AMSOIL Offshore Continues Winning Tradition

AMSOIL Offshore Continues Winning Tradition for 21st Annual St. Clair River Classic

After a victory at their season opener at the SBI Marathon, FL race, the AMSOIL Offshore race team went north to Michigan to race on the Saint Clair River.  This event, sanctioned by OPA with assistance from BWORA, has been a long time favorite venue for the team with an excellent local turnout and atmosphere.  Throttleman Bob Teague, Driver Paul Whittier, and the crew were excited to be participating in the 2015 St. Clair River Classic.

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On Friday the Team operated out of Rivers Bend Marina, home base of competitor Cleveland Construction and its exceedingly hospitable Driver, “Evil” Ed Smith.  At Marathon, Bob had to manage a fuel pressure issue while cornering for the last 5 laps of the race.  The team determined this was a pick-up starvation issue creating air in the system.  A secondary bottom fuel pick-up doubled as the bottom of the fuel level sight tube, which was allowing the pump easy access to air. After eliminating the dual pick-up from both sides, fuel pressure was rock solid under strenuous testing.

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In addition, one engine was running leaner than the other at Marathon.  The AMSOIL Skater is equipped with wide band air/fuel ratio gauges on the dash for real time mixture monitoring.  Even after jet changes, there was a noticeable difference between the two engines, particularly at wide open throttle.  It seemed that there was something in the problem engine’s carburetor that was affecting proper fuel flow through the secondaries.  The Team changed the entire carburetor and installed the tune configuration selected at last year’s Saint Clair race on both engines.  Continued testing on Saturday confirmed the issue had been eliminated, and the mixture was perfect.

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The town of St. Clair fully supports the race event and closes down the main highway adjacent to the river, where the race boats are on display along with vendor booths, carnival rides and live music throughout the weekend.  Team AMSOIL Offshore was on display for spectators to take a photo, meet the Team, and also offered official apparel and product displays from a local AMSOIL Dealer.  Tens of thousands of spectators come through the event grounds to meet the teams and watch the races.

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Conditions on Sunday were ideal and typical for the high speed Saint Clair event.  The course was a 4 mile tri-oval on the Saint Clair River, which is also the border between the United States and Canada.  The layout is very desirable for spectators, as prime viewing of the race course is available from the banks of the river.

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The racing organization also provided an internet live cast with announcers during all 3 races on YouTube for fans who could not watch in person.  There is a varying current in the area, which can make cornering to the apex difficult, especially in the downriver turns 3 and 4.  The Supercats lined up in the first start in the last race of the day, with Bob Teague and Paul Whittier piloting the #77 AMSOIL 368 Skater.

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The #4 Cleveland Construction 388 Skater had the inside lane, due to previous OPA event attendance.  For the first lap and a half, the #4 boat commanded the inside line, and prevented AMSOIL from making their way around the outside.

Bob and Paul bided their time and eventually, in turn one, Cleveland Construction missed the proper apex, allowing AMSOIL to dive inside and take the second pin.  After taking the inside lane, AMSOIL railed through turns 3 and 4, securing the lead.  Bob and Paul never looked back and dominated the course to the finish.  Cleveland Construction was forced to retire with fuel pressure issues later in the race.

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Their victory made Team AMSOIL Offshore’s season a perfect two for two win record.  The next race will be a double points event for SBI in Michigan City, Indiana in which AMSOIL could secure the national points lead.  After fixing a few problems with the boat and its flawless performance in the race in St. Clair, the team feels better than ever about the boat’s setup.  AMSOIL Offshore would like to again thank Ed Smith & Julie Kimmel of Rivers Bend Marina for their hospitality and hard work creating a first class event at Saint Clair.

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AMSOIL’s great sponsorship package, dedicated racing department team, and superior lubricants all make it possible for Team AMSOIL Offshore Racing to achieve success!  Team AMSOIL is “one of the most accomplished offshore racing teams ever” and has captured the prestigious Stugots Cup, awarded to the Team for an OPA Overall High Points Championship in 2011.  The Team was awarded the APBA US-1 Offshore National High Point award for Super Cat class in 2014.

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The AMSOIL Dominator Racing Oil continues to be proven as the best choice for all extreme performance marine engines.  The Team has also proven that the absolute best oil for a Mercury dry-sump VISSM drive is AMSOIL Severe Gear for the ultimate in gear protection with minimal parasitic power loss.  Teague Custom Marine is an authorized AMSOIL dealer and offers the complete line of high performance lubricants in its store and for purchase over the phone.  There are also opportunities available for you to become a dealer!

See you at the races!
Next Stop: Super Boat Great Lakes Grand Prix – July 31 – Aug 2, 2015 – Michigan City, IN

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image001Official AMSOIL Site: http://www.amsoil.com/racing.aspx
Official Teague Custom Marine Site: http://www.teaguecustommarine.com
Follow both Teague Custom Marine & AMSOIL Offshore Racing #77 on Facebook!

Photos provided by:
Pete Boden, Shoot 2 Thrill Pix
Paul Kemiel, www.paulkemielphotographics.com
Maggie Rae Teague

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