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Sign up for our Email Newsletter	THE CHECKERED FLAG March 31, 2006 Edition GREEN FLAG Grant Wins Again Team AMSOIL rider nabs second straight Click Image to view Photogallery   Detroit, Mich. ~ If Josh Grant could have only held on during the first round of the AMA Supercross Lites East Coast Series, he would be in prime position for his first pro championship of his young career.  Instead, a mid-race crash and a DNF (did not finish) seriously hurt his chances of winning the overall points title in only his second year of pro racing. “It's very, very disappointing,” Grant said of his DNF.  “I mean if it wasn't for that one race I would be right there. I actually feel that up to this point I should have won every race except for Daytona. I got beat straight up in Daytona, but in Indy and St. Louis they were my races.” That growing confidence was also on display last weekend as the AMA headed to Detroit for round 12 of the 2006 supercross season. Grant was on a role heading into the motor city, winning the week before in Orlando and finishing either first or second the past four weeks.  The trend would continue inside the spacious Ford Field. In his first race of the day, Grant used some schooling he had received from teammate and superstar Kevin Windham to blow away the competition.  He grabbed the holeshot and by the time the first lap had passed, he had a comfortable lead on the rest of the field.  After the third lap, the Californian was almost a full five seconds ahead of second place.  Grant’s Lites teammate, Tommy Hahn, ran in the second heat race and finished third and transferred directly to the main. By the time the main came around, Grant was the top qualifier after running the fastest lap times of the day.  It takes good starts to compete with the sport’s best, and Grant followed that theory into turn one.  He turned his Honda CRF 250F out of the first corner in third.  He quickly moved into second.  On lap two, Grant made a move around the race leader and began to show of his speed.  Meanwhile, points leader Davi Millsaps was stuck in fourth after a poor start.  He was able to move up to second, but by that time, Grant had already opened up a considerable lead on the pack.  By the halfway mark, Grant had a 4.3-second lead over Millsaps.  He extended that interval to 6.7 seconds with just two laps to go.  When the checkered flag dropped, Grant had picked up his third win of the season.  Teammate Hahn finished in fourth. Grant will need a bit of luck in the final East Coast race of the season in Houston this weekend.  He currently sits 22-points behind Millsaps for the title.  If Millsaps has a DNF this weekend or fails to grab any points, and Grant wins his third straight, Grant will win his first points title. Despite the odds, he’s still happy with his season. “It’s going really well,” said Grant.  “I’ve had some really good finishes and I’m looking to keep doing what I’m doing week in and week out.  It’s going to take a lot to get this championship, but right now I’m just focused on each individual race.” Meanwhile, Windham’s return from an injury two weeks ago in Orlando has left the former champion behind the pack, trying to get his conditioning up to speed.  He was disappointed with his performance in Orlando, but hopes to rebound and finish the supercross season strong. “I was prepared to race, but I wasn't prepared to go out there and struggle on the level that I did,” said Windham.  “After the way I have been riding at home I know that I am capable of so much more, and I just want to show what I'm capable of.” Windham says his arm is feeling no ill effects after the bad break he suffered in December.  He went into Detroit looking for a better run, and was able to start the night off on a positive note.  He ran the classes second heat, along with teammate Billy Laninovich, who has been a real surprise since switching over to the bigger 450F while the team is on the East Coast. (Laninovich will switch back to the Lites class when the AMA heads back to the West Coast). Windham and Laninovich were pitted against Ricky Carmichael in their heat.  RC took the lead after the first turn and left Laninovich and Windham to battle Ivan Tedesco for second.  Tedesco quickly dropped back to fifth when both Laninovich and Windham moved by him.  When the race ended, Laninovich and K-Dub were sitting in second and third, respectively. The main didn’t go as planned for the SoBe/Samsung/Honda riders.  Both Laninovich and Windham got out of the gate slow and had to battle in mid-pack for the extent of the main.  When the race came to a conclusion, Laninovich had finished eighth and Windham settled in for 12th.  The AMA Supercross Series heads to Houston this weekend.  The race will be held Saturday at Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. Team AMSOIL Heading To Toronto Snocross pilot looking for a win in CSRA series Superior, Wis. ~ Fresh off his third place overall finish in the World PowerSports Association Snocross Series, AMSOIL rider D.J. Eckstrom will be looking for a win in the Canadian Snowmobiling Racing Associations final weekend in Barrie, Ontario. Scheuring Speed Sports will be making the trip to gain more exposure and do some late season testing on their Polaris 440 IQ’s.  Eckstrom, who was named one of Sno-X Magazines top 10 riders of all-time this past season, finished third in the Pro Open class and seventh in the Pro Stock class. Late Models Ready To Roll Brady Smith set to race this weekend Solon Springs, Wis. ~ Brady Smith has his sights set on a $10,000 top prize this weekend as the NARA Late Model Dirt Series gets going again after a six week layoff.  The NARA ran a three week series in Florida in February.  Smith will roll his #2 Chevy Monte Carlo into Brownstown, Ind. on Saturday night for the 9th annual Indiana Icebreaker.  Smith was scheduled to race last weekend at the famed Eldora (OH) Speedway, but that race was postponed due to cold weather. Co-op Sponsorships If you are an AMSOIL Dealer looking to sponsor a local racer through the AMSOIL Co-op Race Program, please fill out the G-2074 and send it the AMSOIL Racing Department.  Teams who were sponsored last year will need to fill out the form once again.  Also, please remember to send in your race results, as they will be included in the Checkered Flag. More From Team AMSOIL Team AMSOIL rider Johnny Munoz finished up the Houston MX Dealer’s Series last weekend at the Three Palms Extreme Sports Park in Conroe, Texas.  Munoz rode a consistent season, ending in a fifth overall finish in the point’s standings. He wrapped up his first series of the year with no major mechanical problems of injuries.	\ New Products SSO - Signature Series Oil® P.i. Performance Improver Concentrate   Ea Oil Filters    Ea Air Filters Ea Air Filters Ea Induction Air Filters
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