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 TORC Series Heading to Charlotte
The Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL will bring its heart-pounding brand of off-road truck racing to the new Metrolina Speed and Sports Center in Charlotte, N.C. on the weekend of May 15-16. The inaugural dirt event at the fabled speedway will feature the biggest names in off-road racing and will be televised nationally.
"We are very proud to kick things off and be a part of the re-birth of the Metrolina Speed and Sports Center and bring our extreme form of racing to the fans in Charlotte," said Ricky Johnson of TORC. "We will be working hard with John and his team at Metrolina to design an event that rocks the house with our East Coast debut, and I know our drivers will continue to bring the best show in racing today."
Metrolina's racing history dates back over 40 years and is perhaps most famous as the track where Dale Earnhardt won his first race on asphalt.
"We are extremely excited to have The Traxxas TORC Series as our debut event to launch our 'Metrolina Makeover' project," said Simon Weber, president and CEO of Speedway Investment Group. "The excitement that the TORC Series will bring is an excellent way to get the Charlotte fans back out to Metrolina."
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Team AMSOIL Starts Snocross Season Strong at AMSOIL Duluth National
 Originally scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, but postponed due to warm temperatures, the 2009-2010 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series season kicked off on the weekend of December 11-13 with the AMSOIL Duluth National in Duluth, Minn.
After suffering a broken hip in last year’s Winter X Games that prematurely ended his season, Team AMSOIL/Judnick Motorsports racer Ross Martin was healthy and eager to get back on the track. He got off to a good start in the Pro Open final, pushed past the field and settled into second place behind leader Tucker Hibbert. Although he was gaining ground on Hibbert, he ran out of time before he could make the pass and took the second place podium. Meanwhile, new Team AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports racer Robbie Malinoski grabbed the hole shot and battled up front with the leaders before finishing fourth.
In the Pro Super Stock final, Martin moved through the field from the back row to take fifth, while Malinoski made a brilliant move to pass Brett Bender for the third position, but encountered some bad luck as his jacket sleeve got caught on Bender’s sled and caused his sled to tip. From there, some gas leaked onto the brake pads and started a fire, ending Malinoski’s bid for a podium finish.
Team AMSOIL/Judnick Motorsports semi-pro rider Mike Bauer had a very successful weekend, taking the win in the Semi-Pro Super Stock 1 class and following it up with a third place podium in the Super Stock 2 class.
The AMSOIL Duluth National will air on Versus on January 3, 2010. The second round of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series takes place this weekend at the Milwaukee Mile in Milwaukee, Wis.  |
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Rock Maple Racing and CSRA Seasons Kick Off
Rock Maple Racing
Rock Maple Racing (RMR) kicked off its 2009-10 snocross season at the Hickory Ski Center in Warrensburg, N.Y. last weekend, where Bobby LePage dominated the Pro Stock final for the win, defending champion Danny Poirier finished second and Jason Stone finished third. Mathieu Morin claimed the Pro Open victory, with LePage finishing second and Poirier taking third. AMSOIL is the Official Oil of Rock Maple Racing.
CSRA National Snowcross Series
The first round of the 2009-10 CSRA National Snowcross Series was held last weekend in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario at the Searchmont Ski Resort, where Joey Sagan earned his first Pro Open win, followed by Jonathon Orr in second and Andrew Sloot in third. In the Pro Stock class, Mike Island took the win, followed by Lee Butler and Michael VanDolder. AMSOIL is the Official Oil of the CSRA National Snowcross Series.
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 AMSOIL Becomes Title Sponsor for the AMSOIL Great American Circle Track Tour
AMSOIL and Circle Track magazine have partnered for the AMSOIL Great American Circle Track Tour. The four-year tour will see Circle Track Senior Tech Editor Bob Bolles travel to various race venues across the country, including both local race tracks and prestigious special events such as the Dream at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway, where he will interact with racing teams, drivers and fans to promote grass roots racing, discuss current trends in racing technology and build sponsor awareness among the hardcore racing community.
