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.

AMSOIL Shines at "Back to the Fifties"

There were cars galore at the 35th annual MN Street Rodder Association's Back to the Fifties event in St. Paul this past weekend. The gathering was the endpoint in Street Rodder's Road Tour which passed through Superior, WI last week.

AMSOIL CFO John Hosler described the scene like this: "At the show you can see everything from pristine frame off restored trailer queens to down & dirty rat rods – from survivors to drivers to brands which have unfortunately gone away like Auburn, Studebaker, Oldsmobile, Willys, Henry J., Hudson, Simpson, Packard, etc. – sedans to rags to woodies. They were all there, 11,693 of them in fact." More than 60,000 people per day came to pay homage to these vintage cars and the memories they foster.

It was a special delight to have Jo Coddington on hand for the duration, a classic car enthusiast in her own right. Jo rode in Jerry Dixey's lead car for the part of leg three of the Road Tour and was delighted to see so many familiar faces and enthusiastic youth getting introduced to the rodder scene.

For those car collectors whose rides don’t fit into MSRA there is the Minnesota Street Machine Association (MSMA) featuring muscle cars and cars of the 60s & beyond in conjunction with Car Craft magazine another sizable show at State Fairgrounds in July.

Click on the images to enjoy them at full size.

More Road Tour Scenes

Along with lots of smiling faces there were many cameras on hand Wednesday night, and far too many pictures to share here, but for those who missed, you can see we had quite an outing when the Street Rodder Road Tour rolled in. Thanks again to all who made this such a great success.

The following morning, the Road Tourians, as they call themselves, gathered in front of the product center for coffee and doughnuts before heading south. What follows is the morning line-up, a Wisconsin scene from "on the road again" and Jo Coddington in the front seat of Jerry Dixey's lead car at Culver's where we gathered in Vadnais Heights for a late lunch.

Street Rodder Road Tour Coming To Town

For a lot of folks, it’s like Christmas in summer. Wednesday night, June 18, the Street Rodder Road Tour will be making its last stop before heading to the Minnesota Street Rod Association’s Back to the Fifties event in St Paul. We’re currently anticipating 28 cars and a contingent of local street rodding enthusiasts. This leg of the Tour which originated in Bowling Green, Kentucky, currently has 22 vehicles making the whole trip, but six more will be joining soon. That’s how road tours go, with enthusiasts hopping aboard along the way.

A special feature of this stop will be the presence of Jo Coddington, wife of the late Boyd Coddington, one of street rodding’s most influential builders and centerpiece of American Hot Rod. Jo will be joining Road Tour Director Jerry Dixey in the lead car for the last segment of this journey.

June 18 Agenda
The agenda here on Wednesday is for the Road Tourians to arrive at AMSOIL Center after checking in at their hotel. From 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. we’ll have suitable street rod music blaring and vendors on hand if you need a bite to eat or something to quench your thirst. And of course there will be the cars, which is what it's all about. Happily, the weather appears to be promising. Local car clubs and the public have been invited to view the cars on the tarmac inside Gate A at the AMSOIL Center.

Evidently there’s a lot of buzz out on the street. Anyone wishing to join the parade of classic cars on Thursday’s day trip to St. Paul is more than welcome. We’ll be gathering again in the morning at the AMSOIL Center to head south at approximately 8:30 a.m. If you’re planning to drive Back to the Fifties, be sure to double check the start time when visiting Wednesday eve.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

As summertime approaches, the opportunitites to be part of an AMSOIL sponsored event almost seem to be stacking on top of one another. It is a very exciting year with head turning thrills wherever you look.

Next weekend the NSRA will gather in Springfield, Missouri for the Mid-America Street Rod Nationals at the Missouri Entertainment and Event Center. This is the 25th year of the annual event, which is noted as the city's largest vintage car show. Fans of these wonderfully cool old-time cars can see them live from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday thru Sunday, May 23-25.

