Crandon Now Celebrating 45th Year of Racing Excitement

Welcome to Crandon

The last weekend in June was the first of two big racing events in Crandon, Wisconsin, one of the most exciting places in the world for short track off-road racing. These trucks have power, and drivers who love to use every bit of it. Here are some photos from the first TORC event there, followed by a short video giving you a taste of this teeth-shattering form of racing.

Scott Douglas

... with Brad Lovell

High-flying Chad Hord...

and his daughter had a stellar weekend.

Both ended up in the Winner's Circle.

AMSOIL is the presenting sponsor and Exclusive Official Oil of The Off-Road Championship (TORC) series,  premier off-road short course racing series in North America. Learn more about our other powersports-related sponsorships at amsoilracing.com.

Laconia Motorcycle Rally Kicks Off This Weekend

Laconia's Motorcycle Week is famously the grand-daddy of motorcycle rallies. The New Hampshire rally was birthed nearly one hundred years ago, making it more than ten years older than the the initial ground breaking at Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of Dakota.

The Laconia rally has its roots in June 1916, when a few hundred motorcyclists gathered at Weirs Beach in Laconia. Seven years later, the event was officially recognized by the Federation of American Motorcyclists (to be later called the American Motorcyclist Association) as part of the Gypsy Tour, where motorcyclists celebrated races and hill climbs for an entire weekend. The Federation of American Motorcyclists continued to sanction the event until 1960.*



The 91st Anniversary of Laconia Motorcycle Week (a few years were missed) takes place in Laconia, N.H. June 14-22. As the legendary rally’s Exclusive Official Oil, AMSOIL maintains a can’t-miss presence around town, including title sponsorship of the new AMSOIL Passport Program, a scavenger hunt for bikers looking for new things to do, new places to visit and the opportunity to walk away with some great prizes. Bikers can pick up their AMSOIL Passports at Laconia Rally Headquarters’ new location on the Boardwalk (on Lakeside Avenue next to the Pier).

Be sure to stop by the AMSOIL booth on the north end of the Lobster Pound to visit with AMSOIL corporate staff and learn more about how AMSOIL products maximize motorcycle performance and life. Have AMSOIL Synthetic Motorcycle Oil installed in your bike at one of two locations on Daniel Webster Highway within 10 minutes of Weirs Beach: Laconia Harley-Davidson and the Fun Spot.

Find out more about AMSOIL synthetic motorcycle oils and performance products for bikers.

* Source: Wikipedia

Top Truck Challenge is a Wrap

The Top Truck Challenge 2011 is a wrap after three days of swamps, slopes, boulders & quagmire. The challenge concluded Thursday after the final event took out a few rigs in the Tank Trap, hailed as the most difficult challenge of them all. Huge water-filled holes successfully wiped out some of the competitors as they tried to clear the course, dashing the hopes of winning for a few of the participants. AMSOIL Technical Powersports Manager Len Groom sent a report on Friday on the final event of the 2011 TTC, and as expected it was grueling. The Tank Trap swallowed trucks, causing some of them to flip on the steep incline and require an extraction. Some of the holes made it impossible to even see the tires that ranged in size anywhere from 46’ to 54’, which illustrates the magnitude of the challenges found in the Tank Trap.

Despite all the difficulties these competitors faced, the Top Truck Challenge couldn’t wipe out everyone. Taking the win in the Buggy class was Alex Sanders out of Arkansas in his 2008 Chevrolet Buggy. While others battled against the odds in the Tank Trap, Sanders had a good run and cleared it so fast it was hard to get pictures. Overcoming an underdog position, Sanders achieved his stellar performance in a $2,000.00 rig.

Steven Montpas out of Roseburg, OR took home the title in the Truck class with his 1949 Willys pick-up. He performed well and kept ahead of the competition, landing him the top spot. Both winners performed consistently all week, earning them ultimate bragging rights and a trip back to compete in Top Truck 2012.

And so another Top Truck Challenge event is now behind us after a series of impressive attempts from all competitors. Next year Four Wheeler Magazine is inviting past winners to the 20th annual Top Truck Challenge, providing an interesting new platform to shake things up. Congratulations from AMSOIL to all of the competitors who were selected, but especially Alex Sanders and Steven Montpas for outdoing the competition and taking home the glory in what is known as the Olympics of off-roading. Both winners received a shopping spree courtesy of AMSOIL to keep all their toys and equipment running peak.

