New Look For ‘06

Superior, Wis. ~ Kevin Windham and Mike LaRocco will be flying newcolors for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.  The AMSOIL/Factory Connection team has added two major players to their championship line-up in SoBe and Samsung Mobile.  AMSOIL, which as been the title sponsor for the Factory Connection/Honda team since 2000, but will work with new title sponsor Sobe, and co-title sponsor Samsung to help the team obtain its ultimate goal, championships in both motocross andSupercross.

AMSOIL Racing Coordinator Jeremy Meyer says the move will help capitalize all the carry-over sponsors. “Through the expanded marketing that SoBe and Samsung are bringing to the table, AMSOIL will see a direct benefit from having two Fortune 500 companies advertising for the team.  AMSOIL has been part of the Factory Connection family for years and we’re happy to embrace strong, enthusiastic sponsors like SoBe and Samsung Mobile who step up to support our team.”

“It’s great to have the support of sponsors that understand the sport and have a history in racing,” said Rick Zeilfelder, Factory Connection Team Co-Owner. “SoBe and Samsung Mobile have both demonstrated a commitment to the sport, they make great products and they are committed to helping us build racing’s fan-base through active cross-promotion.”

AMSOIL will still be considered the title sponsor for the highly anticipated U.S. Open that will be held October 7-9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda’s Windham, fresh off a world title at the Motocross des Nations in Ernee, France, will join the talented field.  This is his first U.S. Open appearance since 2001 where he finished third. He finished second overall for the 2005 AMA Motocross Championships.  AMSOIL’s new role as “Lead Associate Sponsor” will begin in November when the THQ World Supercross Series begins in Canada.

“I’m looking forward to racing this year’s U.S. Open after missing the last three years,” said Windham. “The racing is always competitive and the fans are great, making for a fun weekend. It’s also a great opportunity to see where I’m at for the up-coming Supercross season.”

Teammate LaRocco will also be returning to competition after a crash left him sideline at the end of the 2005 Supercross season.  The 34-year-old LaRocco won this event in 2000.

The AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda 125cc team will also be in action this weekend in Las Vegas.  The eighth annual U.S. Open will be broadcast nationally on NBC, October 23 at 3:30 p.m. EST.
for the second consecutive season.

The Dutchman Becomes California Kid

San Diego, Calif. ~ When the powers-that-be decided to hold two weekends of Championship Off-Road Racing (C.O.R.R.) in southern California, the AMSOIL/Kumho Tires Super Team was roaring to gain new fans and more ground on the competition.  The first weekend was the final points weekend for the CORR series and saw Dan “The Flying Dutchman” Vanden Heuvel take a sweep in the Pro-2 class, clinching second place in the year end points race.  His strong finish was followed Mike Oberg's second place finish in the Sportsman class. That meant both drivers had sky-high confidence heading into the big money races this past weekend. The 2005 Nissan Off-Road Nationals would finish off the double header in Chula Vista California.

During the Saturday morning drivers’ meeting, CORR series owner Jim Baldwin announced how the races were going to be different. Instead of the normal 15-minute race, drivers would race for nine laps, then have two laps under a full course caution and then race for a final five laps.  His explanation for the change was to offer teams a chance for a pit stop and to make the final five laps much more exciting.

At the start of the Pro-2 race, the field headed into turn one side-by-side, but when they got through the second corner, Vanden Heuvel was in fifth place fighting for fourth.  He then developed brake problems when the caution flag flew at lap nine. Falling back to seventh, he was able to pick up a spot when the sixth place truck pitted.  After the restart, he was able to pick up another spot and finished the race in fifth.

Meanwhile, the Sportsman class was also on the track at the same time that the Pro-2 trucks were racing.  Oberg, who started with the rest of the Sportsman field in the second row, came barreling out of the land rush start and had a sizeable lead on the rest of the Sportsman field.  A few trucks would push the #280 Chevy, but Oberg was able to hold off all contenders for the win. 

Sunday

Sunday had the same race format as Saturday. At the drop of the green flag, Vanden Heuvel raced off the starting line in fourth and held it until he was passed on lap five, dropping him to fifth. By the time the caution dropped, he had maneuvered the #77 Chevy back into fourth.  When the race restarted, he was on the rear bumper of the third place truck and with four laps to go, overtook the spot, adding another podium finish to the team’s successful season.

Meanwhile, Oberg was putting himself in great position to take home the $20,000 check for winning the weekend series.  He was able to battle the leaders from the start of the land rush until the checkered flag dropped.   When the dust settled, Oberg had a third place finish, enough to secure the weekend win and the big payday.