I know a few off road truck enthusiasts who would probably give their eye teeth to be part of the Top Truck Challenge in Hollister, California the first week of June. There will be a lot of shredded metal and other carnage again this year, no doubt, as the editors and publishers of Four Wheeler magazine dream up new ways to put equipment to the test. More info on that will follow soon.

A little later in June the Street Rodder Road Tour will be passing through Superior and stopping at the World AMSOIL Center the evening of June 18. The public is invited to see these classic cars from 6:30 till 8:00. (We'd party till midnight, but the drivers will have just finished a long day's trek and out of courtesy we'll let them check in to their hotels and get some rest.)

Those who have followed the tour in Street Scene and Street Rodder magazines will know that columnist Jerry Dixey drives the lead car. It's a lot of work putting these road tours together, but Jerry loves all the great people he's met along the way. This is your opportunity to meet him in person.

For the record, anyone interested in joining the parade of vintage street rods on Thursday as they head to St. Paul can meet us at the AMSOIL Center at 8:30 a.m. The word on the street is that Jo Coddington, co-star of the American Hot Rod TV show, will be along for the ride.

And if it is racing you're after, be sure to check out the AMSOIL Racing Blog. There's a lot of racing going on this time of year, and it keeps our racing manage Jeremy Meyer pretty busy with his fingers on the pulse of all of it. Check it out. It's a fun read.

In the meantime, take a deep and let's plunge forward. The best is yet to come.

Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

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

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.

Taking Another Crack at Bonneville

There are actually several Bonneville Speed Weeks, and this week has been one of them as more than 150 race teams, 50 officials, 35 members of the media and a few hundred spectators converged on the Flats. For the first few days the weather has been perfect. Sunny skies, temps in the seventies, minimal wind and hard salt – a week specifically designed for land speed records.

For a second time this year Boyd Coddington brought his rig and crew to Bonneville to take another shot at the record books in their 1927 Model T Ford with AMSOIL the primary sponsor. There was no filming for cable TV. This week the single aim is a land speed record.

Yesterday Jo Coddington qualified for her high speed license to go over 200. At the time of this report, after having achieved a 184 in qualifying, the team was in good position car to attempt its record breaking runs. The record is 199. Weather permitting, we’ll report the final results on Monday.

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)

AMSOIL/Coddington Bonneville Race Car Build Continues

Thursday night will be episode two of the AMSOIL/Coddington Bonneville race car build. During the shooting for the show, AMSOIL staff were on hand to inspect the progress of the build. This week's show will air Thursday evening 7:00 CST on The Learning Channel. Check your local listings for air times in other parts of the country.

Here's the spec sheet on this car.
Builder & Designer: Boyd Coddington Garage
Major Sponsor: AMSOIL
Minor Sponsors: SOBE, O’Reilly’s, MagnaFlow, Simpson, & DuPont
Body: 1927 Ford Model T - Original Modified Steel Body
Build Date: August 2007
Engine: 2.1 Liter GM Ecotec / D-Stroked 22
Oil: AMSOIL 10W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil
Oil Filter: WIX Racing Filter
Engine Tuner: HMS Performance
Engine Management: Fast Electronics
Horsepower: 1100 +
Torque: 750 +
Top Speed 230 + MPH
Spark Plugs: NGK Racing Plugs
Suspension: Custom Rocker Style Horizontal Inboard Shocks
Frame: Custom full tube frame
Tires Front: 600 x 16 – Blockley Racing
Tires Rear: 250 x 15 – Goodyear Front Runner “Land Speed” Tires
Wheels: Custom Steel Wheels w/Moon Disks
Weight: 3410 lbs
Air Filter: AMSOIL Custom EaAU Filter w/ Nano Technology
Exhaust: MagnaFlow
Intercoolers: Custom Design - Boyd Coddington Garage
Turbo: Precision Turbo – GT 105 mm
Coolant: AMSOIL Antifreeze and Engine Coolant
Transmission: Liberty Gears w/5 Speed Air Shifter
Transmission Fluid: AMSOIL Synthetic Transmission Fluid
Rear End: Winters Quick Change Rear End
Gear Lube: AMSOIL SEVERE GEAR® Lubricant 75W-90
Rear Brakes: Wilwood Racing
Safety Gear: Simpson Racing Products
Fuel: ERC Bonneville Spec Racing Fuel
Of Special Interest: First Race Car Built by Boyd Coddington Garage