A Few More Images from TTC

The AMSOIL-sponsored Top Truck Challenge is not open to the public and even the competitors are limited to three guests. As each year passes the trucks get more and more competitive. The tube buggies typically do well but there were a couple short wheelbase front wheel steering trucks that put up a good fight this year. Doug Kahlstrom in his 1970 Dodge Power Wagon placed fifth out of ten behind the four tube buggies.

As with every year there were a few surprises. On Thursday Wayne Sheeley and his co-driver/wife Addie flipped their Jeep FC-170 over backwards in hole two of the tank trap and were trapped underwater for a few seconds as the recovery crew and host Tony Becker pulled them out. (See image in yesterday's blog post.) Thanks to a quick response nobody was injured.

Third place winner Leroy Latham in his 2008 homemade monster buggy was a strong runner all week. He wasn’t afraid to use the throttle and try different lines. He rolled twice, once in the hill climb and again in the mini-rubicon. Thank goodness for the five point restraint! Second place winner Brett Jerome in his Jeep TJ buggy was a favorite all week with his big air finishes. On Tuesday he launched his truck out of the frame twister logs so high he came down and blew both rear tires off the beads. Wednesday during the hill climb his fly by wire throttle hung and he flew into the trees off course. This mistake may have cost him first place.

First place winner David Green in his 2004 homemade tube buggy was the epitome of consistency all week. He finished every event in the top five or better despite hurting a piston in his 5.9 Cummins in the mud run on Tuesday.

According to our man on the scene Len Groom, "The one remark I consistently heard all week was that AMSOIL is the best for a reason. We not only make excellent products we back them up with support."

Thanks to everyone from Four Wheeler magazine and Source Interlink who pour their hearts and imaginations into making this such a fabulous event... and to all the other sponsoring companies who help make it happen.

2009 Top Truck Challenge Underway in Hollister

Here at AMSOIL we're anxiously awaiting the results of this years’ Top Truck Challenge, which pits the toughest 4x4’s against one another in a series of endurance tests. As a sponsor of this event, AMSOIL is on hand to witness 10 competitors and 2 alternates battle it out for title of 2009 Top Truck Challenger. Not an easy feat by any means, the competitors were chosen by readers of Four Wheeler Magazine for this three-day slugfest. Over the course of these three grueling days, the vehicles are put through trials so extreme it’s amazing they were conceived, let alone attempted.

Day One the competitors were broken in by performing the Tow Test in which each truck had to tow a heavy object up a steep hill. Next up was the Hill Climb featuring a 400 foot steep climb that is not only timed, but near impossible to reach the top without the power and grit to finish without flipping or breaking. Followed next by an obstacle course through water, hills, and other objects meant to take down the weakest; Day One does not go easy on these competitors.

Day Two brings even tougher challenges and possibly even an end to some of the competitors’ involvement in this event. First up is the Frame Twister, which is pretty self-explanatory. Drivers attempt to make it through a wicked obstacle course that culminates in a 20-yard section of logs without hitting course marker cones, staffers, or winching. Ten minutes max. Penalties are applied for each infraction. Only the boldest make it through to the end. From there it is on to the Mud Pit, a huge hole filled with water, dirt, and near-impossible odds. This year none of the competitors were able to clear it, so the winner of this trial is determined by the truck that made it the furthest. The end of Day Two brings the Mini-Rubicon, a trek through a 40-yard rock pile. Sound easy? It’s not. Four Wheeler Magazine calls it ‘a rock-crawling nightmare’ and last year only two of the competitors were successful in completing this challenge. Boulders, tire-swallowing holes, and nasty entrances and exits to this course make it an extreme 125 feet of metal bending.

If, by Day Three, any of the competitors and their trucks are still standing, they take on the dreaded Tank Trap. While it is ‘only’ a quarter-mile, it runs uphill through a valley that climbs 195 feet in elevation from start to finish that has humbled many a driver before. Within that quarter-mile, drivers will attempt to conquer slippery rock waterfalls, loose dirt climbs, and seven deep water holes within 30 minutes. The track builders go to great lengths to ensure every inch of the course is as twisted and challenging as possible, and they succeed. This event is worth double the points than previous trials if completed, which goes to show drivers are definitely earning them should they reach the end.

