Another Top-5 Finish

Vancouver, B.C. ~ It was another top-5 finish for Team AMSOIL/Chaparral/ Honda this past weekend. Following his second place finish in Toronto, Mike LaRocco finished fourth during the second round of the THQ World Supercross GP in Vancouver.

Suzuki's Ricky Carmichael continues to dominate the racing world. After going undefeated in the 2004 AMA Motocross Series, Carmichael has won the first two rounds of the THQ World Supercross GP.

LaRocco, 33, is using the THQ races to prepare for the upcoming AMA Supercross series. He finished second in Toronto two weeks ago. The first round of AMA racing begins January 8, 2005 in Anaheim, Calif. The entire 250 and 125 AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda roster will be on hand for that event.

Duluth Duo Off To Aspen

Superior, Wis. ~ Not one, but two Duluth natives will be heading to Aspen, Colo. in late January. Team AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports riders Dennis "DJ" Eckstrom and Carl Schubitzke have qualified for ESPN's Winter "X" Games.

Schubitzke placed second in a qualifying race at Winnipeg, Manitoba December 11-12, 2004. "Showtime" started the racing off with a bang as the number one qualifier for the X Game qualifier final. He, who joined Team AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports this past off-season, already has a top-five finish at Winter X on his resume.

Eckstrom qualified by finishing in the top 5 during the 2004 Winter "X" Games. The 24-year-old won the silver medal in 2003 and a bronze in 2001.

Team AMSOIL took part in the Canadian Open in Winnipeg last weekend. A crowd of over 10,000 braved what would be best described as brutal conditions. Blowing snow, high winds and frigid temps were the standard all weekend.

In the Pro Stock event, both Eckstrom and Schubitzke qualified for the front row. When the flag dropped both drivers came into the first corner out in front. The corner, however, was extremely tight and both drivers were hit from behind. After the snow dust settled, Eckstrom and Schubitzke worked their way back to a 6th and 7th place finish, respectively.

In the Pro Open event, Eckstrom was the number two qualifier and Schubitzke the 5th. "Showtime" got the holeshot with Eckstrom a few spots back. During lap nine, Schubitzke was sitting in second place, but a drive belt broke on his Polaris, sending him back to the pits. Meanwhile, Eckstrom passed the second place driver before getting tangled up and was taken out of contention. He would finish in ninth.

Big Power in a Small Package

When you think of tractor pulls, you usually think about your everyday field tractor or a modified, blow out your eardrums monstrosity. I bet you never thought about a lawn mower pull team.

The Chad Fenner Pulling team is sponsored by AMSOIL Dealer Arlen Brokopp. The team had a very good 2004 pulling season, finishing 1st overall in the 10 horsepower modified class, 2nd in the 10 horsepower stock division and 3rd in the 1,100 pound modified class. Chad was pleased to go through the season with zero mechanical breakdowns. He credits AMSOIL motor oils and gear lubes for the successful season and said, "Look out next year."

Picture of the Week

After more than 20-years of riding, could Mike LaRocco still be confused? You never know what goes through a legend rider's head before a big race. Maybe he was trying to find his lines for last weekend's race in Vancouver. Or maybe he was wondering what's for dinner. Either way, he found himself in the top 5 again and seems primed for another strong year on top of his AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda. You have to wonder what the other riders think about him being at the track.

Holiday Reminder

As we head into a new year, AMSOIL would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Holidays. We would also like to remind all of our teams and Dealers to continue sending their testimonials, results and pictures. We thank you all for your dedication and success over the past year and look forward to a triumphant 2005.