During the first year of the AMSOIL Great American Circle Track Tour, Bolles will travel to 25 race tracks throughout the Southeastern United States; he will cover other areas of the country in subsequent years. Each stop will be pre-arranged with track owners and promoters, ensuring the maximum possible exposure through advance announcements, local publicity and press releases. Bolles will meet with the racers to talk shop, discuss issues important to racing and distribute sponsor information, literature and promotional items. The tour will be thoroughly covered in a series of Circle Track magazine articles, as well as blogs and web exclusive articles at www.circletrack.com. |
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 Tomac Wins 2009 AMA Racing Sportsman of the Year Award
After earning two championships at the 2009 Air Nautiques/AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships last summer, as well as the FIM World Junior Championship in Taupo, New Zealand, Team AMSOIL motocross racer Eli Tomac was recently presented with the 2009 AMA Racing Sportsman of the Year award, which is annually awarded to an individual who has elevated the sport of motorcycle racing through his or her unselfish demonstration of outstanding sportsmanship.
"Right now, I'm just getting ready for my professional career, which will kick off next spring," Tomac said. "I really appreciate winning this award and, first off, I would like to thank the AMA for helping me get to New Zealand, where I was able to win the Junior World Championship. That was a phenomenal event." |
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 AMSOIL/Torchmate Racing Team Finishes Rookie 7200 Desert Season in Second Place
Baja 1000
The AMSOIL/Torchmate racing team competed in the Baja 1000 off-road race, entering a class with eight other competitors in a total field of about 340 trucks, buggies and motorcycles. Three different crews each took a portion of the grueling 672-mile race, with Brad Lovell and Bill Kunz racing to mile 206, Greg Jones and Nick Socha racing to mile 420 and Marty Fiolka and JT Taylor taking the truck to the finish.
Lovell and Kunz found themselves faced with challenges soon after leaving the starting line, including windy and dusty conditions, tampered-with signs and dirt banks. At mile 19, the team discovered a rock had broken the transmission pan. After a two-hour wait and a few more delays, the team found its pace and made good time to mile 206.
Following the driver change, Jones and Socha became stuck in a sand wash nearly 60 miles away. After six hours of frantic digging, they managed to free the truck, only to repeatedly get stuck again over the next five hours. Although they made it to race mile 420 for the driver change, the team called the race at mile 492 upon realizing they had no chance to meet the next checkpoint closing time. In 31 hours, only two of the nine trucks in the class finished the race.
BITD Henderson Desert Classic
The 2009 racing season concluded for the AMSOIL/Torchmate team with the BITD Henderson Desert Classic. Greg Jones and Nick Socha started the 240-mile, four-lap race. Due to a random draw, the team started nearly last in a field of over 150 trucks and found the silty sand had already been churned up enough to nearly get stuck in the first turn. Working the steering wheel, Jones managed to free the truck and sped off into the desert, working around the first lap and gaining several positions. While competitors were blowing tires, crashing and experiencing mechanical issues, Jones and Socha found a groove and continued to keep the truck moving at a blistering pace.
Brad Lovell and Bill Kunz continued the truck’s pace until losing steering control about a half mile from their pit. A quick scan revealed no visible damage, but a lot of slop in the wheel. Deciding to take their chances, Lovell and Kunz took off into the night and headed for the finish. The steering eventually stabilized and the team finished fourth in their class and 39th overall. The strong finish secured the second place position in the 2009 BITD series. |
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2010 North and South Challenge Announced
The ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series Presented by Parts Unlimited recently announced the creation of the North and South Challenge. Consisting of six races each, the Challenge is a program within the Championship Series established to accommodate racers who are unable to contest the entire national circuit. The top three racers in each of the 35 amateur and youth classes will earn special awards at the final event of the series, and points will automatically accumulate for both the AMA ATV Motocross Championship and the respective North/South Challenge. AMSOIL is the Official Oil of the AMA ATV MX Championship.
North Challenge
May 15/16 - Sunset Ridge MX, Walnut, IL
June 12/13 - Spring Creek Motocross Park, Millville, MN
July 3/4 - Pleasure Valley, Armagh, PA
July 17/18 - Unadilla, New Berlin, NY
July 31/Aug 1 - RedBud, Buchanan, MI
August 14/15 - Loretta Lynn Ranch, Hurricane Mills, TN
South Challenge
March 27/28 - Millcreek Raceway, Pell City, AL
April 17/18 - Ballance Moto X, Bowling Green, KY
May 1/2 - Birch Creek - Danville, VA
May 29/30 - Steel City Raceway, Delmont, PA
June 19/20 - Muddy Creek, Blountville, TN
August 14/15 - Loretta Lynn Ranch, Hurricane Mills, TN |
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Upcoming Events |
| AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series |
| December 18-19 |
Milwaukee Mile - Milwaukee, WI |
| CSRA National Snowcross Series |
| December 19-20 |
CAN-AM Challenge - Gaylord, MI |
See you in the pits! |
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