July 2, 2009 - Volume 9, Issue 12
Ricky Johnson Wins Forest County Potawatomi Chairman's Cup in Crandon
The fifth and sixth rounds of the 2009 Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL were held June 20-21 before a full house at Crandon International Off Road Raceway in Crandon, Wis.
In Saturday’s Kumho Pro 4x4 class, Monster Energy racer Rick Huseman took both the win and the Oakley Bomb Run Award for the fastest lap time, while the father/son Rockstar team of Kyle and Curt Leduc finished second and third respectively. AMSOIL Super Team driver Scott Douglas battled for a sixth place finish. On Sunday, Red Bull/AMSOIL driver Steve Barlow grabbed the lead for several laps before losing it in a multi-car incident. In the end, Huseman grabbed the win and the Oakley Bomb award for the weekend sweep. Despite flipping his AMSOIL Ford F-150 on its roof early in the race, Douglas refired and tracked down the leaders for a strong fourth place finish.
In the AMSOIL Pro 2WD class, Rob MacCachren and Todd Leduc took first and second place on Saturday, while Red Bull/AMSOIL star Ricky Johnson took third place and the Oakley Bomb Run Award. AMSOIL Super Team driver Mike Oberg shot out of turn one in second and held on to the position before hitting a rutted section of the track, turning his truck over and putting him out of the race. On Sunday, Johnson led most of the race, but a punctured tire from contact pushed him to a fourth place finish. AMSOIL-sponsored racer Scott Taylor took first place and the Oakley Bomb Run Award, Leduc took second and AMSOIL racer Dan Vanden Heuvel rounded out the top three.
In the Forest County Potawatomi Pro Light class, Marty Hart took the win on Saturday, with Team AMSOIL Super Team driver Chad Hord taking a close second and the Oakley Bomb Run Award. Steven Federico rounded out the podium with a third place finish. On Sunday, Hart completed the sweep with another win, with AMSOIL racer Jeff Kincaid finishing second and Mark Oberg finishing third. Hord finished seventh.
The highlight of the weekend was The Forest County Potawatomi Chairman's Cup. Pro 4x4 and Pro 2wd trucks all battled it out in a shoot-out for the $25,000 prize and the coveted Chairman's Cup Trophy, with the Pro 2wd drivers receiving almost a half track head start. Upon the start, Johnson grabbed the lead, with Mike Oberg close behind. Johnson held on for his first-ever cup win, with Oberg putting pressure on him throughout the race.
Rounds seven and eight of the 2009 TORC Series will take place at Bark River International Raceway in Bark River, Mich. on July 11-12.
Team AMSOIL Offshore Team Topples its Own Record
Last year, the AMSOIL Offshore Racing Team of Bob Teague and Paul Whittier cruised from Miami, Fla. to Bimini, Bahamas and back to set the Official Endurance Record sanctioned by OSS in the Cat Lite Class. The team returned Friday, June 12 with the mission of defending and beating its own record in the 106-mile race. The team accomplished its mission, running the endurance event in 59 minutes, 40 seconds, which is a little over five minutes faster than last year’s record. The official average speed of the team was recorded at 106.8174 MPH. The team capped off the weekend on Sunday by entering and easily winning the Cat Lite class of the Sunny Isles Offshore Challenge.
Teague and Whittier resume competition this weekend at the SBI Suncoast Offshore Super Boat Grand Prix in Sarasota, Fla.
Rinker Earns Second Place Podium in Evansville, Finishes Fourth in Bay City
After earning a strong second place podium finish at the opening round of the 2009 F1-ChampBoat Series presented by AMSOIL season in Port Neches, Texas, Team AMSOIL powerboat racer Terry Rinker was looking for another strong finish at the second round of racing June 20-21 on the Ohio River in Evansville, Ind. With a heat index of 113 degrees, three different drivers dropped out of the race, forcing three re-starts in the first half of the race. Undeterred by the sweltering conditions and a spin-out early in the race, Rinker fought his way forward from eighth place to earn his second straight second place podium finish behind winner Shaun Torrente.
The third round of the ChampBoat season took place June 27-28 in Bay City, Mich., where Rinker was looking to gain ground on points leader Shaun Torrente. He started the weekend on the right note, earning valuable points by grabbing the number two qualifier position (behind Tim Seebold, but ahead of Torrente). While Seebold grabbed the lead in the final, Rinker and Torrente battled it out for second before Rinker’s fuel pump gave out on lap 31. After the red flag came out to stop the race, Rinker repaired the pump and was forced to re-start dead last. He managed to move up the field to eventually finish a strong fourth. Although Torrente finished one spot ahead in third, Rinker’s strong qualifying points allowed him to close the gap in the points standings by 14 points. He currently holds second, just 24 points behind Torrente.
