Wednesday, December 31, 2008

2008 AMSOIL Year in Review

For many, 2008 will be remembered as a year of wreckage in the U.S. financial markets, with subsequent consequences rippling out in concentric circles of turbulence throughout the world economy. At AMSOIL, 2008 is will be remembered as a year of milestones as we completed our expansion into the AMSOIL Center in January and marked our 35th Anniversary in July, eager to embark on the another 35 years looking forward. It was a joy to share the moment with Dealers and friends of the AMSOIL family from across the continent at our Convention here in Duluth/Superior.

Early in the year, AMSOIL was saddened by the loss of legendary hot rod builder Boyd Coddington. A true inspiration, Boyd’s many accomplishments spoke of his passion for his work. AMSOIL was fortunate to be able to partner with him during the months before his passing, and appreciated his commitment to his relationships and his craft. Boyd was truly a loss to the both the industry and those who knew him personally.

In March, AMSOIL announced its sponsorship of the 2008 Street Rodder Road Tour. Led by Jerry Dixie, these enthusiasts love sharing their passion as they travel around the country in their classic street rods. On their way to the Back to the 50’s event in St. Paul, MN in June, AMSOIL hosted a party at the AMSOIL Center. AMSOIL founder and President/CEO A.J. Amatuzio welcomed the Road Tourians, and Jo Coddington made an appearance. The event attracted hundreds of street rodders and local enthusiasts. It was exciting for AMSOIL to be a part of this event. The year ended with AMSOIL becoming title sponsor of this annual event.

Springtime brought more excitement as AMSOIL continued its sponsorship of the 2008 Diesel Power Challenge, a two-day competition held in Salt Lake City. Diesel builders put their trucks through the paces in a competition fit for only the toughest. The Four Wheeler Top Truck Challenge was another event AMSOIL was proud to be a part of. This week long event puts drivers and their trucks through rigorous events that test even the mightiest Four Wheelers.

In 2008 AMSOIL became the Official Oil of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally as well as the 2009 Daytona Bike Week. The AMSOIL presence in these motorcycle scenes is huge and continues to grow.

For the second year AMSOIL had the privilege of being a sponsor of the National Street Rod Association, participating in events from coast to coast. Their August Street Rod Nationals in Louisville is the granddaddy of car shows and the standard by which all others are measured.

Through our Dealers AMSOIL reaches a myriad of trade shows and events in nearly every market where there is an engine that needs lubrication. The biggest of all these shows is the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, a mecca for the performance automotive enthusiast. As is the custom, numerous new products were introduced again this year, including AMSOIL Brake Fluid, AMSOIL Power Steering Fluid, new Ea Filters, a new 10W-30 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil and a fabulous new line of synthetic racing oils, brand name Dominator. We also introduced a new line of co-branded AMSOIL/Injen Air Intake Systems for gasoline powered cars and received a 2008 Global Media Award for this system.

2009 at AMSOIL promises to be an even better year with still more new products in the pipeline and expectations for continued growth due to continued demand for our products, especially in these times when motorists and enthusiasts want to protect their investments for the long haul. May your best days be still ahead as well.

Friday, December 19, 2008

2009 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour Schedule Announced


As previously noted, AMSOIL has partnered with Street Rodder Magazine as Jerry Dixie and his crew of Street Rod enthusiasts embark on their annual cross-country tour. Beginning in May, the AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour will begin in Chattanooga, TN and end in October at the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, CA. Tour dates are listed here with more details yet to come. As tour routes take shape, maybe you can pitch your lawn chairs along the route and give a wave as they stroll past.

Here's the first broadbrush outline so you can get your bearings on where we'll be.

May 9 – May 17
Coker Tire Tour
Coker Tire, Chattanooga, TN to Cruisin’ Ocean City, Maryland
Kicking off the tour with a car show and charity auction, this marks the beginning of the adventure. The ultimate destination of this leg is Cruisin’ Ocean City, where the beach town will be host to street rods, muscle cars and customs.

June 13 – 21
Vintage Air Tour
Vintage Air, San Antonio, Texas to the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion, Bowling Green, Kentucky
The Vintage Air Tour is one of the biggest of the season, and the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY has proven to be worthy of many return trips.

June 19 – 28
The AMSOIL Tour
NHRA Hot Rod Reunion, Bowling Green, Kentucky to St Ignace, Mich. Car Show
Stopping at our very own home in Superior, the Tour is welcomed with a party at the AMSOIL Center before heading off to the famous St. Ignace Car Show in St. Ignace, MI.

