Passing The Pack

Anaheim, Calif. ~ Going into the third weekend of the AMA Supercross series, Team AMSOIL/Chaparral/Factory Connection rider Kevin Windham had finished in the top 5 in the past 16 races. That streak was in serious jeopardy last weekend in Anaheim.

Windham, who won the supercross opener in Anaheim two weeks ago, had a tough start to his Saturday night with a crash in the first qualifier. K-Dub told reporters that he over-jumped one of the whoops wrong and landed wrong. He went on to say that all hell broke loose after that and it took him awhile to find his bearings.

"I bounced up quick and was ready to go," said Windham. "I got to the bike and realized I wasn't that ready."

"I didn't get knocked out or anything," continued Windham, "I was just a little bit uneasy all night from that point on. The only thing that kept going through my mind was the championship and I just had to do what I had to do."

Windham would win the semi-final qualifying heat but would get an outside starting gate in the 250cc main event. The sell-out crowd would watch Ricky Carmichael grab the holeshot with Chad Reed right behind him. Windham found himself starting the first lap of the main 15 places back after getting tangled up in the first turn.

"Not the best out of the gate starts," said Windham. "I thought I got out well, but got tangled up. From that point on I just wanted to ride 20 strong laps."

Ride strong would be the understatement of the night. With Carmichael and Reed way out in front of the pack, Windham would start picking riders off one-by-one. Six laps into the race, Windham found himself in seventh. Ahead of the Louisiana native were two of the sports ironmen, Jeremy McGrath and AMSOIL teammate Mike LaRocco.

During lap nine of the 20-lap final, Windham would knock on McGrath's rear tire, passing him easily through the rhythm section for fourth. Next on his radar was LaRocco, who is one of the greatest finishers in the sport of supercross.

By lap 12, Windham was turning 57-second lap times, while LaRocco was around 58 seconds. As the 15th lap started, Windham had caught up to his AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda teammate and passed him in the third turn. The two would battle for position for the next few laps before Windham would pull away to secure his third straight podium with a third place finish.

"I was just giving it my all," said Windham. "I felt pretty good and I'm glad to come back from my crash. I rang my bell pretty good and am pretty scratched up, but you just think about the points and going out there and doing the best you can do and that's what we did tonight."

Windham came into Anaheim 2 first in overall points. He lead Carmichael by two points before the weekend started, but with Carmichael's win, he now leads Windham by three points. But it might be Windham who has the confidence going into round four after his gritty, come-from-behind effort last weekend.

"This season's been completely different and I have all of the confidence in the world. It's nice to know you can get a bad start and still come up on the podium with these guys (Carmichael and Reed)."

Meanwhile, LaRocco found himself on the outside looking in. "The Rock" finished in fourth, just behind Windham. LaRocco finished second in the series opener in Anaheim and currently sits in fifth in the AMA Supercross point standings. He is also second in the World Supercross GP season standings behind Carmichael.

Penalty Stroke

Anaheim, Calif. ~ Team AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda had a chance to move up a spot in the 125 points standings last weekend. However, a penalty cost first-year rider Tommy Hahn.

Hahn was running strong in the 125cc main on Saturday. He was sitting in fourth place when the red caution flag was dropped. The Kansas-native continued riding hard and was penalized 5 seconds for jumping a double during the caution. The penalty moved Hahn from fourth to fifth place in the race, behind Ryan Sipes.

It could also have consequences on the end of the season points. Going into the weekend, Hahn was second in the overall standings, just two points behind co-leaders Ivan Tedesco and Sipes. A fourth-place finish would have put Hahn in second behind Tedesco. Instead, he sits in third, with Sipes holding onto the second spot.

Team AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda will continue their West Coast tour this weekend in San Francisco. The fourth round will be held at the SBC Park, the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants. The doors open just after noon. The event will be televised on ESPN 2 on Sunday morning.

Broken, But Not Forgotten

Brooklyn, Mich. ~ The racing conditions have been anything but ideal for Team AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports this winter. Strong winds blew snow in their faces in Winnipeg. Below zero temperatures froze their faces in Shakopee, Minn. And last weekend, Mother Nature decided to top the month of January off with a blizzard in Brooklyn, Mich.

Not to worry though. D.J. Eckstrom and Carl Schubitzke are proving that even the worst elements can't stop them from piloting their Polaris IQs to the winner's circle.

At the Michigan International Speedway last weekend, it was Eckstrom's chance to turn in an ironman performance. The previous weekend in Shakopee, Eckstrom had a competitor's sled land on his right hand during the Pro Open final. One of the studs from the track punctured through his finger, breaking the tip and ripping his fingernail completely off. A little pain in his throttle hand wouldn't stop the Duluth native from picking up some Pro Open points on Blair Morgan.

Eckstrom landed in the front row as the number 10 qualifier for the final after taking a second, third and fourth in his three qualifying heats. To make things tougher on the one-handed pilot, the WSA added an additional four laps to the main event. Eckstrom kept his focus and a strong pace during the final. When the checkered flag dropped, he was once again standing on the podium with a second place finish behind race winner Tomi Ahmasalo.