While the race season may be over, the teams are busy prepping the trucks for promotions and trade shows.  Vanden Heuvel’s hauler and race truck will be on display at the Off Road Expo in Pomona, Calif. this weekend, Oct. 8-9. Then it’s off to the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nev. SEMA is the world’s largest automotive trade show held every year, the first week of November. Over 100,000 industry leaders are on hand with two million square feet of exhibits for trade members and buyers.

Mr. Smith Goes To Iowa

Solon Springs, Wis. ~ Brady Smith was able to put his AMSOIL Monte Carlo into the A-Main last weekend in the Second Annual ‘Knoxville Late Model Nationals’ in Knoxville, Iowa.  Smith finished sixth in his heat race and 18th in the $6,000 to win preliminary feature event on Thursday night.  With the starting lineup for Saturday’s $35,000 to win A-Main based on a points system, his finishes were not good enough to advance to the feature.  However, Smith finished third in the B-Main on Saturday to earn the 27th starting spot for the 100-lap main event.  “The Deuce” missed the setup in the feature event and could only muster a 20th place finish in the final rundown.

“It was good to get into the show, but we just didn’t have enough time to make the necessary changes to the car before the feature started,” said Smith.  “Knoxville runs a pretty tight show, so we only had ten minutes after our B-Main to get ready for the feature.  With the competition at Knoxville though, I was glad to get into the race.  I just wish we could have been a little better.  Our car was good during the B-Main and I was up battling for the lead in it before our tires gave way.  We went a little too soft on tires, but we had to get going since we started ninth in the B-Main. We’ll take the finish and go on to Dixie this weekend.”

The Brady Smith Racing team gets back into action this weekend, as they will travel to the Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Georgia for the 16th Annual ‘Dixie Shootout’.  The NARA Late Model Dirt Series will sanction the big racing weekend at Dixie, and all of the exciting Dirt Late Model competition kicks off on Friday evening.  The ‘Jimmy Mosteller Classic’ will headline the racing activities on Friday night, and a $10,000 payday is on the line.  The ESPN2 cameras will be on hand on Saturday to capture all of the action for airing on a date that is yet to be determined. 

Dube Pushes For Strong Finish

Montreal, Quebec ~ Team AMSOIL/KTM rider Marco Dube has had a roller coaster of a season.  After starting with a podium last winter in the Arenacross series, Dube has seen injuries, bad luck and even a new ride (switching from Honda to KTM) derail his season.  With the Canadian season coming to an end, he has been looking to get comfortable on the new bike and end the year strong.

Last weekend started well for the young rider.  He went through the qualifying rounds by pulling the fastest lap times in both the 125cc and 250cc classes.  Although he was fast, he said the bike felt a little strong for the hard packed ground and that some adjustments would be needed for the race.

When the 125cc final started, it seemed like more of the same for Dube.  He started 12th, but he knew the speed of his KTM would push him toward the front.  With the race only being 10 laps, Dube had to work hard to find the right lines and was able to finish in second.

Fans and foes saw the Dube of old in the 250cc final.  Starting in the 15th spot, he began picking off riders at a furious pace.  He battled with a rider on nearly every lap, and was able to push his bike into the top five with just two corners to turn before the checkered flag.

Dube will be competing in the Toronto Arenacross race this weekend.

General Lee

Dan Vanden Heuvel might have some competition at the SEMA show in November.  He might have to schedule and exhibition with Team AMSOIL drivers Chris Mosher and Jeff Dedick.  The Autumn Woods Racing teammates will have the General Lee on display at the annual trade show convention.

Following SEMA, AWR will be racing in three separate events in Oregon, Indiana and Florida. 

More From Team AMSOIL

• Ryan Posocco likes the sound of a  “three-peat.”  The Stafford Springs, Conn. Driver recently notched his third consecutive Stafford Motor Speedway Late Model Championship.  His 7th place finish last weekend kept him atop the standings and earned him the title by 46-points over Tom Butler.

“I am a little speechless,” said Posocco. “The first championship was very special to me for several reasons. It was great to go back to back last year, but to win it again this year is really unimaginable to me.”

• P.J. Osmer continues to rack up podiums and wins.  Last weekend at the Caruthers Fair in Caruthers, Calif., Osmer took a first in the heat and main in the 85cc class.   In the 250 Expert four-stroke class, he picked up two seconds.  He followed that with a third in the heat and a fifth in the main of the four stroke open Expert class.

• John Hansen from Brush, Colo. won the inaugural BST Jasper Modified Series Championship.  Hansen, who is sponsored by AMSOIL Dealer Michael Browne, came into the last event with a large lead over second and third place and ended up winning the series by 113 points.