July 12 - 19
Merrill-Lynch Jones Group Tour
Woody's Hot Rodz, Bright, Indiana to Syracuse, NY
Woody’s Hot Rodz built the Chevy Roadster for this years’ tour. Next is Youngstown, OH for a reception at the Quaker Steak and Lube. A visit to the Classic Automobila showroom, a drive through Pennsylvania, and then it’s off to Syracuse, NY.

August 6 - 15
40th NSRA Street Rod Nationals, Louisville, Kentucky to Bonneville Speed Week, Wendover, Utah
Starting at the NSRA Street Road Nationals event in Louisville, the Tour will spend the weekend here before heading next to Wendover, UT for Bonneville Speed Week.

Sept 11 – 20
Gear Star Transmission Tour
NSRA Nationals North Kalamazoo, MI to NSRA Northeast Nationals, Burlington, VT
The NSRA Nationals North is the next stop in Kalamazoo, MI, and promises to be a huge event again this year. From there it is off to Akron, OH for a party at Gear Star Transmission.

Sept 26 – Oct 4
San Diego, CA to NSRA Golden State Nationals, Sacramento, CA
A cruise kicks off this leg of the tour, and a number of stops will be made at famous locations in Los Angeles. From there, the Tour heads north to the NSRA Golden State Nationals event in Sacramento while making stops at some of the biggest private car collections in the country.

Oct 10 – 18
NHRA Museum Tour
Seattle, WA to California Hot Rod Reunion, Bakersfield, CAStarting at Art Morrison Enterprises, the NHRA Museum Tour kicks off with a party in Fife, WA. From there it is down to see the sights through Washington, Oregon and the redwoods of Northern California. The tour will wrap up at the final event, the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, CA.

Monday, December 15, 2008

AMSOIL Becomes Title Sponsor of the AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour

Once again, AMSOIL has partnered with Street Rodder Magazine, having signed on for the next 3 years as the Title Sponsor of the AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour. Jerry Dixie will once again lead the tour, only this time in a 1952 Chevy Hardtop. Built by Woody’s Hot Rodz out of Bright, Indiana, the 2009 Road Tour car is built to showcase the quality of parts developed within the street rod market. With added features such as climate controlled heat and air conditioning, this car will be built to endure the entire trip of over 20,000 miles across the country.

The Street Rodder Road Tour started in 1996, with a new car build each year. Street rod enthusiasts gather at different stops along the tour, some of which are fortunate enough to make all the rounds. Events are held in each city the tour stops in, resulting in good times and great memories. Spectators everywhere watch as groups of anywhere from 10 vehicles to larger groups around 70 travel the country. The Tour is indeed a sight to behold as it moves from city to city, and AMSOIL is proud to be a title sponsor of this unique adventure.

As tour dates and details are finalized they will be announced here at the AMSOIL Promotions Blog or visit http://www.streetrodderweb.com/

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

NSRA Announces 2009 Schedule

AMSOIL is pleased to announce another year of partnership with the National Street Rod Association. Founded in 1970, the NSRA is an organization of street rod enthusiasts with a passion for their rides. To be defined as a street rod, a vehicle must be of pre-1948 manufacture that has been modernized in some way (engine, air conditioning, or power steering, to name a few) but still has the ability to be driven under its own power.

The NSRA will host 12 national street rod events in 2009. As an Official Product Sponsor AMSOIL is proud to be a part of these family oriented events for street rod enthusiasts. See the schedule below, and be sure you don’t miss the sights and sounds of vintage street rods as they roll through a town near you.

Southwest Street Rod Nationals
April 3rd, 4th & 5th, 2009
State Fair Park
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Western Street Rod Nationals
April 24th, 25th & 26th, 2009
Kern County Fairgrounds
Bakersfield, California

Street Rod Nationals South
May 1st, 2nd & 3rd, 2009
Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center
Knoxville, Tennessee

Mid-America Street Rod Nationals
May 22nd, 23rd & 24th, 2009
Missouri Entertainment & Event Center
Springfield, Missouri.

Street Rod Nationals East
June 5th, 6th & 7th, 2009
York Expo Center
York, Pennsylvania

Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals
June 26th, 27th & 28th, 2009
Colorado State Fairgrounds
Pueblo, Colorado

Street Rod Nationals®
August 6th, 7th, 8th & 9th, 2009
Kentucky Exposition Center
Louisville, Kentucky

Richmond Nationals
August 28th, 29th & 30th, 2009
Richmond Raceway Complex
Richmond, Virginia

Street Rod Nationals North
September 11th, 12th & 13th, 2009
Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Northeast Nationals
September 18th, 19th & 20th, 2009
Champlain Valley Exposition
Burlington, Vermont

Golden State Nationals
October 2nd, 3rd & 4th, 2009
California Exposition & State Fair
Sacramento, California

Southeast Nationals
October 9th, 10th & 11th, 2009
Florida State Fairgrounds
Tampa, Florida