Thursday’s Salt Not So Sweet

Like boats and race horses, cars on the Bonneville Salt Flats also have exotic names, many related to a common theme here in Utah. Salt Shaker, Salt Lick, Salt Sabre, Salty Dog, Salt Dancer II, and Saline Solution are are just a few of the salty hopefuls gathered here.

At day’s end Thursday the AMSOIL/Coddington car did not as yet set a record. But they did have some excitement. In the late afternoon Jo Coddington, while accelerating, spun out at 180 MPH, headed backwards through the 3rd mile marker and off the course probably about a half a mile. Both Jo and the car appeared fine afterward, the car suffering only minor tire damage.

When the team went out to see her and bring the car back, the motor home got stuck in the soft salt sand. A flat bed was called and in about 30 minutes it also got stuck. Then a monster semi tow-type rig arrived after another hour and that got stuck as well. At the end of the day all three remained stuck out in the middle of the salt flats. As the day ended the car was being readied back at the pits to run again Friday.

The latest report Friday morning: five tow rigs stuck. Bummer.

Wednesday Morning Update from Utah

Tuesday there were delays on the course due to some accidents and some salt surface repair. A Colorado driver was seriously injured when his car begin sliding sideways at 170 mph and then went airborne, crashing hard on its side.

As a result of the delays, the AMSOIL/Coddington car only had one attempt on the track.

The record Jo is chasing is for the fastest pre-1934 roadster, 3 liter/blown gas/modified. The current record is 199 MPH.

According to our man on the scene, "Everyone is still in great spirits and hoping for a good day on Wednesday. Still very hot." You can see from this shot below what they mean by hot. Now imagine being wrapped up in a driver's suit....

The Latest from Bonneville

We received a call from from the Salt Flats late yesterday afternoon. Here's the latest from Bonneville.

Jo Coddington made her second run at 175 MPH. All went well.

Excitement is building for Jo and the AMSOIL/Boyd Coddington car to break a speed record. When Jo goes over 200 MPH she'll become a member of the famous Red Hat Club -- all those who break 200 MPH at Bonneville.

Then in September she'll take the car to the Week of Speed for the races sponsored by the Utah Timing Association. (This week is Speed Week sponsored by South California Timing Association.)

Trivia: 3X Indy winner Bobby Unser, while visiting AMSOIL a few weeks ago, mentioned that he was a Red Hat Club member. Checking it out in the record books: he did 223+MPH in 1993.

Details

It is a remarkable thing how the mind can conceive an idea, then bring it to pass so that the whole world can see it. This profound act of creation has been so frequently associated with artists, writers and musicians that we forget that the joy of creation is something likewise experienced by engineers, architects and car builders.

At some point in time Boyd Coddington had an idea emerge in his mind: to recreate a 1927 Model T Roadster that could go over 200 miles per hour. Next week, the car will be put to the test at the Bonneville Salt Flats with his wife Jo at the wheel. This is no simulator at an amusement park. It is a real deal, and they are planning to go fast.

Coddington, who has won the prestigious “America's Most Beautiful Roadster” Award a record seven times and the Daimler-Chrysler Design Excellence Award twice, is an acknowledged artist from the old school. Cars are his canvas. Attention to detail is his trademark. Though a master of visual design, his concerns go beyond what the eye can see. For this reason the interior of the engine is not lubricated with just any oil. No matter how hot it gets out on the desert, his car will be cool.