Watch this space next week for an update on the final results and more photos from this extreme challenge.

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Shake, Battle and Roll

The December Four Wheeler magazine is now on the news stands with its annual in depth coverage of the Top Truck Challenge, the true meaning of shock and awe. With ample quantities of photos, Ken Brubaker’s coverage is vividly detailed. It makes you wish you were there.

There were nine trucks and seven events, with near thirty pages of story, including descriptions of each competition, the nitty gritty on each competitor in each event and an assortment of live action finish line quotes. “Oh man, what a rush,” said Brandon Lammers after the Frame Twister. For the same event, Clayton Kraatz said, “I’ve been waiting 16 years to do that. That was awesome. That was worth the whole entire trip.”

The first day's events included The Tow Test, The Frame Twister, and The Mud Pit, a ride that John Griffin noted you can’t get at Disneyland.

Day two featured The Obstacle Course, The Hill Climb and The Mini Rubicon. If you know the Four Wheeler staff, they ain’t kiddin’ around with these obstacle courses and tests. The goal in The Hill Climb, for example, is not to see how fast you can make it, but whether you can make it at all... though yes, there are extra points for fast. But it’s one tough hill and only three trucks made it all the way before either breaking or flipping over.

The Mini Rubicon was also a bit more frightful this year. You’d think a four wheeling enthusiast would not have too much trouble with a 125 foot strip of rocks, but these psycho course builders stay up nights thinking of ways to make it impossible, and for most they succeeded. Only two, Kraatz’s Warthog and Naeger’s Buggy, completed this third event of day two.

The Tank Trap consumes all of day three out there in Hollister, California’s hill country. This is an obstacle course that brings competitors to their knees.

As a sponsor of the event again this year, AMSOIL enjoys seeing equipment put to the ultimate tests. This is how AMSOIL formulates its own premium synthetic lubricants. The company is serious about extreme performance. It’s fun to watch four wheeling to the max like this. And fun to read about six months later. When you read the mag staff’s “favorite moments” you can tell they’re having the times of their lives out there.

The coverage ends with an application to be considered for next year’s event. If you like the idea of putting it all out there, of seeing what you and your equipment are made of, maybe you should take the next step. Readers will vote, and maybe we’ll see you next year... at the 2009 TTC.

Report From Sturgis

The 2008 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has now come and gone, but what an event it was. Being “Official Oil of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally” gave AMSOIL a lot of additional visibility this year. Enthusiasm for AMSOIL products continues to bust through the roof. The traffic in the corporate booth was great as many new leads and customers will be linked to the AMSOIL Dealer network.

The weather was hot in the beginning of the rally but pleasant overall with temperatures in the high 80s and low humidity for most of the rally. Many rally attendees stopped by the AMSOIL booth to sign up for a chance to win a free case of oil and filters for their bikes. This generated a great deal of interest and a reason for people to stop by. We also displayed an HDT Diesel motorcycle, drag bike and hill climb bike in the AMSOIL booth. All of these bikes stopped people in their tracks and provided more reasons to visit.

For the second year, AMSOIL sponsored the “Rumble in the Hills” hill climb and once again it was a huge success. Hundreds of spectators watched as riders climbed straight up the hill. AMSOIL also provided a free case of oil to the winner of the AMSOIL “King of the Hill” shootout. This shootout involved the top five riders from the two day event. They each raced the hill an additional two times to be crowned the AMSOIL “King of the Hill.” One never knows where you’ll see an AMSOIL banner in the media or on YouTube, especially with MTV and the Discovery Channel on hand taping these races.

Many times, AMSOIL staff walking in downtown Sturgis with their AMSOIL shirts proudly displayed were stopped by people saying things like, “AMSOIL, great stuff! “AMSOIL, I run it in all my toys!” “AMSOIL is the only oil I use.” Moments like these are especially gratifying.

AMSOIL looks forward to the 2009 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and to promoting AMSOIL even more. It’s just one more reason AMSOIL motorcycle oil sales continue to soar. Now, it’s on to Daytona as the “Official Oil of Daytona Bike Week.” See you there!