First Photos from Hot Rod Drag Week

Mahatma Gandhi once said that there's more to life than simply increasing speed. But going fast sure is fun, and there have been a lot of drivers having a heart-pounding good time here.

Tonight is the culmination of the 2009 Hot Rod Drag Week which began in Muncie and has returned today after touring tracks in Michigan and Ohio. As you can see here the weather is simply gorgeous at Muncie Dragway.

More than 109 cars have made the trek and a big turnout of locals to watch things wind up and wind out. Our man on the scene noted that one guy running AMSOIL has 1700 horsepower and is having a lot of fun in the process.

Next week we'll do the wrap.

AMSOIL on Board as a Sponsor of Hot Rod Drag Week 2009

It’s one of the most popular events in rodding. More than a hundred cars and sometimes even 200 cars and drivers compete in Hot Rod magazine’s toughest assignment: how fast can you go and still be street legal?

In a challenge truly designed as a test the survival of the fittest, Hot Rod’s Drag Week is an event unlike any other. In a week-long tour of race tracks throughout the Midwest, a caravan of street legal dragsters travels from track to track, races hard, then moves on to the next stop to do it all over again. The driver who collects the total fastest time wins. Except… it’s not that easy. These cars need to make it to all race tracks without the help of a support crew following behind, with only the tools they have on board, and a dragster capable of completing such a task. Not just for full-on race cars, Drag Week offers several different classes from Unlimited modified cars to Daily Drivers.

The rules are fairly simple: Secret checkpoints along the way are determined in which each driver must stop and take a photo to prove they are staying on track and not taking any illegal shortcuts... or being towed. Breakdowns result in lost time and unless tools and supplies are on board already, they could mean the end for some. Of course, drivers are allowed to help each other out with tools or manpower if they wish, but it is a race against time and each other. Once at the tracks, drivers are required to make an allocated amount of successful passes on the drag strip to remain in the competition and before getting the maps to the next track.

The winner of this event with the lowest overall Elapsed Time (ET) will be declared ‘Fastest Street Rod in America’ with a trophy, bragging rights and hero worship in the magazine to prove it. In the words of Hot Rod Magazine, “Drag Week is all about road tripping with your new best friends, helping each other out, then trying to beat them on the drag strip.” If you are in any of the areas, come and watch friendly mayhem ensue as these drivers battle it out for the title. It’s free to watch, and there is still time to register at Hotrod.com if you want to submit your dragster to see if it has what it takes.

Dates for 2009
Sun Sep 13~Test 'n Tune -Muncie Dragway, Albany, IN
Mon Sep 14~Racing Day 1 -Muncie Dragway, Albany, IN
Tue Sep 15~Day 2 -US 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, MI
Wed Sep 16~Day 3 -Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, OH
Thu Sep 17~Day 4 -National Trail Raceway, Hebron, OH
Fri Sep 18~Finals -Muncie Dragway, Albany, IN

Three Days, 100 Manufacturers, A One-of-a-Kind Opportunity

The MPMC Media Trade Conference provides council-member manufacturers and the media with the unique opportunity to conduct dozens of one-on-one meetings in just three days.

Editors and publishers from the leading consumer and trade publications in the automotive aftermarket descend on Los Angeles to meet with a limited number of SEMA member manufacturers to learn their stories. A special focus of the event is uncovering what’s new, what’s on the leading edge of this dynamic industry. Three days of face-to-face meetings provided ample opportunity for Aftermarket Products Director Karl Dedolph and Advertising Director Ed Newman to share the AMSOIL story.

Featured products in the lubricants group included our Signature Series 0W-30, our new Severe Gear lubes, 0W-20, plus the educational Gear Lube Report. Editors also learned about our new brake fluids, our re-formulated P.i. Performance Improver, and several of our new Ea filter products. Each received the new Ea Filter video on CD.

The new Injen / AMSOIL co-branded air intake for diesel trucks was especially interesting to those editors in the truck markets. At the end of the day it is evident that AMSOIL has a story to tell, and it’s rewarding to be in the center of this exciting industry.

Hot Wheels® Design Award goes to AMSOIL-lubed Coupe

Congratulations to Paul Sykora whose ’37 Ford Coupe won a 2007 Hot Wheels Design Award for car with Attitude at last week’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas. We mentioned it in our blog last week that it was one cool Coupe. Sykora, from Orlando, Florida had installed AMSOIL Synthetic 20W-50 Racing Oil and Severe Gear Synthetic 75W-140 Gear Lube in this over-the-top 2300 horsepower machine. The car, representing Weld Racing, was located in the South Hall at the Inside America Racing Booth.