The second place finish moves Eckstrom closer to the overall points championship. He gained ground on top rider Blair Morgan and currently sits seven points behind the Canadian. Schubitzke had another top 10 finish and sits in 10th overall in the Pro Open Class.

Team AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports will be traveling to Aspen, Colo. this weekend to take part in the ESPN Winter X Games. Since they started attending the event, Team AMSOIL has won a gold medal, two silvers, a bronze and three other top-five finishes. Both Eckstrom and Schubitzke have qualified for the snocross event. Racing will be held on Monday and Tuesday and will be aired on ESPN.

On a side note, SnowWeek magazine picked Schubitzke to walk away with a medal at this year's Winter X games. Check back next week to see if the first-year Team AMSOIL pilot fulfills that prophecy.

The Shirts On Their Backs

Superior, Wis. ~ The entire world is opening up their hearts and wallets for the Tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia, and the supercross world is no different.

Team AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda, along with most of the world's top riders, is teaming up with Clear Channel Entertainment's Motor Sports division to raise money for the victims affected by the disaster. Fans can bid online (eBay) on the riders' jerseys who qualified for the 125cc and 250cc main events at Anaheim 1.

"When you see the photos of the devastation, how can you not try and help?" said Michael Prince, vice president of tactical marketing, Clear Channel Entertainment - Motor Sports. "At the riders' meeting in Anaheim we asked the riders to donate their jerseys for tsunami relief. It was very fulfilling to see 100 percent of them say they would donate without hesitation. The guys who ride THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series come through every time they are asked."

Each jersey is autographed, and Clear Channel Entertainment will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the Red Cross Tsunami relief fund. Team AMSOIL stars Mike LaRocco and Kevin Windham, along with 125cc riders Billy Laninovich and Tommy Hahn, have their jersey's being auctioned off. Windham is one of the top moneymakers. As of Tuesday afternoon, bidding for "K-Dub's" #14 was more than $2,000.

If you are interested in helping out the Tsunami victims, go to: http://search.ebay.com/THQ-SUPERCROSS-AUTOGRAPHED_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8. The auction runs until 8:00 p.m. Sunday, January 30, 2005.

Out In Front

Kansas City, Miss. ~ The Dukes of Hazard are making a comeback on the big screen this year. But for AMSOIL, the General Lee has been a long standing tradition. Autumn Woods Racing owns and operates the 01 Toyota and has been on a tear in 2005.

Going into last weekend, Autumn Woods Racing was first overall in points. The team would head indoors in Kansas City, meaning tighter tracks and bigger obstacles. The General Lee finished the first day of racing in first place.

The next two days didn't go as well, with a 6th place finish on day two and a rollover on the third day. The team is back in Indiana putting the truck back together. They are heading to Indianapolis this weekend to race inside the RCA Dome, an event that is sold out.

PJ Passes The Pack

Watersmeet, Mich. ~ After not being allowed to race the 440 Champ Final in Eagle River, P.J. Wanderscheid took his frustration out on the competition this past weekend in Watersmeet, Mich.

The two-time World Champion got off to a quick start on Saturday, winning most of his heat races and grabbing hole shots left and right. The team seemed to be dialed into the banked race track across the street from the Lac Vieux Desert Resort & Casino. Team AMSOIL/Wanderscheid racing was betting on a strong performance in the Pro Open final.

Running against sleds that produce more horsepower, Wanderscheid would start the race out in sixth, but his strong driving skills pushed him into fourth by the time the checkered flag dropped.

On Sunday, the team had the Artic Cat dialed in for the main event, the Pro Champ 440 final. Wanderscheid finished second behind 2005 Eagle River Champion Gary Moyle.

A bigger surprise was the strong run by Team AMSOIL semi-pro driver Shaun Beilke, who took home fourth in the Pro Champ final. Beilke had another great weekend of racing. On Saturday he took home the checkered flag with a first place finish in the semi-pro champ final.

"We are really getting the sled(s) dialed in and very happy with the equipment," said Wanderscheid. "The cold temperatures have made for great surfaces at the USSA events. We are very proud of Shaun and his showings in the semi-pro and pro classes this year. "

Team AMSOIL/Wanderscheid Racing will be at Pepsi Raceway Park in Tomahawk, Wis. this weekend. The USSA season has reached its mid-point and every win is important in the overall points race.

PMK Performs Again

Chilton, Wis. ~ One of the youngest snocross pilots for Team AMSOIL continues to shake up the competition. Kristen Leirmoe had another strong weekend, this time finding the podium at the Gravity Park Nationals in Chilton, Wis.

Leirmoe won her first qualifying heat and placed second in the next two rounds. Her front row start for the Womens Stock 600 final would serve her well as she took home a third. Not bad for a 15-year-old who's going against women almost twice her age.

PMK Performance Racing, the Leirmoe's team, will be at the WSA Wisconsin Regional in Wesby, Wis. this weekend.