. The team suffered in a rutted out area near the start of the first run but was clean otherwise and posted a lap time of 10:11. On the second run, they literally ran into lap traffic. The #81 truck of Brian Shirley was experiencing engine trouble and stalled at the bottom of a 15’ ditch. While a flagman was able to prevent catastrophic damage, Roger came over the top of the hill and tattooed Shirley’s radiator. Lovell was forced to maneuver a more difficult line around the stricken vehicle. Even with the bad luck, he bested his previous time by 30 seconds.

Roger was now poised for a podium finish with a few more runs. His third lap was clear of broken vehicles and clean. He had been fighting overheating issues all day but the crew had tweaked the trucked and he was able to push it faster. This effort was good enough for a fast time of 9:06, more than a minute faster than his first time. Bearing confidence and a speedy car, the team worked fast to cool everything down for the final round. Unfortunately, and for unknown reasons, the promoter decided not to have a final round and Roger ended the race in sixth.

“I just wish I had another run to make up time,” commented Roger, “Everything felt better and faster as the day progressed. Getting bugs worked out of the truck and more seat time is really paying off.”

The next stop for Lovell Racing is Donner, Calif. on July 18–20 for the final round of 2008 WE-Rock season were the team has a lead in Series points and hopes to once again claim the title of series champions.

Nelson Takes Second AMSOIL Late Model Series Race
Two-time champion looking for number three in 2008

Defending champion Darrell Nelson went head to head with past AMSOIL Late Model Series champions Pat Doar and Joel Cryderman for the second round of the 2008 series in Proctor, Minn. After the schedule second round was cancelled in Hibbing on Satuday night, 38 cars showed up to Proctor looking for the $2,000 payout.

Darrell Nelson the defending AMSOIL Late Model Series Champion won the second leg of the six race four track series. After a redraw by the five qualifying heat winners, Nelson found himself with the pole position flanked by Cryderman. At the green flag, Nelson got a good jump on the field but Cryderman was right there with him and grabbed the point off of turn four. Doar charged from the inside of row four to third with Jeff Hinkemeyer fourth and Jeff Broking running fifth. Nelson came back and dueled with Cryderman for the lead until the first caution flag flew when Brandon Jensen slid off turn three.

A second caution not only allowed Nelson to blast into the lead, but it also gave Doar a chance to get by Cryderman for second. The caution flag appeared for a final time on lap 29, and Nelson was able to hold off cars for the win. The Nelson, Doar and Cryderman trio made for a Team AMSOIL sweep of the podium.

Doar jumped from tenth overall in the points race and is now tied for the series lead with Jeff Brooking. Nelson moved from 15th to third, just two points behind Doar and Brooking. Cryderman is fourth and Harry Hanson is fifth.

The next AMSOIL Late Model Series race is scheduled for Superior Speedway on July 18. Saturday's Hibbing race has not yet been rescheduled.

The AMSOIL Late Model Series is sponsored by Fox 21, B105, The Fan 560, Tom Clusiau's Motors, The Shack Liquor Store, Highway 210 Auto Parts, Scott Didrickson Construction, Ashland Ford Chrysler, Duluth Lawn and Sport, Superior Beverage and Short Stop gas stations.

See overall results

Rinker Roars in Bay City
AMSOIL driver puts late pressure on leader

Shaun Torrente kept his winning streak alive by taking a nail biting victory over fellow Floridian Terry Rinker in the 50 lap final at the 21st Annual Dow Bay City River Roar in late June. The race was held on the Saginaw River in front of thousands of fans for the second round of the 2008 F1-ChampBoat Series.

The 29 year-old driver from Miami, led from the pole position and held the point for the full 50 laps despite consistent pressure from three-time event winner Rinker, who was driving the AMSOIL sponsored boat.

“We did everything we could to make the pass at the end and I felt with a few more laps we would have been on the top step for the fourth time here, but we just ran out of time,” said Rinker. “Now it’s off to Pittsburgh and a race course that should favor our boat on the big water.”

AMSOIL sponsored racer Randy Rinker also had a strong run in Bay City, finishing fourth as the final flag fell on the day.

AMSOIL, which is the Official Oil of ChampBoat, will follow the series to Pittsburgh on July 3-4.

Teague Takes Three in June
Team AMSOIL off-shore driver wins short and long races

Ocean City, Md.

The AMSOIL Offshore Team traveled 3,000 miles to attend the OPA Triple Crown season opener in Ocean City, Md. on May 30 and June 1. The event was well-attended, boasting a record 54 teams and huge crowds.

Saturday storms made for rough seas in the Atlantic and prevented many teams from testing, but Bob Teague and his crew used the weather to test some new rough-water setups. The testing paid off during the main event late Sunday afternoon as the seas were rough. A radical storm that passed through on Saturday night left its mark with residual rollers on Sunday and the big waves were wreaking havoc with the offshore teams. At race time, Team AMSOIL, with Teague and Paul Whittier in the cockpit, took the green flag on a course with five to six foot waves. Immediately a fierce battle ensued with Team AMSOIL and Motley Crew running side-by-side, crashing through and over the waves and getting some big air. Team AMSOIL took the lead from the start, only to be passed by Motley Crew. Before the race was over, the two boats exchanged the lead four times with neither boat leading by more than five lengths. On the final turn of the race, Teague picked an unexpected outside line, carrying superior speed into the final front straightaway for the win.

Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.

The AMSOIL Offshore racing team traveled to Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. last weekend to compete in the inaugural OSS Don Aronow Memorial Offshore Powerboat Challenge.

The first event of the weekend was an endurance race from Miami to Bimini and back. Team AMSOIL entered the 2008 Bimini Run and was looking to set an official OSS speed record. Twenty-two boats in various classes and configurations started the long range race. The boats were started at ten second intervals and were each timed separately. Team AMSOIL drew the 10th starting spot. During the 106 plus mile race, Teague and Whittier ran at a consistent pace, passing all of the boats that started ahead of Team AMSOIL with the exception of one from the Unlimited class. Team AMSOIL finished as the second fastest boat overall and placed as the first officially-OSS-sanctioned boat, with a completion time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and 47 seconds. Team AMSOIL’s average speed during the record run was 98.381 miles per hour. This excellent performance resulted in Team AMSOIL being declared the winner and record holder of the OSS Cat Lite Class for this event.

The water and wind conditions changed overnight and some adjustments had to be made based off what was learned on Saturday. Prop selections were adjusted and weight was moved in the boat to accommodate the rougher conditions.

For the OSS points race, Team AMSOIL was assigned the number two lane in the starting position with Peppers on the inside and Team PropStop.net and Popeye’s Famous Chicken in the next two lanes to the right. When the pace boat threw the green flag, a battle ensued with Peppers down the first straightaway and into turn number one. The battle continued down the back stretch with Team AMSOIL gaining momentum on the inside lane. Peppers pulled in front of Team AMSOIL at turn four and Bob Teague and Paul Whittier intentionally drove through Peppers’ rooster tail to carry speed on an outside line. The maneuver resulted in Team AMSOIL passing Peppers at the exit of the turn. From there, Team AMSOIL continued to extend the lead over the Cat Lite fleet. During the race, Bob and Paul continued to dominate the class and ended up approximately 2 1/2 miles ahead of the second place boat. Team AMSOIL completed the 13 lap race in a total time of 46 and a half minutes with an average speed of 95.33 miles per hour.

The Bimini Record run and OSS race at Sunny Isles bring Team AMSOIL's win total to five in a row. Currently, Team AMSOIL is in first place in the point’s race in POPRA, OPA Triple Crown, and OSS. Up next for Team AMSOIL will be an SBI race in Sarasota, Fla. on the Fourth of July weekend.

AMA Outdoor Nationals Set for Opener
Supercross champion Canard ready for motocross season

AMSOIL is the Official Oil of AMA Outdoor Nationals and is also proud to sponsor the GEICO/AMSOIL/Honda team. With the summer heating up, the riders for Team AMSOIL are also starting to get hot, including a slew of podium finishes in June.

Wortham, Texas

The third round of the 2008 AMA National Motocross championship saw two GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda riders score their best career finishes this season. Under some of the toughest weather conditions in years, the Freestone National, located about 100 miles south of Dallas in Wortham, Texas. The event featured temperatures that reached 104 degrees with very high humidity.

However, Jake Weimer beat the heat and recorded his best-ever AMA National overall finish with a 4-4 score, coming from behind in both motos to finish just off of the podium in fourth overall.

"I've gotten fourth in motos before, but never two motos in a row, and the best I've done overall before is fifth," Weimer said. "It was tough. That was probably the toughest race I've ever done. For some reason, it was real difficult, and the results show that, in how many people finished, and how many people pulled off and passed out.

AMSOIL teammate Dan Reardon had his best showing in 2008 as he scored his best overall finish (sixth).

"It was good in Texas," Reardon said. "My starts weren't the best, and I'm struggling with them when the start lines get a little deep, but I'm working on it, and getting more comfortable. The first moto, I was about 18th and worked my way to about 10th, then I crashed, went back to 18th, and had to re-pass all of those people again. It was a long moto for me. The second moto, I was around 16th, and I worked my way up to sixth at one point, but then got passed and put back to seventh."

"The heat was crazy," Reardon continued. "It was about survival the last few laps. My body had that pins-and-needles sensation, and cold chills, and with a couple laps to go, I just wanted off the bike. Once I was off of it, I stood in a cold shower for like 20 minutes just too cool back down.

Trey Canard had a tough go of it in Texas. He was running mid pack on the opening lap when he went down and suffered a minor concussion. He nearly finished the moto, catching up to a points-paying position, but then pulled off late in the moto after he began to get dizzy. He sat out moto two.

Mt. Morris, Penn.