Sykora’s car was one of four to receive awards presented by Hot Wheels®, who was a prominent sponsor of this year’s SEMA in conjunction with its 40th anniversary.

photo used with permission courtesy Fox Marketing

Homeward Bound ~ SEMA Day Four

Yes, the show ends today, but the work is only beginning. How many forklifts it takes to move all the crates and pallets out of the Las Vegas Convention Center is anyone's guess. Then there is all the follow up from the leads generated, business agreements signed, discussions initiated. Magazine editors and writers have seen what happened here this week, and must decide which stories will be tomorrow's news. The new '67 Mustang is likely one story that will get more press. Likewise the 75th anniversary of the Deuce Coupe will still make stories. And undoubtedly there will be more Boyd sightings ahead like this one yesterday afternoon where he and wife Jo signed autographs in South Hall. In December the pair will make their way to the PRI Show in Orlando to greet fans, bring exposure to the AMSOIIL/Coddington roadster and share stories about a few of his favorite projects.

Day Two: Tens of Thousands

They come from all points of the globe, and every sector of the auto industry. The fact that this show is closed to the public probably adds to its mystique. As the event has grown, so has the public's awareness of it, and their appreciation of the benefits it brings. Whether its performance, power or style that brings them flocking to SEMA, the fact is this show has grown to be a phenomenon.

More than 2700 representatives from media all over the world are snapping pictures, shooting video, and gathering info for stories that will be in magazines and TV and internet for the next ten months. A few of the cars on this blog will undoubtedly appear in some of these publications. It's a heady experience for the newbies when people get a thrill from seeing the fruit of their passions.

The mood is upbeat again this year as people from diverse sectors interact. The truck section is astounding in the South Hall. And it's hard to believe that a mere ten years ago half the North Hall was marine related and there was no South Hall at all. Today, the marine segment is gone altogether, squeezed out by electronics gizmos and gadgets that fuel the imagination and help people see what's happening inside and all around their vehicles, which sometimes can become their whole world.

This year is the 40th anniversary of Hot Wheels. Hence, a lot of Hot Wheels cars have been given away. At the awards breakfast Tuesday, everyone who came received a collectible Bone Shaker car. It is a one of a kind run, so only people who were there have one. More Hot Wheels cars were given away at the Hot Wheels booth where car designers autographed their work. The lines there were very, very long. This is a long explanation for these two photos featuring a couple of rather far out Hot Wheels cars.

Tomorrow is a big day at SEMA. Directors from AMSOIL will be at the Injen booth for a 2:10 p.m. press conference to introduce a new co-branded product line that will make a big impact on the diesel truck market. Also, Boyd and Jo Coddington will be up by their AMSOIL/Coddington Bonneville roadster signing autographs from 1:00 to 3:00. Enjoy the show.

Gentlemen, Rev Your Engines. It's Showtime!

Dick Berggren, founder and editor of Speedway Illustrated, was the keynote speaker at this morning's New Product Awards Breakfast. He began by noting how much this industry has grown. In 1967 the SEMA Show boasted 98 booths and had 3000 visitors. This year, there are more than 2000 exhibits and fifteen miles of aisles that the 110,000+ visitors must navigate to see everything. Certainly puts things in perspective. The industry is vibrant and healthy.

Berggren noted that successful business people and people who win races share several common traits. They are smart, they have an energetic, strong work ethic and love what they do. That is something you see here at SEMA 2007. Passion.

Here are a few images from the show floor. One key to getting the most out of the show is to make sure you have comfortable shoes and a good night's sleep.

Boyd & Jo to Make Appearance at SEMA

The SEMA Show in Las Vegas puts the automotive industry's most advanced technology and best-selling products on display. In addition to the world's hottest cars, you can find tires and wheels, air conditioning, car stereos, lamps, anti-theft, electronic equipment, seat belts, service equipment, vehicle maintenance beauty products, automotive electronics and technology, automotive tools equipment, and maintenance products.