"We had a great set-up this weekend, from qualifying to the final," said Rinker. "It's too bad we had the fuel pump issue because we could have been back on the podium for the third time this year. The guys did a great job getting us back out there after the red flag. Without their hard work, we wouldn't have been able to close the gap on Shaun and defend our 2009 championship."
The fourth round of the F1-ChampBoat Series presented by AMSOIL takes place August 15-16 in Nashville, Tenn.
Golden Debuts with AMSOIL Motocross Team, Finishes Fourth
The fifth round of the 2009 AMA Motocross season was held June 27 at Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood, Colo. With top 250 rider Trey Canard suffering an injury in Mt. Morris, the team decided to reach out and sign top WMA motocross rider Vicki Golden for the remainder of the WMA Motocross season and the X Games. Making her team debut in Lakewood, the 16-year-old was second fastest in practice despite having no time to get acquainted with her new bike prior to race day. In the main event, Golden finished fourth in the first moto and third in the second moto for fourth overall.
In the 250 class, Justin Barcia finished ninth in the first moto and second in the second moto for fourth overall, Brett Metcalfe finished seventh in the first moto and fifth in the second moto for seventh overall and Blake Wharton finished fourth in the first moto and 11th in the second moto for eighth overall.
The sixth round of the AMA Motocross season will be held Saturday, July 4 at Red Bud Track-N-Trail in Buchanan, Mich. The WMA Series resumes Saturday, July 25 at Washougal Motocross Park in Washougal, Wash.
AMSOIL/Torchmate Team Split Forces for XRRA and We-Rock Events
The AMSOIL/Torchmate off-road team split forces on the weekend of June 20-21, with Roger Lovell and spotter Mark Hayward racing back-to-back XRRA events in Colorado Springs, Colo., while Brad Lovell headed to Reno, Nev. with drivers Bill Kunz and Jesse Haines and spotters Nick Socha, Mike Shaffer and Brian Howard for We-Rock Round #3. In Reno, Haines and Howard expertly guided their rear-steer car around the tight course for a first place finish, while Lovell and Socha earned a third place finish and Kunz and Shaffer finished fifth. In Colorado Springs, Lovell and Hayward earned a pair of eighth place finishes.
Photo courtesy of Jud Leslie.
Smith Earns Second and Seventh Place Finishes in Canada
Team AMSOIL late model racer Brady Smith traveled to Canada to compete in a trio of World of Outlaws Late Model Series races June 18-21. Although the Saturday race at Autodrome Drummond was cancelled due to persistent rain showers, the other two events proceeded as scheduled. Smith qualified 17th fastest in time trials and ran third in his heat race on June 18 at Ohsweken Speedway. After starting ninth on the grid in the A-Main, Smith passed seven cars on his way to a close runner-up finish behind winner Josh Richards.
On Sunday, the Cornwall Motor Speedway hosted the final Canadian race of the Great Northern Tour. Smith qualified 13th quickest at qualifying and finished sixth in his heat race before blowing past nine competitors en route to a seventh place finish in the main event. Smith currently holds seventh in the WOOLMS point battle.
Wienen Wins in New Berlin, Wimmer Wins in Blountville
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Chad Wienen grabbed wins in both motos to take the overall victory at round seven of the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV MX Championship at Unadilla Valley Sports Center in New Berlin, N.Y. Doug Gust finished second, followed by Josh Natalie in third. In the Pro-Am Production class, Kawasaki’s Cody Gibson earned the win, followed by Joel Hetrick in second and Cody Grant in third.
At round eight of the AMA ATV MX Championship at Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tenn., defending AMA Pro ATV MX Champion Dustin Wimmer of the Rockstar/Makita/Yoshimura Suzuki team earned two come-from-behind moto victories for the overall win, pulling to within five points of points leader Wienen. Gust finished second, followed by Wienen in third. In the Pro-Am Production class, Grant earned the win, followed by Gibson in second and Bobby Ross in third.
Round nine of the AMA ATV Motocross Championship will be held July 18-19 in Armagh, Pa. AMSOIL is the Official Oil of the AMA ATV MX Championship.