Although down to only two riders for the weekend, the GEICO Powersports /AMSOIL/Honda team continued its run near the front of the pack at the High Point Raceway AMA MX National in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, with Jake Weimer scoring his first overall podium finish, and teammate Dan Reardon running with the lead pack in both motos.

In the first moto, Weimer got the holeshot on his Honda CRF250R, but then immediately began to make mistakes, going off the track three times in the first lap and a half. Falling back as far as fifth in the moto, he methodically worked his way back up through the pack to grab second with only three laps to go, where he finished the moto. It was his best career moto finish in AMA National competition.

"I've always liked this track," Weimer said. "This is only the second time I've been here, but I did all right here last year. I was pretty excited to come here. I got good starts last year, and I don't know, I just feel comfortable here for some reason.

In moto two, Weimer again started near the front, but lost a couple of spots in the opening laps before going back to work. He ran fourth for much of the race, with Brett Metcalfe right on his tail. Metcalfe took the spot away in the late going, dropping Weimer to fifth. However, the 2-5 score was good enough for second overall.

“One of the biggest things for me is just mentally getting stronger and believing in myself," Weimer said. "I think that I'm a lot better, probably, than I really think I am, so I underestimate myself a lot. It's just mentally getting into that spot where I feel like I need to be up front and that's where I should be."

Reardon was running near the front in the first moto off of the start, but he also had a bit of an off-track excursion, getting stuck in the mud that was pushed off to the side of the track from Saturday's rain. Reardon caught up to 11th in the moto.

In the second moto he didn't get a good start, due partially to technical difficulties, as the starting device that hooks his forks down for the start (preventing wheelies) broke on the line.

"The second moto, we broke the start button [on the forks] in the start line, so I had no start button to start off with and my start wasn't that good," Reardon said. "I was like 15th or 16th, but I felt that the first 15 or 20 minutes of the moto were really good. I worked my way up to seventh, and I was catching the rest of the field."

Trey Canard sat out Mt. Morris as a precautionary measure due to the slight concussion he suffered in Texas, and Josh Grant also missed the race after a severe concussion suffered in practice at the Las Vegas Supercross.

Lakewood, Colo.

For the first time during the outdoor season, the GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda team had a full roster at the Lakewood, Colorado round of the AMA National Motocross Championships (round five of the 12-round series), with the return of Trey Canard after he took a week off with a mild concussion and Josh Grant, who has been out since the Las Vegas Supercross in early May.

The result was impressive, as the GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda team filled four of the top eight positions on the day in the highly competitive Lites class. The top team rider was Grant, who had the fastest qualifying time during Friday practice, and then turned good starts into good finishes in both motos.

In the first moto, he finished fourth, and then in moto two, he grabbed the holeshot and led the first 12 laps of the race before losing the lead to Ryan Villopoto and finished second. But the 4-2 score was good enough for second overall in his first race back in nearly two months.

"I got in about four or five days of riding in the last week, and I felt good enough to come out and ride, so I'm just pumped to be here," Grant said. "These last five days, I've really worked on being smooth and not riding too crazy, and I think the way the track was set up tonight, it kind of suited that. So, it was just easy for me to get in my groove and stay with the lines that I chose, and it worked out. I was just really excited to come back and get a good result for our team, and I just want to do it again next weekend."

Eastern Regional SX champ Canard also looked good in his return from injury, scoring a 5-3 for fourth overall, and he was all over Grant at the finish of the second moto for second place.

"I don't think anything has changed too much in the last few weeks, I just got a little bit of rest," Canard said of recovering from the injury he suffered at round three. "I felt like I was riding really well this weekend, and I was happy with what I was doing on the bike, but all the speed in the world doesn't matter much if you're not up front."

Lakewood also marked a best for Dan Reardon, as the Aussie pilot finished inside the top five overall for the first time outdoors. Reardon has been improving every week.

Round-four runner-up Jake Weimer had a tough go of it in Colorado but still pulled of eighth overall. Unlike the past two years, Weimer did finish both motos in Colorado, which resulted in a significant jump up in the points, as he's now tied for third with Austin Stroupe and is within striking distance of second in the championship.

The GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda team sets off for Red Bud, the halfway point in the AMA National Motocross Championship, this Sunday, July 6th in Buchanan, Mich., where all four riders are again expected to mix it up at the front of the Lites pack.

Corporate Race Booths Registration Open Online
AMA Motocross, AMA ATVA Nationals, AMSOIL Dirt Track Series and Loretta Lynn’s Area and Regional Qualifiers Open

AMSOIL is an Official Oil of the CORR, AMA Outdoor Nationals, AMA ATVA Nationals, the AMSOIL Dirt Track Series (WISSOTA) and the Presenting sponsor of Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals. As part of the company’s agreement with each sanctioning body, AMSOIL is afforded booth space at all of their events. In turn, AMSOIL offers this space to its Direct Jobbers at no charge. DJs may enlist the help of their downline Dealers to help work these events. DJs may apply electronically in the Dealer Zone for an event in their area they would like to work or contact the race department (raceevents@amsoil.com) for the schedules of events.