It is also a show where the stars and powerful personalities make their appearance, from Jay Leno and Carroll Shelby to Danica Patrick, the Andrettis and NASCAR's finest. Next week Boyd and Jo Coddington will be signing autographs alongside the AMSOIL/Coddington Model T which Jo raced at Bonneville. Boyd Coddington's innovations have become not just hot rodding touchstones, but influences that have helped the entire aftermarket industry flourish, an achievement that helped get him inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame.

Boyd and Jo will be signing autographs on Thursday, 1:00-3:00 P.M. at Booth 35719 alongside the AMSOIL/Coddington 1927 Model T Ford in which Jo Coddington attempted to set a new land speed record. The fabrication and assembling of the car was featured on three episodes of American Hot Rod.

Fans of the show, or the AMSOIL synthetic lubricant products featured in the car, might want to check out this new AMSOIL/Coddington Race Team T-Shirt at http://www.amsoil.com/products/clothing/coddington_tshirt.aspx

SEMA 2007 Just Around the Corner

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) bills itself as the premier automotive specialty products trade association in the world and its annual show in Las Vegas each year is "the place to be" if you are in any way associated with this industry. The SEMA Show draws the industry's brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. Last year the SEMA Show attracted more than 100,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries for its unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, marine and RV markets. This year, SEMA Show 2007 anticipates a continuation of this trend, expecting to draw domestic and international buyers through two million square feet of exhibits. The displays are segmented into 11 sections, and a New Products Showcase features more than 1,400 newly introduced parts, tools and components. In addition, the SEMA show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more.

This is the 41st Anniversary of the SEMA Show, promising to consume more Las Vegas real estate than ever. In the next few weeks we'll be making a few announcements here on the blog, and starting October 29th hope to share some of the sites and sounds of SEMA 2007, live from Las Vegas.

In the meantime, here are a few images from last year's show, knowing that the best is yet to come.

Weather Dampens Spirits at Bonneville

The Bonneville World Finals was called due to weather.
44 records were broken in just 2½ days.

The AMSOIL/Coddington car never made its record run attempt, having had to qualify for licensing first. Their top speed achieved for qualifying was 184 MPH. They were poised to attempt the record run after installing taller gears and adding back more boost.

Next stop for the team is a one day event at El Mirage Dry Lake in California which has been home to Land Speed Racing and the SCTA. Vehicle inspections begin on the day prior to the race (Saturday) and the racing begins early Sunday morning. The AMSOIL/Coddington team is going to participate and record its times in an effort to prove that the car was built to go over 200 MPH. After this the Car will head to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas for our AMSOIL featured vehicle display and autograph signing.




Jo Coddington was ready to pull out all the stops. Still, it was a great adventure.... with more to come.

AHR to Feature AMSOIL/Coddington Bonneville Run Thursday

This week on American Hot Rod, the AMSOIL/Coddington Model T will be completed. This third episode of the Bonneville build will air Thursday evening. With Jo Coddington at the wheel, the AMSOIL/Coddington car made a serious stab at a record run on the Flats. Jo Coddington took the wheel once the build was complete. Though challenging conditions interfered with setting a record, the car proved it had the mustard to accomplish the task.



Catch the action this week on The Learning Channel.
7:00 p.m. CST
(Check your local listings)

World's Fastest Cadillac Uses AMSOIL

Early last week we mentioned that Johnson's Hot Rod Shop would have a contender on the Bonneville Salt Flats. We knew their Cadillac XLR would be fast, but you never know how fast till you really put it out there. With Gramie Bartles at the wheel, "The Worlds Fastest Cadillac" set a record of 222 mph. (Welcome to the Red Hat Club, Rabbit.)

This was actually a huge accomplishment for this new car that had just been completed within a couple days before Speed Week. The project was initiated in March with the build being completed right at the wire. According to the Johnsons, "Going to Bonneville without any testing and tuning before we got there, even without setting this kind of a record, is an achievement in itself."

Bartles built the chassis and worked closely with the Johnsons on the build to insure the vehicle was up to snuff with regard to the the rules and regulations for S.C.T.A. Alan Johnson from California was the builder of the Northstar engine for the XLR. Owner of the XLR, Bob Johnson, looks forward setting more records with the XLR in the coming months.

All such projects involve many team members. In addition to the many other sponsors who helped with support, Bob indicated his gratitude to AMSOIL for the great products that have given his cars the extra oomph and protection he counts on.

We'll keep an eye on the record books as the Johnsons continue to push the envelope.