I have to begin this month’s column by sending out a big congratulations to Team AMSOIL snowmobile racer P. J. Wanderscheid. As you will read in this issue of your Magazine, P. J. became the first racer ever to capture four AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby titles. That’s no small feat. And while it may be true that snowmobile racing is not front page news in the southern portion of this country, it does grab attention in the northern states and Canada. Millions of people took notice of P. J.’s win and that’s fantastic brand exposure for AMSOIL, no matter how you slice it.
P. J.’s accomplishment has propelled him to legendary status in the world of snowmobile racing. The Derby championship is universally recognized as perhaps the most coveted title in the sport. The event’s forty-eight year history is a timeline of snowmobile racing’s most memorable moments. It draws the world’s most accomplished oval ice racers, as well as legends from across the motorsports world. Indy 500 winners Bobby and Al Unser have made regular appearances at the track.
Although AMSOIL has had connections for years, the company became the title sponsor of the World Championship Snowmobile Derby in 2007. This sponsorship, along with our sponsorship of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series, has solidified us as a dominant force in the snowmobile market. Television for these events reaches over two million people and, along with significant on-site exposure, every magazine and major news outlet dedicated to the snowmobile industry is there to cover them. With approximately three million registered snowmobiles in North America, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, we are reaching a prime market for AMSOIL Dealers.
Equally important, snowmobile owners are primarily do-it-yourself types. Similar to motorcycle owners, they are passionate about their machines and appreciate the value of superior lubrication. Plus, they own additional equipment. Whether it’s for trucks, cars, trailers, boats or any other type of lubrication demand, AMSOIL products have earned their trust.
Beyond the exposure these sponsorships provide is the role they serve in the development and testing of AMSOIL products. All of our race teams are testing grounds. The AMSOIL products they use in the demanding conditions in which they operate are the same products we offer to the public. Unlike many other companies, we don’t make special, high-performance products for our race teams, and then use that as testimonial to sell the products we make available commercially. P. J. Wanderscheid wins snowmobile races with AMSOIL Dominator Synthetic 2-Cycle Racing Oil. Kevin Windham wins supercross races with AMSOIL 10W-40 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil. Scott Douglas wins off-road truck races with AMSOIL Dominator 15W-50 Synthetic Racing Oil. You get the point.
Our product testing, of course, goes way beyond our race teams. We constantly test our products in laboratory and stationary engine type settings, and fleet and field testing never ends for us. Our mission is to ensure that our products, without fail, measure up to AMSOIL standards. We know where the competition stands, and we will never fall behind the curve.
This issue of your Magazine features a field study that was conducted with a refuse hauling company. In short, we tested our Premium API CJ-4 Synthetic 5W-40 Diesel Oil against four other diesel oils. The conditions were extremely demanding, and the objective was to determine which oils could best maintain their viscosity and total base number (TBN) levels. Each of these features is essential in an oil’s ability to extend drain intervals and maintain wear protection. The application was a 7.6L Navistar DT 466 engine, which is notorious for shearing oils out of grade.
All four of the competing oils sheared out of grade within 168 hours of operation. AMSOIL Synthetic 5W-40, on the other hand, maintained its designated viscosity after 371 hours. The AMSOIL product also maintained the highest TBN retention rate of the five oils tested. The results indicated that AMSOIL Synthetic 5W-40 Diesel Oil was the most balanced formula in the group and more capable than the others in protecting engines throughout extended oil drain intervals. You can read the details.
On a final note related to our products, we have resurrected a program that was initially introduced in August 2008. Beginning in March and running through May we will offer a money-back guarantee tied to the fuel economy benefits of our P. i. Performance Improver. We are totally confident in the performance of this product, and with fuel prices rising, the time is right to capitalize on this opportunity. You can read about that, too, in this issue.
Bottom line, consumers can trust the AMSOIL brand to deliver the same outstanding performance we have been delivering since 1972. It is the AMSOIL reputation, and we stand behind it.
President and CEO, AMSOIL INC.